[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 27843]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 27843]]

                       TRIBUTE TO HELEN WESTBROOK

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I would like to take a few moments 
to recognize an outstanding individual who will soon be retiring from
public service. Helen L. Westbrook currently works in the Office of
the Deputy Under Secretary of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In December, she will complete a career that has
spanned many years of distinguished service to our country.
  This is a special occasion for me and the Kennedy family, as
 Helen is truly one of our own. In 1955, as a Senator, my brother
John F. Kennedy visited Chicopee, Massachusetts, and delivered an
address about a recent visit he had made to Poland and Eastern Europe.
Like many other young Americans of that time, Helen heard and heeded
my brother's call to public service. She moved to Washington, D.C.,
and in January 1956, she began work as a secretary in my brother's
Senate office. Following the 1960 election, Jack asked Helen to join
his White House Staff, and she served as a Secretarial Assistant in
the Office of the President until January 1963.
  Helen then decided she wanted to gain experience working overseas, 
and for the next year and a half, she served in our U.S. Embassy in 
Rome She then returned to America, and at the request of Jackie 
Kennedy, she came back to work with our family. For the next few years, 
she served as an assistant to Jackie in New York City. She watched 
Caroline and John F. Kennedy, Jr. grow up, and went on to marry and 
raise a family of her own.
  In 1992, Helen rejoined the Federal Government and started a career 
with NOAA. She has been a good friend to Massachusetts and has called 
for a balanced approach to fisheries management. She has been a 
skillful advocate for assistance to New England fishermen and coastal 
communities, and all of us who know her are proud of her achievements 
and her friendship.
  Helen Westbrook is a kind, thoughtful person who truly cares about 
people. She has brought professionalism, wisdom and dedication to each 
position that she has held. She is a valued and loyal friend of the 
Kennedy family.
  We don't have enough Helen Westbrooks in government and in the world. 
She is a shining example of the wonderful people who answered President 
Kennedy's call to serve their country. I'm proud of her contribution to 
public service, and I wish her well in her well-deserved 
retirement.

                          ____________________