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at the University of Georgia Honoring Senator Paul D. Coverdell Remarks and background information from the press conference held on January 12, 2001 at the Administration Building |
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| Senator Miller's Remarks for the Coverdell Memorial at UGA Dr. Karen Holbrook, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost Senator Paul Coverdell and the University of Georgia  Proposed plans for the Paul D. Coverdell Building for Biomedical & Health Sciences: Front view; site plan; main campus view |
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Senator Miller's Remarks for the Coverdell Memorial at UGA We were all shocked and saddened last July when our friend Senator Paul Coverdell died so unexpectedly. Georgia had lost one of its greatest public servants - a soft-spoken workhorse who served the people first and politics second. In a public career spanning three decades - from the Georgia Senate to the Peace Corps to the United States Senate - Paul served with dignity and earned everybody's respect along the way.
Senator Trent Lott, the Majority Leader and one of Paul's greatest admirers, appointed a four-member committee of senators to sort through the many ideas for memorializing Paul. There were two Republicans - Phil Gramm of Texas and Mike DeWine of Ohio - and two Democrats - Minority Whip Harry Reid of Nevada and myself. Senator Gramm, a native son of Georgia who was very close to Paul, was named chairman of this committee and was the driving force behind it from the beginning. We quickly agreed that there should be two memorials - one in Washington, D.C. and one in Georgia. And we also agreed that it was important that these memorials be acceptable to Mrs. Nancy Coverdell. In December, in a letter to party leaders Trent Lott and Tom Daschle, we outlined the two memorials we thought were most fitting for Senator Coverdell. In Washington, D.C., we chose to honor Paul's - legacy at the Peace Corps, where he served as director from 1989 to 1991. We are recommending that the Peace Corps headquarters offices in Washington be named the "Paul D. Coverdell, Peace Corps Headquarters." We also are recommending the designation of the Peace Corps World Wise Schools Programs as the "Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools Programs." Paul established this fine program in which Peace Corps volunteers who have returned to the United States visit schools to give students their impressions and lessons from their overseas service. In Georgia, we have chosen to honor Paul's commitment to education, research and agriculture in a grand way here at the state's flagship university. I am pleased to announce plans for The Paul D. Coverdell Building for Biomedical and Health Sciences. This will be a $40 million dollar science center that will let scientists from different fields collaborate on improving the food supply, cleaning up the environment and finding c
We are grateful that Mrs. Coverdell joined us here on the campus this morning and has given her blessing to this memorial for Paul. This will be a joint project with the federal government, the state of Georgia and the University. We will be asking Congress to allocate $10 million for the building. Governor Roy Barnes, who was an early supporter of this project, will ask the Legislature for a $10 million appropriation. And the University will raise the remaining $20 million for the building. Senator Coverdell made education his top priority, and he was a strong supporter of this university and its research efforts. In fact, it was Senator Coverdell who launched the annual high-profile UGA AG Symposium that brings the nation's top agricultural experts from around the country. It is my hope that the scientists who gather in this center under Paul's name will make great discoveries to improve the quality of life in Georgia and around the world. Senator Gramm wanted to come back to the University to see firsthand where the building would be and to learn more about it. As you know, he is no stranger to this campus, having finished his undergraduate and graduate work here. I have met many impressive men and women since I have gone to Washington, but none more impressive than this one who is recognized and respected by his colleagues as one who gets things done. top From Dr. Karen Holbrook, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost The Paul D. Coverdell Building for Biomedical and Health Sciences provides both a memorial to the Senator and a continuation of his efforts to improve the lives of the people of Georgia and the world. Senator Coverdell believed that education is the cornerstone of liberty. Throughout his career he helped to build UGA's educational and research capabilities. He was especially active in efforts to improve agriculture and to protect animal health through state-of-the-art research, and his support contributed to the University's development of prominent programs in the life sciences generally. Senator Coverdell was aware that advances made during recent years in genomics and genetics create unprecedented opportunities to integrate research in the life sciences. It is widely understood that interdisciplinary collaboration will provide the insights necessary to: • improve the food supply • understand disease • develop novel therapeutics • remediate the environment These are interconnected scientific objectives. With strong programs in plant and animal biology, recognized expertise in structural and functional genomics, and many other quality programs in the basic sciences, UGA has the considerable resources required to conduct the kind of scientific research necessary to improve human health. The Coverdell Building will house the UGA Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, which coalesces interdisciplinary programs in public health; infectious disease and immunity; and molecular medicine. Senator Coverdell's deep concern for the well-being of humanity was evident throughout his career. His sphere of action ranged from meeting the needs of individual Georgians to guiding the wide international responsibilities of the Peace Corps. He sought to understand the underlying complexities of the issues he faced as a senator, and he willingly took on difficult tasks. In a democracy, naming a major public building identifies a role model. For a team of students and scientists working hard together to identify potentially toxic agents in our environment, or to characterize the cellular and molecular basis for emerging global diseases, or to develop strategies and policies to improve public health, there could be no better role model than Paul Coverdell. top Senator Paul Coverdell and the University of Georgia
He was one of the Senate's leading proponents for reform and improvement at all levels of education in America. As chairman of the Senate Republican Task Force on Education, he offered several important educational measures. One law provided tax relief to help make college more affordable. He also introduced legislation that would strengthen the fight against drugs and violence in schools, and help give children of all income levels access to a good education. Sen. Coverdell was especially effective in shepherding University of Georgia requests for federal support on appropriations matters and legislative initiatives. Several new UGA research facilities - including the Animal Health Research Center and the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry - exist in large part because of his influence in working with the Senate Appropriations and Energy committees. He also had a strong interest in agriculture, one of the bulwarks of Georgia's economy. In his role as chair of the Senate Agriculture subcommittee on marketing, inspection and product promotion, he helped implement policies and programs that greatly benefit Georgia farmers, such as protection for the peanut program and increased research on food safety. He also helped obtain $5.9 billion to assist Georgia farmers with weather-related crop damage and disaster relief He was enormously helpful to UGA scientists in securing federal research funds, particularly for agricultural research. This work helped boost the quality and yields of such vital crops as tomatoes, Vidalia onions and forest products - all important contributors to Georgia's economy. Sen. Coverdell was a strong supporter of the annual National Symposium on the Future of American Agriculture held at UGA, and had planned to participate in last year's symposium held in August. At that event, a scholarship was established in Coverdell's name. The scholarship will be given annually to a student in UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. top |
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