[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E56]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         IN CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF SAMUEL KEKER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 23, 2013

  Mr. VANHOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the remarkable life 
and legacy of a great American, Samuel Keker.
  Sam was born to Greek immigrants in Pueblo, Colorado in 1917. He 
attended American University, where he was elected vice-president of 
the student government and wrote for the college newspaper.
  A member of the ``greatest generation'', Sam served with distinction 
in the Navy during World War II, escorting convoys in the Atlantic and 
commanding a minesweeper in the Pacific. Sam's commitment to country 
would later cause him to return to duty during the Korean War, where he 
served as an executive officer on destroyers. He remained in the naval 
reserve until 1962, retiring with the rank of Commander.
  Sam spent the entirety of his professional career at U.S. News and 
World Report, rising from the position of assistant to the circulation 
manager in 1946 to becoming Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 
1982. Under Sam's leadership, U.S. News and World Report reached over 
two million readers and earned a well-deserved reputation for high-
quality reporting and excellence in journalism.
  Sam Keker was the embodiment of the American Dream--a person who 
through hard work, motivation and smarts rose to the highest level of 
his profession. Throughout that journey, he remained humble and treated 
those around him with dignity and kindness.
  I was privileged to know Sam Keker and will miss his intelligence, 
counsel and extraordinary wit. He was an inspiration to me, and his 
life was a good example for all. Sam and his loving wife Lucy have been 
leaders in our community, giving generously of their time and resources 
to help the less fortunate.
  I extend my deepest sympathies to Lucy, Sam's sons John and Jerry, 
and the rest of the Keker family. As we mourn Sam's loss, we are also 
grateful for the lessons he taught and the life that he lived.

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