[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 16, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E37-E38]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE OF RICHARD ``DICK'' VAN WYCK BUEL, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 16, 2024

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
accomplishments of Dr. Richard ``Dick'' Van Wyck Buel, Jr. of Essex, 
Connecticut. Richard passed peacefully at the age of 90. Throughout his 
life, Richard embraced a love for education and dedicated himself to 
spreading knowledge all around his community.
  Born in 1933 to Richard Van Wyck Buel and Frances Worthington 
Thompson Buel, Richard learned early on the value of history, a passion 
he held throughout his life. Richard attended the Groton School and 
later Amherst College, from which he graduated in 1955. He followed up 
this astounding educational background by attending Harvard University 
to earn a doctorate in history.
  Richard made a career of his love of history and learning at Wesleyan 
University in Middletown, Connecticut, teaching American history for 40 
years. Here, Richard chaired the history department from 1977 until 
1980. He also served as associate editor at History and Theory for 22 
years and received fellowships from the American Council of Learned 
Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the John 
Simon Guggenheim Foundation for his impressive research. Upon his 
retirement in 2002, Richard maintained an office at Wesleyan for 
another ten years, staying involved in the Wasch Center for Retired 
Faculty and teaching an American intellectual history course for 
Wesleyan's Prison Education Program.
  In addition to his impressive career at Wesleyan, Richard published 
six books about different historical topics. One of these books, The 
Way of Duty, which he wrote with his wife Joy Day Buel, was modified 
into the film ``Mary Sillman's Way,'' airing on national television in 
1994.
  He also edited three books for the Acorn Club, which is focused on 
producing materials with primary sources that reveal more about 
Connecticut's history to educate people about the place they call home.
  Bringing his passion for history to public service, Richard was 
President of the New England Historical Association and served on the 
Connecticut Humanities Council and Connecticut Historical Commission, 
which later became the Connecticut Historical Preservation Council, 
Richard also served as an active member of the Connecticut Coordinating 
Committee for the Promotion of History.
  Later in his life, Richard focused on serving his local community. 
Here, he worked with the campaign to finance the expansion of the Essex 
Library and helped restore the library's endowment after the recession 
in 2008. Richard kept himself involved in numerous organizations, 
serving a four-year term on the library board on top of his service on 
the Chestnut Hill Concerts and Musical Masterworks boards. He was also 
president of the Essex Meadows Foundation and volunteered for Middlesex 
Hospice.
  In his free time, Richard embraced his proximity to the shoreline and 
enjoyed sailing, racing a Blue Jay at the Pettipaug Yacht Club and in a 
fleet of Ideal 18s at the Essex Yacht Club.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent constituents like Richard. 
Richard spent his entire life dedicating himself to learning, 
contributing immensely to our understanding of Connecticut's early 
history and spreading his passion for knowledge as a beloved teacher 
and community leader. I had the honor to know him and his wife Marilyn 
who predeceased him as dear friends and ardent supporters, going back 
to 2002. His perspective

[[Page E38]]

on current affairs, both foreign and domestic, which he shared with me 
from time to time, was always thoughtful and well informed, which I 
deeply valued. I ask my colleagues and this Chamber to join me in 
expressing our deepest respect for Richard's work and life and send our 
deepest condolences to his family. Richard is survived by his daughter, 
Margaret and her husband John Coppens, his stepdaughter Elizabeth 
Frankel and her husband Donald T. Rave III, and his grandchildren 
Alexandra, Riley, and Haskel. As we memorialize Richard's faithful 
service to his community, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring 
his memory.

                          ____________________