[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE PASSING OF RICHARD SHADYAC

  (Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COHEN. I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Richard Shadyac, who 
passed away last Wednesday at the age of 80. He was the former chief 
executive officer of the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, 
also known as ALSAC, which is the fundraising arm of St. Jude 
Children's Research Hospital.
  Mr. Shadyac leaves a wife, Lynn, and two children; Richard, who will 
take on his work at ALSAC, and a son Tom who is distinguished in the 
entertainment industry.
  Mr. Shadyac served as CEO of St. Jude for over 13 years. He led an 
effort that raised millions of dollars for the purpose of research 
treating childhood cancers and other diseases.
  St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is the leading hospital and 
research center on catastrophic illnesses in the Nation. It is located 
in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by Mr. Shadyac's good friend, 
Danny Thomas. After Mr. Thomas passed, Mr. Shadyac knew that they 
needed a new public face--and the new public face was the children--the 
children of St. Jude, who it serves.
  Under his leadership, donations increased fourfold. He worked closely 
with the patients. He visited them often and stayed in touch with the 
families. He was a strong voice in the fight against cancer.
  He was an important force here in Washington, where he represented 
the Lebanese Government at one point, and was one of the founders of 
the American Arab groups that worked to better relations with our 
Nation.
  Our heart goes out to Mr. Shadyac's family and the St. Jude 
community. We will remember him for all of his good deeds and his work 
that will save many children's lives.

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