[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 24480]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                     TRIBUTE TO DR. FORREST M. BIRD

 Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, today I am proud to honor and 
congratulate Idaho resident Dr. Forrest M. Bird for a lifetime of 
service and achievement. I had the pleasure today of meeting with Dr. 
Bird and his wife Pam, and very much enjoyed that short visit. Dr. Bird 
is well and widely known around the world for his lifesaving 
inventions: the Bird Mark 7 respirator, which was the first reliable 
and low-cost respirator in the world; and the Baby Bird respirator, 
which has greatly decreased infant mortality rates. In addition to 
being a brilliant inventor and scientist, Dr. Bird is a former pilot 
and founder of the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center, which is 
located in Sagle, ID, where his company, Percussionaire Corporation, 
produces his lifesaving medical devices. He has been the recipient of 
numerous awards, including two Lifetime Scientific Achievement awards, 
and has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In 
2008, he was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bush 
and received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by 
President Obama just this week.
  Dr. Bird's interest in aviation and his invention of the world-
renowned Bird respirators are remarkably intertwined. His father served 
as a pilot in World War I, and, after earning a degree in aeronautics, 
Dr. Bird served as an Army Air Corps pilot in WWII. At the time, 
airplanes were designed to reach higher altitudes, but pilots were 
increasingly unable to breathe as the altitude increased. Dr. Bird's 
consideration of this problem, and his attendance at medical school 
after the war, eventually led him to the invention of the famous Bird 
respirator. In 2007, his twin interests of aviation and invention led 
him to open the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center.
  Clearly there is good reason for the impressive list of honors that 
Dr. Bird has received throughout his life. It has been a life of 
service that has made an incredible mark upon the world. His inventions 
have touched, transformed, enhanced and saved the lives of millions 
around the world. His museum provides a great service to his community 
by educating and inspiring young visitors and by bringing long-lost 
memories alive for older visitors. For his groundbreaking contributions 
to America and the world, Idaho is proud to have produced such an 
impressive citizen. We appreciate and honor his remarkable 
achievements.

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