[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 108 (Thursday, June 11, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DARRELL WILLSON

  Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, today I rise to acknowledge the service of 
Mr. Darrell R. Willson, who is retiring as the Administrator of the 
National Gallery of Art in July after a 50-year career serving the 
public.
  Mr. Willson has spent the three past decades with the gallery 
overseeing the backbone of its operations--protecting and preserving 
its historic buildings, working to expand its footprint, and ensuring 
that it maintains a world-class staff. As an executive officer of the 
institution, he has worked closely with gallery leadership, executive 
branch officials and Congress--including with the House and Senate 
Committees on Appropriations--to ensure that the gallery has had the 
people and resources it needs to fulfill its mission. During his 
tenure, the gallery has completed more than $400 million worth of 
renovations to the East and West Buildings and welcomed visitors to new 
public spaces such as the Sculpture Gallery and the Andrew W. Mellon 
Memorial Fountain. In short, his work has provided the gallery with a 
stunning backdrop to showcase its collection of more than 150,000 
sculptures, paintings, drawings, and photographs to the American 
public.
  His work with the National Gallery of Art is not the only 
contribution on Mr. Willson's resume that deserves recognition. Prior 
to joining the gallery, Mr. Willson worked for a decade at the Art 
Institute of Chicago, rising through the ranks to becom executive 
director of protective services. He also served the public as a local 
law enforcement official with the Waukegan, IL, police department. And 
of course, these positions are all in addition to his most important 
role--his service as a husband, a father, and a grandfather.
  Mr. Willson deserves to take great pride in all of these important 
accomplishments--especially his tireless work in support of our 
Nation's great arts and cultural institutions--as he retires from the 
gallery. On behalf of the Senate, I send him our thanks and warmest 
congratulations for a job well done.

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