[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 133 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E846-E847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN MEMORIAM OF SUSAN SCANLAN, ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 29, 2021

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in 
remembrance of Susan Scanlan, the longtime president of the Women's 
Education and Research Institute (WREI) at the Women's Congressional 
Policy Institute. Susan passed away peacefully on July 16, 2021. She is 
known for her steadfast commitment to women's issues and her work in 
bringing exceptional women into professional roles here in Washington.
  Susan was born in Philadelphia, where her father relocated while 
working during World War II. The family returned to Virginia in 1949 
where they settled in Alexandria, where she attended Linconia 
Elementary and then W.T. Woodson High School before pursuing her 
collegiate education. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Sweet Briar College 
with a masters in modern languages from Tulane University, Susan began 
her career on Capitol Hill as legislative director for Representative 
Charles Wilson (TX-02), authoring legislation that admitted women to 
United States Military Academies.
  Susan helped found the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues in 
1977 and made WREI into an effective policy arm addressing issues 
crucial to women. In 1980, Susan wrote a proposal that would change the 
lives of more than three hundred women: to establish the Congressional 
Fellowships on Women and Public Policy at WREI. Since her proposal, 
hundreds of extremely driven, intelligent, and service-minded women 
have been sent to multitudes of congressional offices.
  After she served as director of the caucus for five years, she 
pursued a new role as the Director of WREI's Congressional Fellowships 
program. Over three-hundred women from all backgrounds of America have 
been nurtured by this program, which placed them in congressional 
offices to pursue their passions for public service. After a brief 
hiatus to pursue other opportunities she returned to WREI as president 
in 2000. In recognition of her deep care for women and our nation's 
servicemembers, she was named by President Clinton to the Advisory 
Committee on Employment and Training for Veterans at the Department of 
Labor. Her dedication to her principles and values was on display even 
further in 2003 by her receipt of the Women's Leadership Award from the 
International Women's

[[Page E847]]

Democracy Center, which was also co-awarded to then-United States 
Senator John Kerry. In November 2005, Susan was selected to become 
chair of the National Council of Women's organizations, a coalition 
consisting of over two-hundred progressive groups and representing over 
eleven million American women and their interests. She was a frequent 
presence on national media, calling out those who placed discrimination 
and sexism over equality and fairness for all peoples.
  Without Susan's forethought and leadership in establishing the 
Congressional Fellowships, the Congress may never have been graced by 
the presence of such brilliant young women. Particularly, Susan 
provided my office with seventeen fellows since I first came to 
Congress, including Shvedova Nadezhda (1994-1995), Lisa Maatz (1997-
1998), Megan Gordon Don (1998-1999), Megan Sullivan (1999-2000), 
Kimberly Mason (2001), Christi Corbett (2004), Karen Persis (2005), 
Anthea Watson Strong (2006), Bethany Sousa (2007), Allison Adams-Alwine 
(2009), Pamela O'Leary (2008), Elizabeth Darnall (2010), Julie Feeney 
(2011), Aimee Phelan (2015), Meenal Khajuria (2012), Nina Anand (2014), 
and Anna Le (2018). Many of the fellowship's over three hundred alumnae 
have gone on to pursue fantastic and storied careers in academia, 
business, medicine, law, nonprofit work, and continued public service 
through their state legislatures and the Congress.
  I will always remember Susan fondly for guiding our House and I to 
these extraordinary women, for her fierce advocacy throughout the years 
on the issues of particular importance to women, and her enduring 
commitment to her own principles and values--no matter the obstacle. 
Though she is gone from our lives now, her legacy lives on in the 
people whose lives she graced with her presence.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Susan for everything she gave me, Congress, 
and our Nation. May she rest well.

                          ____________________