[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO THOMAS CULBERTSON

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I rise to recognize Thomas Culbertson of 
Fremont, OH, for many years of outstanding leadership and service to 
The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. A former college librarian 
and stockbroker, Mr. Culbertson began his service to the center in 1988 
as a manuscripts curator and rose to the position of executive director 
in 2004.
  Mr. Culbertson was instrumental in developing two workshop series for 
educators. The first series, ``History Links: A Partnership to Teach 
American History,'' helped 300 area schoolteachers implement State 
standards for social studies that focused on American history. The 
second series included three workshops for more than 200 community 
college faculty that focused on America's Gilded Age. Mr. Culbertson 
also led the effort to gain accreditation for the Hayes Museum from the 
American Association of Museums in 2002.
  Of utmost importance to Mr. Culbertson's legacy is the $1.2 million 
restoration of the first floor of the Hayes home to how it looked when 
our 19th President and his wife, Lucy, lived there. With the help of 
the late U.S. Representative Paul Gillmor, the Hayes Center was awarded 
a $400,000 Save America's Treasures grant through the U.S. Department 
of Interior. In addition, the center received $500,000 in State capital 
funding, and Mr. Culbertson helped raise $300,000 in donations to pay 
for the restoration. The project included replicating wallpaper, 
carpets, and other features that had been altered over the years. The 
home renovation will be completed in July 2012.
  For his commitment to public service and the many contributions he 
has made to the Hayes Presidential Center, I would like to recognize 
and thank Mr. Culbertson for his years of service and wish him well in 
his retirement.

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