[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 56 (Friday, April 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E743]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF VIRGINIA BRAUN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAVID DREIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 15, 2011

  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to 
Virginia Bradway Braun--a philanthropist, a civic leader, a proud 
Californian, and a patriot. She was very active in politics and a long-
time friend and supporter of Governor and President Ronald Reagan. It 
was a privilege to call her a friend as well.
  Ginie, as she was known to all, contributed enormously to her adopted 
home in the greater Los Angeles area. Like me, Ginie grew up a 
Midwesterner, then came to California at a young age, and quickly 
called it home.
  She and her husband Henry gave generously to the community, 
supporting a vast array of worthy causes, from education to the arts to 
children's health. But Ginie was most generous with her time. She spent 
a lifetime volunteering for civic organizations, political causes, and 
charities that helped to improve the lives of those who shared her 
community.
  One of her most dedicated endeavors was her support for Pepperdine 
University, a tremendous institution that has served Southern 
California since 1937. Ginie joined the Pepperdine University Board in 
1983 and was named to the University's Board of Regents in 1995. Her 
legacy lives on in the Henry A. and Virginia B. Braun Center for Public 
Policy, which was dedicated in 2003. The Braun Center will continue to 
advance the academic excellence to which Ginie was so devoted.
  But Ginie's greatest generosity to the university was reserved for 
institutions and programs that did not bear her name. From athletics to 
arts, Ginie was a very proud supporter of Pepperdine, its facilities, 
its faculty and its students.
  As University President Andrew Benton said, ``Ginie radiated life.'' 
Her energy and charisma were irrepressible. She brought them to every 
one of her life's endeavors, and inspired those around her with her 
love of life and generosity of spirit. I know that I am joined by 
countless others in celebrating the tremendous life of Ginie Braun.

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