[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H10167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN HONOR OF DR. JAMES BILLINGTON, LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kustoff of Tennessee). Under the 
Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2017, the Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, when I learned of the death of my very 
close friend, Dr. James Billington, the 13th Librarian of Congress, it 
hit me pretty hard. That was about 3 weeks ago. Dr. Billington's 
passion for the institution that he led for 28 years, his scholarly 
nature, and his gentlemanly demeanor were a tremendous inspiration to 
me and to so many Members of this body. I so admired him.
  First, I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to Marjorie and the 
entire family. May God grant him peace.
  During his 28 years at the Library of Congress, from 1987 to 2015, 
Dr. James Billington led the institution in a remarkable period of 
accomplishment. He once referred to the Library of Congress--I like to 
call it America's Library--as the largest, most wide-ranging collection 
of world-recorded knowledge ever assembled on our planet. He strove 
mightily to preserve the Nation's cultural patrimony and open the 
Library's collections to the American people and to people around the 
world.
  Dr. Billington doubled the size of the Library's holdings to more 
than 160 million items, including books, manuscripts, newspapers, maps, 
music and film recordings, and prints and photographs.
  Simultaneously, he also created a massive online library, digitizing 
materials so that the historic and cultural resources of the Library--
being historic and cultural resources of the world, I might add--which 
were once only available to persons visiting the Library now would be 
instantaneously accessible to anyone anywhere in the world.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Billington also looked to the future, but he never 
lost sight of our connectedness and the treasures of the past. During 
his tenure, he acquired the only copy of the 1507 Waldseemuller world 
map, which is known as America's birth certificate. He reconstructed 
Thomas Jefferson's original library for permanent display, and he 
obtained the papers of hundreds of great Americans ranging from jurist 
Thurgood Marshall to the songwriter Irving Berlin.
  Mr. Speaker, I can't emphasize enough that he was a remarkable man--a 
Russian scholar with a brilliant mind. He accompanied 10 congressional 
delegations to Russia and the former Soviet Union. In 1988, he was 
invited to join President Reagan in traveling to the Soviet Summit in 
Moscow.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a member of the House Appropriations Committee's 
Legislative Branch Subcommittee, and now I am its chairman. I got to 
know Dr. Billington from his regular appearances before the 
Appropriations Committee to talk about the budget.
  I often enjoyed the many events he held at the Library, the 
dialogues, the displays, and the exhibits he organized to engage 
Members of Congress in their Library.
  Dr. Billington went out of his way to accommodate our needs. He once 
graciously hosted a small British delegation on my behalf that included 
a member of the royal family and a member of the House of Lords, both 
with an interest in Charles Carroll, one of the original signers of the 
Declaration of Independence. Despite the government shutdown at that 
moment a little while back, which forced us to move the forum into this 
building, the Capitol, Dr. Billington ensured that the Library's prized 
displays were in place and were on time, and that he was present to 
deliver welcoming remarks.
  With his retirement, leaving the great institution he served 
faithfully for nearly three decades, Dr. Billington left an indelible 
imprint, having created programs and services that continue to benefit 
Congress and the American public.
  In fact, Mr. Speaker, before he retired, in a conversation with his 
wife, Marjorie--and I knew his retirement was imminent--I told him: Dr. 
Billington, now it is time to write two books, the book that you want 
to write that is in your mind, and the book for the rest of us to read 
to make accessible your life story and your brilliant insights.
  Long live his memory.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, let me say, may God comfort Dr. Billington's 
wife, Marjorie, their four children, and their 12 grandchildren in 
their moment of grief.
  I extend to them, as well as the entire Library of Congress 
community, my heartfelt condolences.
  Jim Billington, well done, my friend. Well done, good and faithful 
public servant.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________