[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20305-20306]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       SALUTE TO EDWIN LEE ALLEN

 Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I rise today in celebration of the 
95th birthday later this week of a truly beloved Iowa artist, Lee 
Allen.
  Born in Muscatine on September 16, 1910, Edwin Lee Allen has called 
Iowa

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home for his entire life. The son of an engineer, Lee was raised with a 
unique blend of curiosity and problem-solving ability. As a young boy, 
his father gave him a set of oil paints and Lee quickly developed into 
an excellent artist. At the age of 18, Lee won a blue ribbon for oil 
painting at the Iowa State fair. Another artist who won an award at 
that fair was Grant Wood, later to become famous for his painting 
``American Gothic.'' Lee and Grant Wood became friends and, as director 
of a Federal fine arts project during the Depression, Grant Wood asked 
Lee to work for him.
  In 1935, Lee studied under Diego Rivera in Mexico City. Upon 
returning to Iowa City, Lee won a competition to paint murals for post 
offices. Two were produced. One, ``Soil Conservation,'' still hangs in 
the Onawa post office, and another, ``Conservation of Wildlife,'' hangs 
in the Emmetsburg post office. ``Soil Conservation'' was selected for 
the American Century exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 
1999.
  In 1937, Lee began working for the University of Iowa as a medical 
illustrator in the Eye Department. He quickly distinguished himself as 
a medical illustrator, but also made many contributions to the medical 
profession. For example, in 1941, frustrated with then-current 
gonioprisms, Lee developed the ``Allen-Thorpe Goniprism,'' which was 
sold by the Bausch and Lomb Company. He also developed the ``Allen 
Dot'' which diminished flare and reflections on cameras designed for 
photographing eyes.
  Following World War II, Lee began making artificial eyes. And in 
1976, he retired from the University of Iowa to open his own company, 
Iowa Eye Prosthetics. Using the same scientific mind and artist's 
skill, Lee revolutionized the process of making artificial eyes. His 
development of the ``painting lens'' allowed ocularists--artificial eye 
artisans--to develop incredibly comfortable and life-like artificial 
eyes. His Iowa Eye Implant provided for a very natural eye movement. 
Because of Lee's success and dedication, today artificial eyes look 
every bit as natural as the real thing.
  Throughout his career, Lee continued to paint and win awards, and his 
art hangs in museums across the country.
  Today, Lee is fully retired and lives in Iowa City, welcoming the 
opportunity to spend time with his three daughters, Loredo, Mary Lee, 
and Elizabeth. I wish him the best on this his 95th birthday, and thank 
him for his contributions to art, medicine, and America.

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