[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 19, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E79]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN REMEMBRANCE OF SARGENT SHRIVER

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                          HON. THOMAS E. PETRI

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 19, 2011

  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, as a returned Peace Corps volunteer, I rise 
today to note the passing of Sargent Shriver, who founded the Peace 
Corps and headed it for its first five years. He was the enthusiastic 
and committed leader of the new agency, taking it from its founding in 
1961 to more than 14,500 volunteers serving in 55 countries by 1966.
  I served in the Peace Corps in Somalia in 1966 and 1967 and saw 
firsthand the contribution that Peace Corps volunteers make to the 
communities they serve, as well as the effect service has on the 
volunteers. Fifty years later, the continued selfless and noble service 
outside our borders remains a testament to the timeless American ideals 
demonstrated and encouraged by Sargent Shriver.
  But it wasn't just the Peace Corps. Sargent Shriver led a life of 
service, founding the Office of Economic Opportunity and helping to 
develop its many programs. From 1968 to 1970, he was our able 
ambassador to France during a difficult time in our relations with that 
country. In 1972, he ran for Vice President with George McGovern and 
then ran for President in 1976.
  And yet, there are many people who are unfamiliar with Sargent 
Shriver's service and achievements. His biographer, Scott Stossel, told 
the Washington Post that it's hard to find another American figure 
where the disproportion between how much he accomplished and how little 
he is known is so large.
  Let us pause to mark the passage of this public servant and say 
``thank you.''

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