[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DORA MARGARET SAMUDIO

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, today I would like to pay tribute to a 
great American public servant and Texan, Ms. Dora Margaret Samudio. Ms. 
Samudio is retiring after 50 years of dedicated Federal service.
  Dora was born on October 1, 1945. After she graduated from Sam 
Houston High School in 1963, Dora began her distinguished Federal 
career with the Texas State Department of Public Welfare. Shortly 
thereafter, she became a clerk typist at the U.S. Army Medical Field 
Service School in Fort Sam Houston, TX.
  In September 1969, in the midst of the Vietnam war, Dora left her 
native Texas to pursue a career in Washington, DC. For the next year, 
she worked for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command 
in the Surgeon General's office until she moved to the War Plans 
Division at the Pentagon in 1970. At the Pentagon, Dora served as a 
stenographer with the Deputy Chief of Staff for Military Operations. 
She then transferred to the litigation division, where she worked for 
the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General. Dora was responsible for 
gathering Army witnesses from all over the world to testify in Federal 
court and kept records of collateral Army aircraft accidents in 
Vietnam. In 1972, she began working for the U.S. Army Court of Military 
Review in Falls Church, VA.
  Dora briefly left Federal service to work at Williams, Connall & 
Califano in Washington, DC, and at Robinson, Robinson & Cole in 
Hartford, CT.
  In the grand tradition of transplant Texans, Dora returned to the 
Lone Star State in 1978, where she has spent the remainder of her 
Federal service. In San Antonio, Dora worked at the U.S. Attorney's 
office until 1980, when she began working for the Honorable William S. 
Sessions, who was Chief Judge of the Western District of Texas. Dora 
served a vital role in his office until he was appointed as Director of 
the FBI in 1987. She then served as a secretary to an attorney and 
three Customs agents with the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of 
the Department of Justice, DOJ, Criminal Division.
  In July 1988, Ms. Samudio began her nearly 30 years of work as a 
judicial assistant to the Honorable John W. Primomo, U.S. magistrate 
judge. Judge Primomo holds Dora with highest regards and had the 
following to say about her:

       I have known Dora for more than 30 years since she was the 
     Judicial Assistant for Chief Judge William S. Sessions of the 
     Western District of Texas. After his appointment as Director 
     of the F.B.I. and my appointment as United States Magistrate 
     Judge in 1988, it was my fortune that Dora applied to be my 
     judicial assistant. I was surprised that she would be willing 
     to `humble' herself to work for a magistrate judge after 
     serving the chief judge of the district. She is exceptional 
     in all respects. I have always told Dora she is overqualified 
     to be my judicial assistant, yet she has stayed. She is 
     totally dedicated and extremely loyal. We have shared many of 
     our personal ups and downs over the years. A part of me will 
     be missing when Dora retires at the end of the month. It has 
     been a privilege and an honor to work with her for the past 
     28 years.

  Throughout her career, she has served with integrity and character. 
Her legacy will continue to benefit those who know her, and I join with 
her family, friends, and coworkers in telling that her experience and 
dedication will be missed.
  I offer my thanks and appreciation to Dora Samudio for 50 years of 
steadfast service to our Nation and send my best wishes for the years 
ahead.

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