[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E55]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORY OF MARILYN BERGMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 20, 2022

  Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and to honor the 
life and legacy of Marilyn Bergman, who passed away on January 8, 2022. 
Marilyn was an accomplished songwriter and a longtime President of the 
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). I offer 
my most sincere condolences to her family and friends on her loss.
  A native New Yorker, Marilyn broke barriers as one of a relatively 
few women in the then-male-dominated songwriting business in her early 
career and as the first woman to serve as President of ASCAP, a 
position she held for a decade and a half.
  Over the course of her long and impressive career, Marilyn wrote the 
lyrics for many iconic songs as part of a songwriting duo with her 
husband Alan, including the Academy-Award winning ``The Way We Were'' 
and ``The Windmills of Your Mind,'' as well as songs for the film Yentl 
and the theme songs to a number of popular television shows. During the 
course of her illustrious career, she was nominated for sixteen Academy 
Awards, winning three times, as well as earning four Emmy Awards and 
two Grammy Awards. Among her many accolades, in 1980 she was inducted 
into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
  In addition to her work as a lyricist, Marilyn was a tireless 
advocate to protect the rights of songwriters. In 1985, she became the 
first woman elected to the Board of Directors of ASCAP. She later 
served as President and Chairman of the Board and presided over 
unprecedented growth in the organization. Through her leadership of 
ASCAP, she was a strong partner to Congress, and particularly to the 
Judiciary Committee, in its work to support the music industry and to 
protect the rights of creators. Among her accomplishments, she worked 
to help pass the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a landmark piece of 
legislation governing copyright and the internet. This is but one 
example of her diligent efforts to ensure that songwriters and music 
creators can sustain a living through their creativity notwithstanding 
the dramatic changes in technology that occurred during her leadership 
in the industry.
  Marilyn is survived by her husband, Alan, her daughter, Julie, and 
her granddaughter, Emily.
  Marilyn will be remembered by many Americans for her artistic 
talents, as her lyrics graced our lives in so many ways. She will also 
be remembered by many songwriters for her strong advocacy on their 
behalf. May her memory be a blessing.

                          ____________________