[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23449]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                     TRIBUTE TO RUSSELL W. PETERSON

 Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, today I celebrate the 92nd birthday 
of a man I have known and admired for a long time, a man who has 
dedicated his life to making our world a better place for us and for 
our children. Russell W. Peterson was one of Delaware's most remarkable 
governors and has been a truly committed public servant for over 60 
years.
  Within the early hours of being sworn in as governor of Delaware in 
1969, he delivered on a campaign promise to ease tensions in our 
racially charged city of Wilmington. He removed the presence of the 
National Guard who had patrolled the city streets for almost a year, 
and, along with the Delaware State Police, he enforced curfews 
following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  One of the most memorable accomplishments of the governor's career 
was the leadership role he played to protect our environment through 
the passage of Delaware's Coastal Zone Act of 1971. This was a 
groundbreaking law, the first of its kind in our Nation. Governor 
Peterson became known as a dedicated environmentalist for protecting 
the 115 miles of Delaware's coastline from heavy industry. As an 
activist for our environment, he was determined to help people on a 
local, State, and national level understand that living our lives is 
not at odds with preserving our environment. He also contributed to the 
landmark National Environmental Policy Act as chairman of the 
President's Council on Environmental Quality.
  The governor's most recent project has already begun to rejuvenate 
the city of Wilmington's riverfront. He is cochairman of the governor's 
task force on the future of the Christiana and Brandywine Rivers and 
also serves on the board of the Riverfront Development Corporation. 
Through these efforts, the city's riverfront is becoming a brilliant 
asset to our State as it attracts visitors and new residents to the 
area. This beautiful new face to our riverfront also has an urban 
wildlife refuge center that has been named after Governor Peterson, for 
his decades of remarkable work.
  These are only a few of Governor Peterson's many, many 
accomplishments. Through his service, he has truly improved the lives 
of Delawareans and has invigorated the city of Wilmington. He is 
currently the Delaware Audubon Society's honorary chairman of the board 
and has received 15 honorary doctorates and numerous other awards.
  Governor Peterson is being honored for his contributions at a 
luncheon next Tuesday, in Wilmington. I can't think of a more deserving 
individual. I wish him all the best as we celebrate his 92nd 
birthday.

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