[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 105 (Thursday, July 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE LATE PAUL LEO LOCATELLI, S.J.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 15, 2010

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of the late Paul Leo Locatelli, S.J., former President of Santa Clara 
University, who dedicated his life to a vision of social respect and 
compassion.
  Born to Italian immigrant parents, Paul grew up in Boulder Creek, 
California, picking walnuts and crushing gapes for the family garden 
and wine. Paul's experience as a child of immigrants resonates with all 
of us. Paul's work ethic, focus on family and community, and deep faith 
are emblematic of immigrant families all across this country.
  The first in his family to attend college, Paul matriculated at Santa 
Clara University, where he went on to serve for over 35 years. Paul 
earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from SCU, a Doctorate in 
Business Administration from the University of Southern California, and 
a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley in 
1974. That same year, Paul was ordained as a priest and began teaching 
accounting at Santa Clara University. He was a beloved teacher and was 
voted Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Paul's most prominent role was 
as President of Santa Clara University, a position he held for 20 
years, the longest serving president in the school's history. After 
leaving the presidency to become Secretary of Higher Education for the 
Society of Jesus at the Vatican, Paul was named Chancellor of the 
University in 2009. As a teacher, I can personally attest that there is 
no greater compliment than being asked to replicate one's work on such 
a large scale.
  As President of Santa Clara University, Paul's persona profoundly 
affected the curricula of his students, promoting a diverse student 
body and encouraging his students to understand the world through 
different perspectives and life experiences. Paul was committed to 
having graduates of Santa Clara leave the university having excelled in 
the three C's: competence, conscience, and compassion. Paul's devotion 
to his students led to the most successful campaign year of Santa Clara 
University's history, raising the University's endowment by over $600 
million during his tenure. Kicking off the campaign, Paul told his 
students and faculty, ``Ten years from now, because of our high 
aspirations and this campaign, Santa Clara University will be known 
around the world for educating moral, responsible, global citizens--
leaders who will change the world by finding better ways to overcome 
ignorance and prejudice, to alleviate poverty and hunger, and to end 
divisions that are caused by religion, national origins, or 
languages.''
  The success of the campaign propelled Santa Clara University into the 
top tier of our Nation's universities. Paul began several initiatives 
with the new endowment to create the world leaders that he envisioned. 
First, he focused on students' scholarships, advocating that all 
students deserve the right to a higher education. Second, he expanded 
the University's facilities and resources. And third, Paul saw several 
new programs to fruition.
  Paul focused not only on Santa Clara University as an institution, 
but also on individual students and projects, solidifying a personal 
feeling of community within the University. In 2007, Paul supported a 
group of students in an international solar-house competition that was 
seemingly too massive a project for the small University. The team 
placed third in the competition, garnering worldwide recognition and 
introducing a new legacy of solar and renewable projects on campus. 
After the competition, Paul did not stop in his commitment to the team 
of students. When they graduated, Paul served on the board of directors 
for their start-up company Valence Energy, providing mentorship and 
guidance to the students long after their college days. Paul served on 
numerous boards, spreading his visionary leadership widely into the 
community. Among these, he worked with the Association of Jesuit 
Colleges and Universities, Catholic Relief Services, the Silicon Valley 
Leadership Group, and the Bill Hannon Foundation.
  Paul's love and gift of teaching was perhaps only exceeded by the 
example he set as a humble priest. Throughout his life he remained true 
to the Jesuit's core principles of faith and not only understood, but 
lived the movement known as Liberation Theology. At his core, Paul was 
a Christian. With every inch of his being, he lived the great 
commandment to ``Love your neighbor as yourself.'' He was selflessly 
devoted to the mission he vowed to undertake, and died in service to 
others. Father Paul Locatelli was, simply put, the most Christ-like 
person that I have come to know.
  Paul was one our Valley's most respected leaders of heart and 
compassion, and a devoted student of history. On the evening of the 
September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, Paul showed courage and wisdom 
when speaking about the need to guard ourselves against the temptation 
to turn against those who may look like the terrorists. Drawing on the 
internment of Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 
Paul cautioned, ``Whatever the race or ideology or professed religion 
of the terrorists who committed these awful actions today, we are 
called not to yield to stereotyping and scapegoating people who by 
accident of birth or history may seem to be like the guilty.''
  Father Paul Locatelli will be deeply missed by the Santa Clara 
University family as well as the larger Silicon Valley community. His 
commitment to competence, conscience, and compassion has made a 
permanent impact on us all, and his efforts have afforded many students 
of Santa Clara University opportunities that would have been otherwise 
unavailable to them. Paul once said, ``. . . we must understand 
ourselves as citizens of a global community whose decisions shape the 
world for better or worse.'' There is no doubt that as a direct result 
of Paul's life, our world has been shaped for the better. My 
condolences are with the Locatelli family, and he is in my thoughts and 
prayers. I will miss you, Paul, and I will try to live according to 
your example.

                          ____________________