[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3897]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATING LEONARD MINSKY

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, at its 214th commencement on May 14, 
2016, the University of Maine at Orono will award an honorary doctorate 
degree to Leonard Minsky of Bangor. Today I wish to congratulate my 
dear friend for this recognition and to join people throughout Maine in 
thanking him for his uncommon generosity, vision, and dedication that 
have made our university's flagship campus a center for the arts and 
humanities.
  A member of the class of 1950, Leonard received an outstanding 
education at UMaine and has never stopped giving back. His passion for 
the arts and commitment to the highest expressions of human ideals are 
evident throughout the beautiful Orono campus. Minsky Recital Hall in 
the school of performing arts is a marvelous place for students, 
faculty, and world-class visiting artists to perform. In recent years, 
I have had the pleasure of hearing the University Singers, which 
included my niece, perform there.
  The Minsky Gallery in the Maine Center for the Arts celebrates the 
visual arts around the world. The Minsky Culture Lab at the Hudson 
Museum offers interactive, hands-on experiences for Maine 
schoolchildren and UMaine students. With Leonard's support, the UMaine 
Museum of Art in downtown Bangor features the best in modern and 
contemporary art, from Andrew Wyeth to Andy Warhol.
  Leonard's partner in these endeavors is his partner in life, his 
extraordinary wife, Renee. Leonard's service has included leadership 
roles on the university's development council, the Campaign for Maine, 
and the UMaine Board of Visitors. Renee, one of the first volunteer 
docents at the Hudson Museum, has held leadership roles on advisory 
boards for both the Hudson Museum and the Maine Center for the Arts. 
Both have been active Patrons of the Arts, the UMaine program that 
supports tours by university performing arts ensembles and that 
encourages student involvement in the arts through outreach to 
elementary and secondary schools across Maine.
  The university's Fogler Library, Maine's largest research library, is 
home to the Minsky Jewish Heritage Collection. This priceless cultural 
and historical resource is a gift from Renee and Leonard Minsky, along 
with his brother, Norman.
  For several years, I had the good fortune to live just across the 
street in Bangor from Renee and Leonard Minsky. They were wonderful 
neighbors. Since that time, I have been blessed with their friendship 
and inspired by their leadership.
  Students, faculty, and visitors to the UMaine campus cannot help but 
feel similarly blessed and inspired. The energy and excitement of the 
University of Maine's arts and humanities community that Leonard Minsky 
has helped to create enriches our State today and will do so for 
generations to come.

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