[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 51 (Friday, March 22, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2590-S2591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       REMEMBERING SERGE B. HADJI

 Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute and honor 
the life of Serge B. Hadji, Esq. He passed away on March 10, 2024, at 
his home in Athens, Greece, with his wife of 50 years, Yanna, by his 
side. He was 81.
  Serge was a devoted husband; proud father to his three boys Alexios, 
Philip, and Andreas; an esteemed lawyer; trustee to his alma mater, 
Anatolia College; mentor; and advocate for Greece, Cyprus, and the 
unwavering principle that the rule of law be the centerpiece of U.S. 
foreign policy. He was so much more than that to all that were 
fortunate enough to know and love him.
  Serge's life story is a quintessential American immigration story. 
Serge was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, on September 25, 1942, and 
immigrated to the United States in 1960. He graduated college from the 
University of Buffalo, received a law degree from the Detroit College 
of Law, and obtained a masters in law from New York University Law 
School. He started his career with Rogers Hoge & Hills, a Park Avenue 
law firm, and went on to become senior counsel at TRW Inc., a Fortune 
100 multinational company headquartered in Cleveland, OH. Throughout 
his legal career, he was a proud member and contributor to the legal 
community through his involvement with the American Bar Association--
Section on Antitrust Law; the Association of the Bar of the City of New 
York--secretary, Trademark and Unfair Competition Committee, 1977-
1980--and the International Trademark Association--member of the board, 
1988-1991. He also was an adjunct professor at New York University 
School of Continuing Education in Law and Taxation and a lecturer at 
Temple University Law School in Athens, Greece. He was a member of the 
New York bar and was a New York lawyer through and through, maintaining 
his membership until he passed away.
  Serge was a giant in the Greek-American world. In 1974, Serge 
cofounded the Panhellenic (Emergency) Committee of New York, one of the 
grassroots committees that sprung up throughout the U.S. to fill the 
political vacuum in the Greek-American community following Turkey's 
invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974. From his perspective as a key 
participant and keen observer of the intricacies of this issue, he 
later edited a book chronicling this movement, ``The Rule of Law Lobby: 
Grassroots Mobilization and the U.S. Arms Embargo on

[[Page S2591]]

Turkey-1974-1978.'' In addition to protesting vociferously and 
providing humanitarian assistance, the Greek-American community 
gradually coalesced into a lobby under the newly unfurled banner of the 
``Rule of Law.'' ``The Rule of Law Lobby'' has been hailed as a seminal 
book which splendidly portrays the rise and evolution of an American 
lobby that greatly influenced U.S. policy in the region. Serge remained 
active with Greek-American issues throughout his life, largely through 
the American Hellenic Institute, including editing the two-volume 
series, ``Doing Business in Greece: A Legal and Practical Reference 
Service.''
  Serge honorably served on the board of trustees of Anatolia College 
in Thessaloniki, Greece, for 50 years, since 1974, becoming the first 
alumnus trustee from Thessaloniki on the board. It was at Anatolia 
where the head of the school mentored Serge, even long after he 
graduated. In recognition of his mentor, in 2008, Serge edited a book 
documenting his mentor's legacy, ``The Morning Cometh: 45 Years with 
Anatolia College.'' It was through Anatolia that Serge embodied the 
leadership and mentorship principles passed down to him and applied his 
legal skills toward nonprofit governance. Serge also mentored countless 
new trustees, presidents, and, most important to him, graduates.
  A devout Greek Orthodox Christian, Serge could eruditely explain the 
faith's practice, iconography, and history.
  Serge is survived by his wife Yanna; his children Alexios, Philip, 
and Andreas; and his grandchildren Alexander, George, and Philip. May 
we all live to remember him.

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