[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 72 (Monday, May 2, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S2243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                   TRIBUTE TO JOHN JAMES LENEHAN, JR.

 Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize Mr. 
John James Lenehan, Jr., a remarkable man and Korean war veteran who 
graduates from college on May 21, 2022, at the age of 88.
  The son of Irish immigrants, Mr. Lenehan was born on April 5, 1934. 
He was raised alongside his four siblings in a one-bedroom apartment in 
Queens. Upon graduating from high school, Mr. Lenehan was drafted into 
the U.S. Army, serving at Fort Dix. Thanks to the GI Bill, he was able 
to pursue his dream of higher education and enrolled at Fordham 
University. Mr. Lenehan took night classes while working at KLM 
Airlines, where he met his future wife, Lillian. When KLM transferred 
Mr. Lenehan to the Houston office, the couple moved to Texas the day 
after their wedding, and Mr. Lenehan had to pause his studies.
  The Lenehan family lived in Wallingford, CT, for 6 years. While 
there, Mr. Lenehan began working for Xerox, where he quickly gained 
recognition for his determination. During this time, he took several 
classes at Sacred Heart University and Yale University, but never had a 
sufficient chance to complete his degree. He eventually retired in 
1991, only to start a new company with his wife before long. Mr. 
Lenehan retired a second time, moving with Mrs. Lenehan to a cottage in 
the west of Ireland.
  Last spring, Mr. Lenehan decided he wanted to make the time to obtain 
his college degree, so he wrote to the president of Fordham University, 
requesting the opportunity to finish his studies nearly 70 years after 
he began. The university accepted him, and this month, Mr. Lenehan will 
achieve his dream of completing his undergraduate education. He will be 
Fordham University's oldest ever graduate when he receives his diploma 
on May 21, 2022.
  Mr. Lenehan's lifelong commitment to pursuing his studies and 
supporting his family will be an enduring legacy. He and his wife 
instilled a love of learning in their children that they in turn have 
passed on to their own children. I now join his 6 children and 13 
grandchildren in saluting Mr. Lenehan. I applaud his many 
accomplishments and hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating 
Mr. John Lenehan, Jr., on this milestone of his graduation.

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