[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 207 (Wednesday, January 2, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1743]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MR. THOMAS CHARLES BRAUN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KEITH ELLISON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 2, 2019

  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of my 
constituent and neighbor, Mr. Thomas Charles Braun. A beloved artist, 
activist, family man, and small business owner, Mr. Braun passed away 
in October 2018. I join my neighbors in recognizing the tremendous 
gifts he gave to our community.
  Born in Lake City, Minnesota, Mr. Braun was always an artistic and 
passionate person. After getting his degree in theater from Lawrence 
University, Mr. Braun taught theater at Lea College, Ekerd College, and 
Normandale Community College. He inspired countless young adults 
through his commitment to fun and daring productions before he left 
academia to run Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis in 1988.
  Consistently recognized as one of the most inventive bookstores 
nationwide, Wild Rumpus is symbolic of the type of person Mr. Braun 
was--open and inviting, passionate about having fun, and always up for 
trying something new and mischievous. Under his devoted management, the 
store garnered national awards, including being named Bookstore of the 
Year by Publisher's Weekly in 2017. As described in his obituary, `One 
never really ``worked for'' Tom. Rather, you became a co-conspirator in 
his sense of mischief and philosophy of ``why not?'' '
  But Mr. Braun was passionate not only about light-hearted ventures. 
He founded Linden Hills Power & Light, an organization that fights for 
climate action on the grassroots level. They were a key constituency 
pushing for citywide door-to-door compost collection, spearheading the 
first pilot program with the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County. 
Mr. Braun's drive to model the world he wanted to see through his own 
choices and actions was a driving force for some of our most important 
city-wide sustainability efforts.
  Though Mr. Braun is no longer with us, the impact he has made on our 
community will be visible for years to come. I am grateful that he gave 
us so much of his energy and vision, and that he created lasting 
organizations that will continue to model his commitment to being a 
good person, doing right by his neighbors, and fighting for a better 
world. I thank Mr. Braun for all that he has given to Minnesota.

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