[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 58]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING ELIZABETH RIDGWAY

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I wish to say a few words about Elizabeth 
Ridgway, an Illinoisan, educator, and hard-working employee of the 
Library of Congress who recently passed away. Elizabeth died on 
December 23, 2010, at the young age of 41.
  In her role leading the Library's Educational Outreach Division, 
Elizabeth advocated for America's teachers and worked to provide them 
with better and expanded resources. In this capacity, she was 
responsible for administering the Teaching with Primary Sources 
program. In 2005, I secured authorization language to establish 
Teaching with Primary Sources to share with students and teachers the 
educational treasures of the Library of Congress. Many Illinois 
educators and educational facilities have participated in this program 
since its inception and, under Elizabeth's guidance, have been 
instrumental in the expansion of the program.
  The numerous programs she directed now reach tens of thousands of 
teachers nationwide, providing them with important classroom materials, 
workshops, online and graduate courses, mentoring and grants. Countless 
students across our nation are benefitting from the Library's 
collections as a result of Elizabeth's work.
  Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said Elizabeth ``was a 
pioneering humanistic educator of the Internet Age.'' He continued, 
``she was admired and beloved by colleagues at all levels of the 
Library--and by many local librarians and K-12 teachers all over 
America. . . . We will deeply miss her infectious enthusiasm and 
selfless dedication.''
  I offer my deepest condolences to Elizabeth's family, colleagues, and 
friends. My thoughts are with all of you. Established by her family 
since her untimely passing, the Elizabeth Ridgway Education Fund at the 
Library will help continue her legacy. The lives that she has touched, 
and the teachers and students who her work has empowered, will be a 
lasting tribute to her life and her love of education. She inspired 
many with her dedication and leadership, and I have every confidence 
that others will continue the work Elizabeth loved so much.

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