[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 67 (Friday, April 29, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H2145-H2146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE FINCA VIGIA FOUNDATION: A VERY SPECIAL U.S.-CUBA 
    COLLABORATION TO RESTORE AND PRESERVE THE CUBAN HOME OF ERNEST 
                               HEMINGWAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. McGovern) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Finca Vigia 
Foundation, based in Massachusetts, and the extraordinary model it 
provides of what Americans and Cubans working together can accomplish.
  Over the past 13 years, this special collaboration has restored and 
protected the home, documents, and related materials of Ernest 
Hemingway's home in Cuba, the Finca Vigia, located 12 miles outside of 
Havana, in the village of San Francisco de Paula.
  Like so many stories on Capitol Hill, this one began when a visitor 
from Massachusetts walked into my office. Jenny Phillips had an 
interesting story to tell because her grandfather was Ernest 
Hemingway's editor and long-time friend, Maxwell Perkins.
  She and her husband, Frank, had traveled to Cuba earlier that year to 
visit the Finca Vigia, which the Cubans had lovingly cared for and 
operated as a museum since Hemingway's death. We are grateful to those 
Cubans because there would be no Hemingway House without their decades 
of devotion to his memory and his legacy.
  In addition to touring the house and grounds, Jenny and Frank also 
saw thousands of Hemingway documents and photographs that were in boxes 
and containers in the basement, most unknown to writers and 
researchers. They recognized the priceless value of these papers to 
Hemingway scholars worldwide, but they also knew that the political 
divide between the United States and Cuba made their preservation and 
accessibility a problem.
  Listening to her describe what was at stake, we took the first steps 
that would result in a wonderful binational process to save Hemingway's 
documents; preserve the architecture and physical structure of his 
home; restore his famous boat, the Pilar; and conserve and protect the 
contents of his home, including original furniture, clothing, a 9,000-
volume library, original galley proofs and manuscripts, and over 4,000 
photographs. Time and tropical climates are not kind to these delicate 
materials.
  Partnering with the Social Science Research Council here in the 
United States, the Cuban Ministry of Culture, and the Cuban National 
Cultural Heritage Council, the CNPC, a plan of action was outlined to 
carry out a joint preservation project in Cuba and to conserve 
digitized and microfilm copies of all documents located in Hemingway's 
home to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and to the 
Cuban National Cultural Heritage Council.
  In 2002, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Eric 
Hershberg with the Social Science Research Council; Dr. Marta Arjona 
Perez of the CNPC; and witnessed by Frank and Jenny Phillips; Sandra 
Spanier with Pennsylvania State University and general editor of the 
Hemingway Letters Project; Sean, Angela, and Hilary Hemingway, who are 
the grandson, daughter-in-law, and niece of Ernest Hemingway; President 
Fidel Castro; and myself. Dozens of Cubans and Americans attended the 
signing, including my wife, Lisa.
  Since then, scores of Cubans and Americans have worked together to 
make the dream of preserving this priceless legacy of Ernest Hemingway 
a reality.

                              {time}  1315

  This includes officials at the State Department, at the Commerce 
Department, and at the Department of the Treasury in both the Bush and 
Obama administrations who recognized the importance to America and the 
world in saving Hemingway's cultural history in Cuba and helped the 
project navigate the complicated requirements of U.S. regulations and 
license applications.
  I would especially like to note and thank the many Cuban cultural 
officials and preservation, architectural, museum, and technical 
experts who made this dream come true. And I apologize if I leave 
anyone out.
  I would like to begin with Cuban President Fidel Castro, whose 
unconditional support was essential to moving this project forward, as 
well as Josefina Vidal during her service at the Cuban Interests 
Section here in Washington and later, following her return to Havana.
  I want to highlight the role of then-Minister of Culture, the iconic 
Abel Prieto, who was such an enthusiastic and encouraging voice when we 
first began reaching out to Cuban officials in 2002, as well as his 
successors, Rafael Bernal and the current Minister of Culture, Julian 
Gonzalez Toledo.
  Central to the success of the restoration and preservation of 
Hemingway's house, grounds, and its contents are:
  Marta Arjona Perez, now deceased, who was the visionary voice on the 
project when she was president of the Cuban National Cultural Heritage 
Council, the CNPC;
  Gladys Collazo Usallan, who is the current president of the CNPC, as 
well as her predecessors Manuel Palacios Soto and Margarita Ruiz 
Brandi;
  Nestor Garciaga, vice president of the CNPC and chief conservator of 
the Hemingway papers;
  Gladys Rodriguez Ferrero, long associated with the Hemingway 
collection and buildings and the former director of The Finca Vigia 
Museum, has been one of the most influential voices and actors in the 
preservation and restoration projects;
  Ada Rosa Alfonso, the current director of The Finca Vigia Museum, and 
Isabel Ferrero, the current deputy director of the museum;
  Architect Enrique Hernandez Castillo;
  Structural engineer Livan Yanes Diaz;
  Historic preservation architects Fernando Sanchez Rodriguez and Marco 
Antonio Vidal Garcia;
  Conservators Elisa Serrano Gonzalez, Liabys Alfonso Perez, Rosalba 
Diaz Quintana, and Roberto Abaen Siglen;
  Arborist Rafael Ibanez San Miguel and Manuel Valle Lopez from the 
Institute of Forestry Research.
  Their leadership, participation, expertise, vision, and generosity 
have been the essential heart of this successful collaboration.
  I know I speak for many Americans when I say that we share their 
pride and joy in having participated day by day in the restoration and 
preservation of Hemingway's legacy in Cuba.
  I count each of them as a valued colleague and as a friend, and I 
feel honored to have had the privilege, even in a small way, of having 
worked with them on this historic project.
  Initially known as the Hemingway Preservation Foundation, the 
nonprofit Finca Vigia Foundation has been the critical coordinating 
agent of U.S. professionals and technical experts who have contributed 
their expertise, skills, time, and passion to this major preservation 
undertaking.
  Since 2004, the Foundation has harnessed the talents, skill, and 
collaboration of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the 
Social Science Research Council, Mystic Seaport, and the Northeast 
Document Conservation Center to create teams of engineers and 
architects, of preservationists and document conservators, and of 
botanists, builders, and photographers to:
  Architecturally restore and preserve Hemingway's home to its 1950s 
splendor;
  Restore Hemingway's famous yacht, the Pilar;
  Conserve and digitize more than 10,000 documents, 4,000 photographs, 
and 5 rare Hemingway scrapbooks;

[[Page H2146]]

  Preserve these original documents in Cuba and bring digital images to 
the United States to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and 
Museum in Boston;
  Design, in a joint U.S.-Cuban collaboration, an onsite archival 
storage facility with wet and dry conservation laboratories.
  There are so many individuals, U.S. companies, and foundations that 
have made the restoration of Hemingway's house a personal passion. They 
have dedicated time and talent, materials, and funding to this 
initiative for over a decade. I would just like to mention a few:
  First are the foundations whose early contributions allowed this 
project and The Finca Vigia Foundation to get its feet on the ground, 
explore with its Cuban partners how to bring this dream to fruition, 
and put the first cornerstones in place. They are the Ford Foundation, 
the J.M. Kaplan Fund, The Christopher Reynolds Foundation, the Stewart 
Mott Charitable Trust, and the Rockefeller Foundation.
  Next, I would like to recognize the National Trust for Historic 
Preservation, which has recognized The Finca Vigia Foundation in Cuba 
as a U.S. Historic Preservation site--the only such site outside of the 
United States--and whose experience and technical expertise in 
preservation and cultural conservation have been invaluable.
  I would especially like to note the contributions of Richard Moe, the 
former President of the National Trust, and Paul Edmondson, the current 
general counsel with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
  Several foundations and U.S. companies have been involved directly in 
the preservation projects or in providing financial support for this 
work.
  The lead sponsor for document conservation has been the EMC 
Corporation, headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and especially 
Bill Teuber, Chris Goode, and Joel Schwartz from the company. EMC also 
reached out to Intel and Emulex, which also provided financial support 
to the project.
  The lead sponsors for the construction of archival storage and 
conservation laboratories are the Caterpillar Foundation and 
Caterpillar, Inc., along with the AT&T Foundation, the Ford Foundation, 
and American Express.
  U.S. professionals who have been critical contributors and 
participants in the technical, document conservation, construction, and 
architectural teams are William Dupont, the former chief architect with 
the National Trust for Historic Preservation and currently a professor 
at the University of Texas, San Antonio; architect planners Leland Cott 
and Henry Moss with Bruner/Cott & Associates; structural engineer 
Michael Henry with Watson & Henry Associates; structural engineer 
Robert Silman with Robert Silman Associates; landscape architects 
Patricia O'Donnell with Heritage Landscapes; preservation architect 
Mary DeNadai with John Milner Architects; and Ronald Staley, a 
construction specialist from Christman Company in Lansing, Michigan.
  Also very much involved are collections conservationist Wendy Claire 
Jessup and wooden boat curator Dana Hewson with Mystic Seaport.
  In the first years of this project, attorney Thomas D. Herman 
provided invaluable pro bono advice, and attorney Michael Gurdak and 
his team from Jones Day have provided essential services throughout the 
project.
  Special recognition must also be paid to the tireless work and 
engagement of Mary-Jo Adams and Robert Vila. Mary-Jo is the executive 
director of The Finca Vigia Foundation and is its very heart, soul, and 
beating blood. Without her efforts, this project would not have been 
possible.
  Bob Vila is a builder, a well-known TV host especially of the PBS 
program ``This Old House,'' and is a recognized building consultant. 
Bob has been involved on the ground in Cuba with overseeing every phase 
of the restoration of Hemingway's house and grounds.
  Along with Jenny Phillips, he is the co-chair of The Finca Vigia 
Foundation, but more than anything, we know that, when Bob is on site 
in Cuba, all is right with the world and, if it isn't, he will make 
sure that it is.
  Finally, I would like to recognize the work of Michael Mershon, who 
recently left my staff and who worked with me for over a decade on the 
Hemingway project.
  Right now U.S. and Cuban technical teams are constructing a facility 
on the grounds to carry out on-site archival storage with wet and dry 
conservation laboratories. Known as the ``taller,'' which means 
``workshop'' in Spanish, this facility will ensure the longevity of the 
Hemingway papers. It will be the first building constructed in Cuba 
using U.S. materials and ingenuity since the 1950s.
  The Cuban Ministry of Culture views this project as a possible 
prototype to be replicated across the country in the preservation of 
cultural heritage. The construction of this critical facility is 
possible because of the new regulations announced by President Obama in 
December of 2014.
  With very little money and largely during a period of daunting 
obstacles created by a tense political climate, The Finca Vigia 
Foundation and its team of experts, in close collaboration with Cuban 
professionals and experts, have done a great service for the American 
people, the Cuban people, and, indeed, all of the people of the world.
  With passion and professional skill, they recognized that the life, 
memory, books, papers, and home of Ernest Hemingway are above politics 
and policies, which are fleeting, while art is eternal. They understand 
that the legacy of Ernest Hemingway is a shared heritage, belonging to 
both Cubans and Americans, and in one of the best models of what can 
happen when Americans and Cubans collaborate, they have made sure that 
it will never be lost.
  I am so very grateful to Jenny and Frank Phillips for walking into my 
office 13 years ago and sparking a remarkable and personal journey for 
me. It has offered me the rare privilege to meet and work with so many 
extraordinary Cubans and Americans and to participate in preserving our 
shared heritage around the life and artistic achievements of Ernest 
Hemingway. I cannot wait to see what the next chapter brings.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________