[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 177 (Friday, November 18, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7874-S7875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF EVELYN H. LAUDER

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 335.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 335) honoring the life and legacy of 
     Evelyn H. Lauder.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of this 
resolution, submitted with my colleagues, Senator Gillibrand and 
Senator Feinstein, which honors the life and legacy of Evelyn Lauder.
  Fittingly extolled by The New York Times as a ``Champion of Breast 
Cancer Research,'' Evelyn will be long remembered by our Nation and 
indeed the world for her profound and lasting leadership in combating 
the dreaded scourge of breast cancer which Evelyn battled herself.
  One of the great philanthropists of our time or any time, Evelyn 
undeniably had the Midas touch as a superb business leader and 
innovator during her more than 50 years at the Estee Lauder Companies, 
where she had been initially persuaded by her mother-in-law, Mrs. Estee 
Lauder, to join the family business.
  And over the course of five decades, Evelyn became a driving impetus 
behind some of the company's most monumental strides. Make no mistake, 
any one of her myriad industry milestones alone would have secured 
Evelyn's name in the constellation of stars in cosmetics, but truly 
what set her apart time and again was the Midas heart she possessed 
that reached millions, especially breast cancer survivors.
  Evelyn was a rare visionary who not only conceived tremendous 
endeavors, but also possessed the will, talent, and fortitude to bring 
them to fruition. When the venerable Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer 
Center lacked a breast and diagnostic center, Evelyn undertook a 
fundraising campaign to establish the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center 
which opened its doors in 1992 and underwent an expansion in 2009.
  When also in 1992 Evelyn saw a gap in breast cancer awareness, she 
and Alexandra Penney, then editor of SELF magazine, developed the now 
iconic and legendary Pink Ribbon Campaign which has become the 
universal symbol for the battle against breast cancer.
  When Evelyn recognized a lack of funding for breast cancer research, 
she founded the landmark Breast Cancer Research Foundation which under 
her aegis grew from providing research grant awards totaling $159,000 
to fund eight researchers in 1994 to remarkably awarding $36.5 million 
to 186 researchers this year. And this renowned foundation has since 
become the largest national organization dedicated exclusively to 
funding research relating to the causes, treatment, and prevention of 
breast cancer.
  And so, Mr. President, you can imagine the honor I felt upon being 
named a Funding Hero by The Breast Cancer Research Foundation along 
with then-Senator Hillary Clinton in 2004. And it is only fitting that 
I have joined with then-Senator Clinton's successor, Senator 
Gillibrand, in paying tribute to one of their legendary constituents 
from the Empire State.
  Evelyn Lauder was proof positive of Andrew Jackson's tenet that ``one

[[Page S7875]]

man''--or, I might add, a woman--``with courage makes a majority'' as 
she helped to dramatically destigmatize and demystify the topic of 
breast cancer, spurring more women to seek medical attention sooner and 
improve their capacities to be their own best advocates. With 
unsurpassed leadership, Evelyn helped fill the so-called ``funding 
gap'' that scientists too often must confront between good and bold 
ideas.
  And I don't have to tell any of my colleagues here today, that means 
enabling more promising scientists with innovative scientific proposals 
to accelerate their research and findings rather than apply for federal 
grants alone.
  As I have remarked in the past, breast cancer doesn't wait to strike, 
just as our best researchers shouldn't have to wait to begin the work 
that just might lead to the goal we all seek a cure. Not only that, but 
with more than 90 cents of every dollar going directly to research and 
awareness, it seems to me Congress would do well to emulate the 
Foundation's efficiency.
  By increasing awareness, by funding research, by searching tirelessly 
for a cure, Evelyn Lauder was a vital, public service catalyst in this 
battle against breast cancer. Undoubtedly, Evelyn was not just a 
difference-maker in this fight, but the consummate, indispensable game-
changer as well.
  Surely, integral to Evelyn's long cavalcade of achievements will be 
our continuous drive to make breast cancer history to move the needle 
where 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point 
in their lifetime to eradicating this disease for all time. As someone 
who battled breast cancer herself, Evelyn understood better than anyone 
the urgency of waging a full attack that was both relentless and 
comprehensive.
  Indeed, Evelyn through her foundation was crucial in contributing 
dollars to the development of targeted therapies, such as Herceptin. As 
a longtime, vigorous advocate of the DOD Breast Cancer Research 
Program, which also contributed funding into the early research behind 
Herceptin, I recognize how essential it is to have strong partners like 
Evelyn complementing and amplifying our efforts in Congress.
  Finally, no discussion about Evelyn Lauder is remotely complete 
without paying tribute to the love of her life for well more than half 
a century, her incredible husband Leonard Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of 
the Estee Lauder Companies. Theirs was indeed a partnership in every 
sense of the word their mutual regard and respect for one another could 
not have been greater, and the joy they took in being in each other's 
company could not have been more evident. Each was instrumental to the 
success and trajectory of the other.
  Evelyn's legacy was perhaps best crystallized in her response to an 
interviewer's question about none other than her own critically-
acclaimed photography. Regarding her passion for being behind the 
camera, Evelyn observed that ``you can't hold back time, but you can 
look forward to what's coming next and do everything in your power to 
create the best possible future.''
  Suffice it to say, the lens through which Evelyn saw her camera's 
subjects will forever be the lens through which we will remember 
Evelyn, as she helped create the best possible future for millions of 
breast cancer survivors around the world.
  Our thoughts and prayers remain with her beloved Leonard and their 
two sons, William and Gary. It's often been said that ``we make a 
living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.'' Never have 
the words rung more true than when associated with the incomparable, 
selfless, trailblazer for good, Evelyn Lauder.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, there be no intervening action or debate, and any 
related statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 335) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 335

       Whereas with the passing of Evelyn H. Lauder, the world has 
     lost an energetic and dedicated friend and ally who 
     catapulted to the world stage the quest to prevent and cure 
     breast cancer in this lifetime;
       Whereas Evelyn was born Evelyn Hausner on August 12, 1936, 
     in Vienna, Austria;
       Whereas in 1940, the Hausner family fled Nazi-occupied 
     Austria, eventually settling in the State of New York, where 
     Eveyln was a proud product of the New York City public school 
     system and met her future husband of more than half a 
     century, Leonard Lauder;
       Whereas Evelyn and Leonard wed in July 1959;
       Whereas, Evelyn joined the family cosmetic company, Estee 
     Lauder, handling many roles in the early years and later 
     becoming Senior Corporate Vice President and Head of 
     Fragrance Development Worldwide;
       Whereas Evelyn helped bring global awareness to breast 
     cancer after being diagnosed with early stages of the disease 
     in 1987;
       Whereas in 1989, Evelyn initiated the fundraising drive to 
     establish the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Cancer Center at 
     Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, 
     which opened in 1992 and quickly became the model for similar 
     breast cancer diagnostic centers around the world;
       Whereas the expanded Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Cancer Center 
     opened in 2009 and provides the most up-to-date breast cancer 
     prevention, diagnosis, and outpatient treatment services 
     under 1 roof;
       Whereas in 1992, Evelyn worked with longtime friend 
     Alexandra Penney, former editor-in-chief of SELF magazine, to 
     create the Pink Ribbon Campaign for breast cancer;
       Whereas Evelyn launched the Estee Lauder Companies' Breast 
     Cancer Awareness Campaign, which has distributed more than 
     115,000,000 pink ribbons worldwide;
       Whereas in 1993, Evelyn founded The Breast Cancer Research 
     Foundation, thereby affirming her commitment to preventing 
     breast cancer and finding a cure in this lifetime through 
     funding some of the most innovative clinical and translation 
     research at leading medical centers worldwide;
       Whereas The Breast Center Research Foundation, which to 
     date funds 186 researchers around the world and has raised 
     $350,000,000, has grown to become the largest national 
     organization dedicated exclusively to funding research 
     relating to the causes, treatment and prevention of breast 
     cancer;
       Whereas during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 
     2010, Evelyn and the Estee Lauder Companies' Breast Cancer 
     Awareness Campaign achieved a first-ever Guinness World 
     Record, ``Most Landmarks Illuminated for a Cause in 24 
     Hours'', by illuminating 38 iconic landmarks, including the 
     Taj Mahal, the Tokyo Tower, the Hotel Majestic, the Empire 
     State Building, and Niagara Falls;
       Whereas in October 2011, the Lauder family was honored with 
     the prestigious Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for commitment 
     to philanthropic endeavors and public service;
       Whereas Evelyn will be remembered for her vision and 
     leadership in achieving funding for promising scientific 
     research that lead to breakthrough drugs, including Herceptin 
     and Avastin, a better understanding of how tumors develop and 
     risk factors for recurrence, and an improved quality of life 
     for breast cancer survivors;
       Whereas her work continues to help promising scientists who 
     have equally promising, imaginative, and innovative proposals 
     get research off the ground;
       Whereas there is no doubt that we must find a cure, and 
     research is instrumental to achieving this goal;
       Whereas this year, nearly 40,000 women of the United States 
     are expected to die of breast cancer; and
       Whereas we must keep up the battle and recruit more heroes 
     like Evelyn if we are to achieve ``prevention and a cure in 
     our lifetime'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) mourns the loss of Evelyn H. Lauder;
       (2) honors the life and accomplishments of Evelyn H. 
     Lauder, a world renowned advocate for breast cancer awareness 
     and health of women; and
       (3) offers the deepest condolences to the beloved husband, 
     Leonard, sons, William and Gary, and 5 grandchildren of 
     Evelyn H. Lauder.

                          ____________________