[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 22573]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       TRIBUTE TO VIRGINIA SHEHEE

 Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, on the evening of Friday, November 
3, the people of Shreveport will gather to pay tribute to one of the 
most exceptional people the State of Louisiana has ever produced, 
Virginia Shehee. The tribute to Virginia is organized by the Biomedical 
Research Foundation of northwest Louisiana, whose establishment is but 
one of the remarkable achievements in the life of this remarkable 
woman.
  It is my pleasure and honor to tell my colleagues in the United 
States Senate about my friend Virginia Shehee. She is a superb model 
for everything she has done: wife, mother, businesswoman, political 
leader, community activist and economic visionary. My former colleague, 
Senator Bennett Johnston, once said, ``In a state that is blessed with 
an abundance of natural resources, Virginia Shehee may be Louisiana's 
single greatest natural resource.'' I certainly know that is a view 
shared by many of those who know Virginia best and who have benefited 
from her lifetime of dedication to improve lives in Shreveport and 
northwest Louisiana.
  Nothing better exemplifies her accomplishments than the creation of 
the Biomedical Research Foundation, and the construction of the 
Biomedical Research Institute that today stands proudly adjacent to the 
LSU Medical Center in Shreveport. It is an understatement to say that 
none of this would have been possible without the foresight, 
determination and hard work of Virginia, and other community leaders 
nearly 20 years ago.
  Like so many advances in today's new economy, Shreveport's move into 
the world of biomedicine and biotechnology emerged from the 
difficulties caused by the decline of the old economy. In northwest 
Louisiana, where the steadily declining price in oil in the early 
1980's caused community leaders to conclude that efforts had to be 
undertaken quickly to produce other economic sustenance for the area, 
they of course turned to Virginia Shehee.
  In a matter of a few short years, Virginia had formed the Biomedical 
Research Foundation and gathered several million dollars in local 
support. She leveraged local dollars into a much larger state support 
and then converted that into significant support by the Congress and 
the Department of Energy. As a result, a 10-story, $40 million, state-
of-the-art wet-lab research facility was built that today houses world-
class researchers and serves as a growing economic engine, producing 
knowledge-based jobs for northwest Louisiana.
  Beyond the work taking place in its own facilities, Biomed can point 
with great pride to the growing number of companies it has attracted to 
Shreveport's own technology park, InterTech, with technologies ranging 
from manufacturing and diagnostics to telemedicine and orthopedic 
devices. We in the Louisiana delegation often point to the success of 
Biomed as a textbook model of partnerships between Washington and local 
communities looking to build a better future for their citizens.
  It is true, Mr. President, that Biomed has become a success because 
it has merit on its side. But all of us who have played some small part 
in this effort know that a big reason for the success is Virginia 
Shehee is someone who long ago learned not to take no for an answer. 
Her efforts have led to a mighty legacy in science and economic 
development in Shreveport. It is fitting the facility is now the 
``Virginia K. Shehee Biomedical Research Institute,'' and it is fitting 
the community is gathering next month to say thanks. It is my pleasure 
to join so many in saying how blessed Louisiana is to have Virginia 
Shehee's generous service and how fortunate I am to have her 
friendship.

                          ____________________