Congressional Record—Senate S1502

S1502 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 27, 2006 right thing to do and that the Presi- Dr. Bachman was a true academic, but the good person he was, the char- dent was the victim of an intelligence devoted to his church and to God, to acter. He had his life in perspective and mistake. This marks the third leader science and natural history, to his knew that his family was at the center to support President Bush’s decision to community and country, and to secular of his life. Eric was an unbelievable seek a regime change in Iraq. He added and religious education. He died at the human being.’’ that Saddam accepted the U.N. resolu- age of 84 in February 1874, but Dr. After Eric’s competitive swimming tions following the first Gulf War but Bachman’s legacy is alive and well at career ended, he accepted a position as chose to ignore them. Newberry College. On April 20, 2006, the an assistant swim coach at the Univer- Before the meeting ended I asked Newberry Alumni Association will sity of Michigan. From 1997 to 2004, he Peres if he was really smiling the in begin the school’s Sesquicentennial helped coach 11 Olympians, and the picture where he is shaking hands with Celebration with a major 4-day sympo- Wolverines won three Big Ten titles. Yasser Arafat. He recalled the moment sium entitled ‘‘Nature, God, and Social After coaching at Michigan for 7 years, and stated that without Arafat there Reform in the Old South: The Life and Eric became the head coach of the Wol- would have been no agreement but Work of the Rev. John Bachman.’’ verine Aquatics Swim Club in Ann with Arafat the agreement would never It is with great respect that I com- Arbor and an assistant men’s swim- be fulfilled. memorate the life’s work of Dr. John ming coach at Eastern Michigan Uni- After an overnight rest stop in Bachman and recognize the rich his- versity. Frankfurt, Germany, we returned to tory he inaugurated at Newberry Col- Eric’s love for swimming was evi- the United States. lege.∑ denced not only by his many accom- f f plishments throughout his long and ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS distinguished career in the pool, but TRIBUTE TO ERIC NAMESNIK also by his efforts to help shape the ∑ Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I, along lives of many young people learning TRIBUTE TO DR. JOHN BACHMAN with my colleague Senator STABENOW, the sport. At Wolverine Aquatics, Eric ∑ Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise would like to take this opportunity to served as an inspirational role model today to commemorate Newberry Col- bring our colleagues’ attention to a for hundreds of up-and-coming swim- lege and its founder, Dr. John tragic event that took place last mers. Today, his swimmers are wearing Bachman, on the occasion of the month in Pittsfield Township, MI. On blue wristbands inscribed ‘‘Swim 4 school’s 150th anniversary. Since its es- January 11, 2006, Eric Namesnik, a two- Snik’’ in his honor and swim caps with tablishment in 1856, Newberry College time Olympic silver medalist and Uni- the words ‘‘Snik’’ and one of Eric’s has become one of South Carolina’s versity of Michigan swimming stand- mantras: ‘‘D3,’’ which stands for desire, leading institutes of higher education. out, died from injuries sustained dur- determination and dedication. I am proud to recognize Newberry and ing a traffic accident on January 7. In keeping with the kind of person honor Dr. Bachman. Eric was best known in the swimming Eric was, his last act was to give life to Dr. Bachman originally came to community for his discipline, tough- others through the gift of organ dona- South Carolina from New York in 1815. ness, tremendous dedication, and many tion. He is survived by his wife Kirsten, Settling in Charleston, he became pas- accomplishments, most notably in the their two young children, Austin and tor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. During Madison, his mother and father, Kay where he served faithfully and honor- his career, Eric broke the American and John, and his sister Leesa. Mr. ably for 56 years. Dr. Bachman quickly 400-meter Individual medley, IM, President, Eric Namesnik’s medals became a pillar of the Charleston com- record four times. Eric, affectionately may have been silver but his heart was munity. He baptized hundreds of locals known by many as ‘‘Snik,’’ was re- pure gold. He will be deeply missed.∑ into membership at St. John’s during membered by his family, friends and f his tenure and is even known to have the community in a celebration of his educated slaves as well as freemen of life at Canham Natatorium at the Uni- HONORING THE MEMORY OF CURT African descent. He helped found and versity of Michigan on January 17. GOWDY served twice as president of the South Eric was born in Butler, PA, on Au- ∑ Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I rise Carolina Lutheran Synod from 1824 to gust 7, 1970, and enrolled at the Univer- today to pay tribute to the life and 1833 and again from 1839 to 1840. As sity of Michigan in 1988. As a Wol- memory of Curtis Edward Gowdy. Synod president, Dr. Bachman took ac- verine, Snik helped lead the men’s Sadly, Curt passed away on February tion that led to establishment in 1831 swim team to four straight Big Ten 20, at the age of 86. of a school to train Lutheran min- Championships and enjoyed the dis- Curt was born on July 31, 1919, in isters, now known as the Lutheran tinction of finishing in the top six na- Green River, WY. Curt’s passion for Theological Southern Seminary of Co- tionally during all 4 of his years at sports began early in life. He grew up lumbia, SC. Michigan. In 1991 and 1993, Eric earned in Laramie, WY, hunting and fishing in A seminal and active member of the the No. 1 world ranking in the 400- some of America’s most beautiful ‘‘Circle of Naturalists,’’ Dr. Bachman meter IM. Eric won silver in the 400- country. When Curt began playing bas- had a keen interest in the natural his- meter IM in the 1992 Olympics in Bar- ketball in high school, he became Wyo- tory of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. celona and in the 1996 Olympics in At- ming’s leading high school scorer, He is known to have discovered or de- lanta. Eric also won two silver medals standing only 5 feet 9 inches tall. After scribed many birds and mammals pre- at the 1991 world championships and a high school graduation, Curt enrolled viously unknown to science and fre- bronze medal at the 1994 world cham- at the University of Wyoming, where quently published letters and short ar- pionships. he played as a forward on the Cowboy ticles about his natural history obser- To give you a sense of Eric as a per- basketball team, earning three varsity vations in local and regional publica- son, Chuck Wielgus, executive director letters. He also lettered three times in tions including the South Carolina of USA Swimming, offered these words. tennis before graduating from the Uni- Medical Journal. ‘‘The loss of Eric Namesnik is shocking versity in 1942 with a degree in busi- In December 1856, Dr. Bachman for the entire swimming community. ness statistics. helped found Newberry College as a Lu- Snik represented everything great With college behind him, Curt joined theran-based liberal arts institution about the Olympic movement. His the Army Air Forces to serve his coun- north of Columbia at Newberry. Dr. work ethic, toughness and dedication try as a fighter pilot in World War II. Bachman served as first president of were the embodiment of an Olympian, However, a ruptured disk from an ear- the Newberry College Board of Trust- and they made him one of the most ad- lier sports injury disqualified him from ees beginning in January 1857. During mired competitors the sport of swim- service, and he was medically dis- his tenure, he took many actions to as- ming has seen.’’ His long-time coach at charged. While recuperating from a spi- sure the high quality of secular and re- Michigan, Jon Urbanchek, said of Eric, nal operation in Cheyenne, a radio sta- ligious education that has existed for ‘‘What he did for Michigan is immeas- tion asked him to announce for the 150 years. urable. It’s not just how fast he swam, eastern Wyoming high school football

VerDate Mar 15 2010 20:20 Feb 06, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\2006SENATE\S27FE6.REC S27FE6 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY February 27, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1503 championship game in November of Wyoming swells with pride for our League’s Finance and Super Bowl Policy 1943. And so began the career of one of native son. Our State declared March Committees, he attained a prominence in the the greatest play-by-play sports an- 27, 1972, ‘‘Curt Gowdy Day,’’ and held a sports arena equal to his position in the nouncers our country has ever known. large celebration in his honor. During world of business. Soon after covering the Wyoming Owning the Giants was one of many ca- the festivities, the University of Wyo- reers Tisch pursued simultaneously. Forbes high school football championship, ming awarded Curt an honorary law de- magazine ranks him 56th on its list of the Curt was hired by a CBS radio affiliate gree, and the State named an 11,000- country’s 400 wealthiest people and esti- in Oklahoma City to call University of acre State park after him. Most re- mates his net worth to be about $3.9 billion. Oklahoma football games. In 1949, he cently, Curt was selected as a Wyoming He was the Chairman and Director of the joined Mel Allen to broadcast New Citizen of the Century Sports Finalist. Loews Corporation, one of the country’s York Yankee games, and 2 years later, Mr. President, Curt made a point to most successful financial companies. The he became the No. 1 broadcaster for the company, with a 2004 net income of $1.2 bil- get back to his home State regularly. lion and assets exceeding $74 billion, owns Boston Red Sox. He remained the radio He once referred to Wyoming fondly as voice of the Red Sox for 15 years. As and operates 91 percent of CNA Financial the place ‘‘where I grew up with a fly Corporation; 100 percent of Lorillard; 100 per- Dick Vitale stated, ‘‘Gowdy had a love rod in one hand and, a little later, a cent of Boardwalk Pipelines, which consists affair with the microphone and his fans radio mike in the other.’’ Those of us of Texas Gas Transmission and Gulf South had a love affair with him.’’ During who had the pleasure of knowing Curt Pipelines; 52 percent of Diamond Offshore this time, Curt also began television remember him that way. He will be Drilling; 100 percent of Loews Hotels and 100 broadcasting, covering college and percent of Bulova. sorely missed.∑ American Football League games in Tisch served as Postmaster General of the addition to baseball. f United States from August 1986 until return- When NBC picked up the AFL games TRIBUTE TO PRESTON ROBERT ing to New York in March 1988. Prior to his in 1966, Curt Gowdy became the leading appointment as Postmaster, he served as TISCH President and Chief Operating Officer of personality of NBC Sports. He covered ∑ Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I Loews Corporation and its corporate prede- World Series, Super Bowls, NCAA final wish to pay my respects to someone I cessor, Loews Theaters, Inc., a position held four championships, Olympic Games knew very well, Preston Robert Tisch, from 1960 until his appointment as Co-Chair- and somehow found time for his ‘‘Game who passed away last month of brain man and Co-CEO. of the Week’’ broadcast. Curt also re- Tisch also served as Chairman of the New cancer. He was a distinguished Amer- mained the host and producer of ABC’s York Convention & Visitors Bureau for 19 ican who, along with his brother, Lau- ‘‘The American Sportsman’’ for nearly years and currently serves as the Bureau’s rence, built a giant financial enter- 20 years. (now called NYC & Co.) Chairman Emeritus. In later years, Curt was the host and prise. Bob was eminently successful at He was also founding Chairman of the New York City Convention and Exhibition Center producer of the public television series, everything he did, particularly in his role as a husband, father, and grand- Corporation and Chairman of the Citizens ‘‘The Way It Was,’’ reminiscing of Committee for the Democratic National Con- great games with a panel of players father. I, like all who had contact with Bob ventions held in New York City in 1976 and who had participated in them. Gowdy 1980. also provided historic commentary for Tisch, treasure my times with him. I In May 1990, Mayor David Dinkins ap- the HBO Sports program ‘‘Inside the send my deepest condolences to his pointed Tisch as New York City’s Ambas- NFL.’’ In 2003, Gowdy returned to wife and family. I ask to have printed sador to Washington, D.C. Through 1993, he Fenway Park to call a Red Sox game in the RECORD a statement released by served as a liaison between the City of New against the Yankees as part of an the New York Giants organization that York and his friends and colleagues in both the national government in Washington, ESPN promotion that brought back so perfectly describes the life and ac- complishments of Bob Tisch. D.C. and the business community in New great broadcasters. He also coauthored York City. two books, ‘‘Cowboy at the Mike’’ and He will be long remembered for his From 1990–1993, Tisch served as Chairman ‘‘Seasons to Remember: The Way It productive life and his legacy of impor- of the New York City Partnership, Inc. and Was in American Sports.’’ tant leadership in all of his endeavors. the New York Chamber of Commerce and In- For his outstanding work, Curt was We are all better off for Bob Tisch’s dustry, where he was instrumental in devel- recognized in many ways. In 1970, he contributions to our country. oping a campaign to enhance New York’s po- was the first sportscaster to be award- The material follows. sition as an international business center. After completing his stint as chairman, ed the Peabody Award for Outstanding PRESTON ROBERT TISCH (1926–2005) Tisch remained on the Board of Directors of Journalistic Achievement. He was Preston Robert ‘‘Bob’’ Tisch, the Giants’’ both organizations, now merged. named the National Sportscaster of the Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Tisch was also a Trustee of New York Uni- Year seven times, and he received sev- one of the nation’s most respected and suc- versity. eral Emmy awards for his work in tele- cessful businessmen, a former United States The Giants, however, were truly a labor of vision, including a lifetime achieve- Postmaster General, and an extremely gen- love for Tisch, a lifelong sports fan. He at- ment Emmy in 1992. erous philanthropist, died Tuesday night. tended every Giants game, home and away, Curt was also inducted into numer- Tisch passed away trom inoperable brain and spent as much time working in his sta- cancer, which was first diagnosed in the ous sports halls of fame. These include dium office as possible. His two sons are now summer of 2004. He was 79. His death comes important members of the organization: Ste- the broadcast wing of the Baseball Hall just three weeks after the passing of his fel- ven as executive vice president and Jon as of Fame, the Sports Writers and Broad- low owner, Wellington Mara, who died of treasurer. casters Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma cancer on October 25 at the age of 89. The process of going from fan to owner Sports Hall of Fame, the American Tisch realized a longtime dream in 1991 took at least three decades for Tisch. Sportscasters Hall of Fame, the Inter- when he completed negotiations with Wel- ‘‘I came to New York in 1960, and a couple national Fishing Hall of Fame, the lington Mara’s nephew, Tim Mara, and his of propitious things happened,’’ he said. ‘‘Our Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, the Boston family and paid $75 million for a 50 percent company owned a radio station at that time, Red Sox Hall of Fame, the Wyoming interest in the Giants. WHN. During the 1950s they broadcast Giants ‘‘I was very fortunate,’’ Tisch said in a 2002 games. The president of the radio station Sports Hall of Fame, the Wyoming interview. ‘‘I got a call trom (former Cleve- had ten 50–yard-line tickets at Yankee Sta- Outdoor Hall of Fame, and the Univer- land and Baltimore owner) Art Modell tell- dium. When we sold the radio station he de- sity of Wyoming Athletics Hall of ing me that Tim Mara wanted to sell his half cided he wanted to stay with us, so he came Fame. In 1993, he received the Pro of the team and asking me if I would be in- over to Loews Theaters to become the con- Football Hall of Fame Pete Rozelle terested in purchasing it. I met with Wel- troller. So for about seven or eight years, I Award for longtime exceptional con- lington Mara and John Mara and said I’d be had the use of these tickets. tributions to radio and television in very interested. There were no problems ‘‘Also, when we came to New York we professional football. In addition, the with them, and then I bought my share of moved to Scarsdale, and I got to know Allie the team from Tim Mara. It’s been a great Sherman, who was then coach of the Giants. Basketball Hall of Fame media award relationship and a great boon to me. I’m Actually, Allie’s son Randy and my son Jon was named in honor of Curt, who very happy to be the 50 percent owner of the were born one day apart. So we got to know served as president of the Basketball New York Giants.’’ the Sherman family. Then in 1975 or ’76, Pete Hall of Fame for seven consecutive 1- Tisch played an active role in the organiza- Rozelle moved to Harrison. We lived in the year terms. tion. As a member of the National Football city, but we have a house in Harrison, which

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