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.