[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 37 (Thursday, February 29, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S1052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Remembering Jim Ketchum

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, finally, to the Senate Curator, last 
week, I was saddened to hear about the passing of the first permanent 
Senate Curator, Jim Ketchum.
  Very few in the history of the U.S. Senate have been tasked with the 
immense responsibility of preserving the history of this storied 
institution. Jim was one of them, and the very best.
  A proud son of New York, Jim's career took him on a tour through some 
of America's greatest national landmarks, including the Arlington 
National Cemetery, the White House, and, of course, the U.S. Capitol.
  At the White House, Jim served as Curator for not one, not two, but 
three administrations: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon. When President Kennedy 
first appointed him at the ripe age of 24, he was concerned he was 
``too young'' to hold the post, to which Jackie Kennedy responded: 
``That's what they told Jack.'' So Jim was truly special, and everyone 
saw it.
  Here in the Senate, Jim led a long list of initiatives to preserve 
the Capitol Building, not just as a museum of American history but as a 
bustling beacon of democracy.
  It is thanks to Jim that the Old Senate and Supreme Court Chambers 
were restored and now welcome millions of visitors every year. It is 
thanks to Jim that countless paintings, artifacts, and pieces of 
furniture documenting our history were recovered and preserved. And it 
is thanks to Jim that we all have a better understanding today of this 
building, this institution, and our place in history.
  So Jim will be deeply missed. But I think it is safe to say that Jim 
will live on in this institution he worked so doggedly to preserve.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.