[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7975]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DR. GEORGE WILLIAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 28, 2004

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Dr. George 
Williams, a distinguished faculty member emeritus at Stony Brook 
University on the occasion of a symposium celebrating his work. Dr. 
William an acclaimed scientist and internationally renowned 
evolutionary biologist.
  Dr. Williams arrived at Stony Brook University in 1960, before the 
school existed in its current form. His expertise and accomplishments 
were critical in building the reputation of the school, now one of the 
premier research institutions in our country. Dr. Williams legacy has 
greatly benefited the thousands of students and faculty that have 
passed through Stony Brook since his arrival.
  Dr. Williams was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 
1993. In 1999, he shared the distinguished Crafoord Prize of the Royal 
Swedish Academy of Sciences with Ernst Mayr and John Maynard Smith for 
his seminal contributions to evolutionary biology. At that time, the 
Royal Institute noted that Dr. Williams was one of the first to 
establish that adaptations generally come through the process of 
natural selection, favoring those in a population possessing such 
characteristics that they have more offspring than others. The Academy 
noted his contribution toward the concept that adaptations arise ``for 
the good of the species,'' a linchpin of the theory of evolution that 
Darwin had not fully developed.
  The significance of Dr. Williams' career is evident in the 
extraordinary list of scholars and speakers gathered for the symposium 
in his honor. I am pleased to have the opportunity to express my 
appreciation for the outstanding contribution he has made to Long 
Island and to the advancement of scientific thought.
  I offer Dr. Williams my warmest congratulations and wish him 
continued success in his worthy endeavors.

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