[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23980-23981]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        TRIBUTE TO MARY KAY ASH

 Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Mary Kay Ash.
  On November 22, 2001, America and Texas lost a great person Mary Kay 
Ash.
  Throughout Mary Kay Ash's life, her unswerving devotion to principles 
and to doing what is right enabled her to exert an influence unique in 
a society that was known for strict rules of hierarchy, specifically 
male hierarchy. She flourished where many fail, or simply remain in the 
shadows of obscurity. By doing so, she blazed the path for many women 
after her, we have all profited from her success.
  Over her career, Mary Kay sacrificed a lot to fulfill her dream, do 
her duty to her family and her God, and to stand by her principles. It 
is women and men of that caliber who have made our country great.
  Her savvy created an incredible business from a profit point of view, 
but, most important, she created a business that offers women the 
chance for personal and professional fulfillment and success. It is no 
wonder that Mary Kay Cosmetics is considered by Fortune Magazine as one 
of the top ten best companies for women, indeed, it is also recognized 
as one of The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America.
  But Mary Kay never stopped with work, she did not even start with 
work.

[[Page 23981]]

Her priorities were always clear: God first, family second, and career 
third. It is why, when her husband died from cancer, she put her 
endless energies to work in that arena as well, creating the Mary Kay 
Ash Charitable Foundation in 1996. This nonprofit provides funding for 
research of cancers affecting women, and it has recently expanded its 
focus to address violence against women.
  Since she was a fellow Texan, I was never surprised by her zest for 
life. E.B White once wrote, ``I arise in the morning torn between a 
desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. This makes it 
hard to plan the day.'' Not for people like Mary Kay, she knew how to 
accomplish both.
  Mary Kay remembered what was important yet still reached for the 
stars--and all of us are the better for it. Thank you Mary Kay, I hope 
you are driving a beautiful pink Cadillac up in heaven.

                          ____________________