[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 112 (Thursday, June 29, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. JOHN EDWARD HASSE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 29, 2017

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer congratulations to 
Dr. John Edward Hasse on his retirement as Curator of Music at the 
National Museum of American History, a position he has served in since 
1984.
  Dr. Hasse is a recognized leader in the field of jazz scholarship and 
education, distinguishing himself through publications, programming, 
lectures, and public service. Most notably, Dr. Hasse conceived and 
founded Jazz Appreciation Month, which was endorsed by the U.S. 
Congress in 2003. Today, Jazz Appreciation Month is celebrated each 
April in all 50 states and in over forty other countries.
  Dr. Hasse also worked with me to found the Smithsonian Jazz 
Masterworks Orchestra, the jazz-ensemble-in-residence at the National 
Museum of American History, now in its 26th year of domestic concerts 
and international tours for the U.S. State Department.
  In addition to his work at the Smithsonian, Dr. Hasse is an 
accomplished writer, contributing chapters to a number of books and 
articles in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, eight 
academic journals, and eight encyclopedias. He has lectured on music, 
the arts, and leadership in 20 countries on six continents, advancing 
cultural diplomacy, often on behalf of the U.S. State Department. He 
has served on a number of boards, including the federal New Orleans 
Jazz Commission, the board of the International Association for Jazz 
Education, and as a founding member of the Jazz Educators Network. He 
has been a consultant with the U.S. Postal Service, the National 
Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and UNESCO.
  Dr. Hasse earned a B.A. cum laude from Carleton College, M.A. and 
Ph.D. degrees from Indiana University, and a Certificate in Business 
Administration from The Wharton School. His honors include appointment 
as Herb Alpert Scholar-in-Residence at the Berklee College of Music, 
two ASCAP-Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in writing about music, 
two Grammy Award nominations, and two honorary doctorates.
  Mr. Speaker, I offer my sincerest thanks to John for many years of 
friendship, and I know I speak for the entire Smithsonian Institute 
when I say Dr. Hasse will be sorely missed in his current capacity at 
the Smithsonian. However, if there is one thing I know about John, it 
is that he will never be far from the musical community he has fostered 
for the past few decades. We cannot thank him enough for the many years 
of service he has offered, and we look forward to seeing what the next 
stage of life holds for him.

                          ____________________