[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 106 (Monday, July 19, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S5989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       TRIBUTE TO LENA ARCHULETA

 Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I would like to recognize a 
treasured Coloradan, Mrs. Lena Archuleta, a champion of Hispanic rights 
who is celebrating her 90th birthday this year. Lena represents the 
true spirit of commitment to the greater good. Her dedication to 
education and public service demonstrates the change that we can 
inspire through hard work, sympathy, and kindness.
  Lena was born in Raton, NM, in 1920. She was awarded a scholarship at 
the University of Denver where she studied Spanish and education and 
later received a master's in library science. In 1951, she joined the 
Denver Public Schools' Department of Library Services were she 
maintained her belief that a high-quality education should be 
accessible to all students regardless of gender, race, or nationality. 
This belief led Lena to work with the Denver Public Schools' Federal 
Project to promote and jumpstart programs for bilingual education. In 
1974, she used her vast experience in the education field to become the 
principal at Fairview Elementary and the first Hispanic principal in 
Denver public schools' history. In addition to this honor, she later 
became the first Hispanic woman appointed to a central administrative 
position. Mrs. Archuleta dedicated and accumulated 17 years to New 
Mexico and Colorado classrooms, as well as 14 years as a school 
administrator.
  While I am pleased to have the honor of recognizing Mrs. Archuleta 
and her great accomplishments, this is not the first time her 
dedication and commitment to serving others has been recognized and I 
doubt that it will be the last. In 1963 the Latin American Educational 
Foundation appointed her to be the first woman to serve as president of 
its board of directors. In 1986, she was inducted into the Colorado 
Women's Hall of Fame as the first Hispanic inductee. In addition to 
these and other honors, both regional and national, Denver's Lena 
Lovato Archuleta Elementary School was named after her in 2002. This 
was perhaps, the most fitting of all of her honors as this elementary 
school nurtures the same environment of discovery and lifelong learning 
that Mrs. Archuleta herself created and passed along to fellow 
educators, students, and community members. Truly representative of her 
spirit and life's work, Mrs. Archuleta didn't merely accept the honor, 
she went on to raise $20,000 for the school's library.
  Mrs. Lena Archuleta continues to recognize and nurture the skills of 
her students and those around her. Through continued volunteer work 
with organizations such as the AARP in Colorado, she inspires others to 
achieve their goals using entrepreneurship, dedication, and compassion. 
Working in schools, Lena has inspired many of us through her example. 
She has shown Coloradans that with humility, devotion, and empathy we 
can improve the lives of others. For these reasons, today, we recognize 
Mrs. Lena Archuleta.

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