[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 82 (Thursday, May 16, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





              CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DR. DAVID A. HAMBURG

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 16, 2019

  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary 
life and enduring legacy of a giant of humanitarianism and a leader of 
conscience, who made lasting, life-saving contributions to the cause of 
eradicating violent conflict and eliminating human suffering: Dr. David 
Alan Hamburg.
  Trained as a physician and psychiatrist, Dr. Hamburg led a career of 
incredible scope and immense impact, beginning with sweeping 
contributions made to the field of medicine from distinguished posts at 
hospitals, universities, research laboratories, and scientific and 
public policy organizations. ``Ounce of prevention, ton of cure'' was 
his favorite motto, and would guide him through all his work, from 
disease prevention to conflict resolution.
  Dr. Hamburg followed his pioneering scholarship on disease prevention 
with studies of human behavior, specializing in the evolution of human 
violence. As a recognized authority on the study of aggression, stress 
and conflict, he revolutionized the worlds' conception of civil 
conflict and warfare, led by his deep faith in the need to ``mobilize 
human ingenuity'' for peace. Much of his game-changing research was 
conducted alongside his beloved wife, the trailblazing and renowned Dr. 
Beatrix Hamburg.
  At the helm of the prestigious Carnegie Corporation for fifteen 
years, Dr. Hamburg would use his belief in the power of prevention to 
create prosperity, as he launched initiatives for the advancement of 
civilization of a startling scale, from early childhood education to 
youth health to conflict resolution. He was a powerful and early force 
for the study of terrorism, violence and genocide, warning that for too 
long, scholars had treated these global priorities as ``almost a 
nonsubject.''
  His leadership was critical in conflict prevention and mitigation 
efforts, including through initiatives such as the Carnegie Commission 
on Preventing Deadly Conflict, co-chaired with former Secretary of 
State Cyrus R. Vance, which studied ethnic and regional conflicts in 
Africa and the Balkans, and which was cited as one of the United 
Nation's ``major reference points'' for peace efforts by Secretary-
General Ban Ki-Moon.
  He was a respected voice among our colleagues in the Congress on 
nuclear nonproliferation, which is a pillar of America's national 
security. His work to develop and pass the vital Nunn-Lugar. Amendment 
has helped keep America and our allies strong and safe. I had the 
privilege of learning from Dr. Hamburg when we served on the Board of 
the Leakey Foundation for the Study of Human Origins. Once again he 
would demonstrate his leadership when he courageously obtained the 
release of the Stanford students who were kidnapped while doing primate 
research at Gombe National Park, Tanzania.
  Dr. Hamburg often said that he ``grew up in the shadow of the 
Holocaust,'' and was motivated in his work by his grandfather's 
experience fleeing anti-Semitic pogroms in Latvia and later bringing an 
estimated 50 relatives to America to escape the Nazi regime. This 
``firsthand knowledge [on] how brutal people could be'' would be a 
powerful beacon for him, as he sought to bring resolution, cooperation 
and healing to the world. His enduring contributions to turn that 
painful legacy into a more peaceful future for others will be a lasting 
blessing for all.
  May it be a comfort to Dr. Hamburg's children, Eric and Margaret, his 
three grandchildren, David, Rachel and Evan, and all their loved ones 
that David has been reunited with the love of his life, Betty. May it 
also be a comfort that so many grieve with them and pray for them 
during this sad time.

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