[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2291-S2292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING CLIFFORD HARDIN

 Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to a great 
Nebraskan and great American. Last week, we lost a visionary figure 
who, through years of service, made lasting contributions to our 
society: former University of Nebraska chancellor and later U.S. 
Secretary of Agriculture Clifford Hardin.
  I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Cliff Hardin. His 
lifetime of service both in government and academia provides a shining 
example of the impact one person can have.
  As chancellor of the University of Nebraska, Cliff was the steady 
hand that guided the University through a turbulent era. He was 
appointed to the position in 1954 at the age of 38--the youngest 
university president in the country at the time. His tenure at Nebraska 
lasted 15 years.
  In reading the many tributes to Cliff over the last week, I was 
touched by one particular story that showed his true colors. Upon 
learning that a rival university had plans to place Nebraska's Black 
football players in one hotel and the White players in a separate 
hotel, he refused to let the team even board the plane to go to the 
game. It wasn't long until the other school changed course and offered 
the same accommodations for all players.
  As Secretary of Agriculture, Cliff was a results-oriented advocate 
for farmers and ranchers in my home State of Nebraska and across the 
country. He put a premium on bipartisanship, and his

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distinguished record of accomplishments set a wonderful example for me 
during my time as Secretary of Agriculture. As Congress works this year 
to reauthorize child nutrition programs, his impact is still felt. It 
was then-Secretary Hardin who established the Food and Nutrition 
Service within the Department of Agriculture to administer nutrition 
programs.
  I extend my deepest condolences to the entire Hardin family. Cliff 
leaves behind a legacy of service and leadership. He will be missed but 
not forgotten.

                          ____________________