The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“2002 IOWA WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S8916-S8917 on Sept. 19, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
2002 IOWA WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I wanted to take a few minutes to recognize four outstanding women who the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women have selected for this year's inductees to the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame.
Each year, the Commission solicits nominations of women, living or deceased, who have had a significant impact on society or their communities. Four nominees are selected by a five-member committee and the Commission and then are honored by the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor at a special ceremony. I'd like to add my voice to this tribute to four accomplished Iowa women.
Bonnie Campbell has been a strong leader since she first began her private practice in Des Moines. In 1990, she became the first female elected Iowa attorney general in our State's history. She used her position to author and pass one of the Nation's first anti-stalking laws. By 1995, her work was recognized nationally and she was appointed director of the U.S. Department of Justice's Violence Against Women Office. She played a critical role in the implementation of the Violence Against Women provisions of the 1994 Crime Act. Now in private practice, Bonnie continues to serve as a role model for women. On a personal level, Bonnie is a good friend of mine and I congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition.
Sue Ellen Follon's impact on women's issues was once described in the Des Moines Register this way: ``You may never have heard her name, but there's a good chance she has touched your life.'' A Volga native, Follon served as the executive director of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women from 1976 to 1984. Throughout her service, Follon worked to expand the Commission's influence and scope, to strengthen rape and sexual abuse laws, and help public hearings on domestic abuse, displaced homemakers and the feminization of poverty. In fact, her efforts helped to make Iowa the first State in the Nation to legislatively address gender inequities in many facets of life. Follon went on to become the first woman to serve as Vice President at the University of Iowa. Throughout her career, she made over 150 presentations from the local to the international level on the subjects of women's equality, leadership, higher education and mentors for women and minorities. Born in 1942, Follon died on November 4, 1998, the day after voters passed the equal rights amendment to the Iowa Constitution.
Alice Yost Jordan is internationally known as one of the most distinguished and published American composers. A Des Moines resident, Jordan is best known for her choral and organ works numbering over 200, which have sold over 250,000 copies. Her recital song, Take Joy Home, commissioned by Sherrill Milnes of the Metropolitan Opera and pianist Jon Spong, received world-wide exposure on concert tours and was performed at a White House State Dinner in 1983. Her arrangement of America the Beautiful, commissioned by the Iowa High School Music Association for the All-State Chorus and Orchestra, opens the All-State Festival Concert biennially. She has composed another 40 works that were commissioned by churches, universities and organizations across the Nation. Born in Davenport in 1916, she graduated from Drake University, where she studied composition for her undergraduate and graduate studies with the late Dr. Francis J. Pyle and received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters from Grand View College.
Shirley Ruedy of Cedar Rapids is a nationally recognized journalist, speaker and cancer survivor. Twice diagnosed with breast cancer, Ruedy launched a biweekly ``Cancer Update'' column that the Cedar Rapids Gazette began publishing in 1991. The column focused on her own experiences as well as providing the latest expert information on cancer treatment and prevention to her readers. ``Cancer Update'' is now carried in a publication from the Mayo Clinic Women's Cancer Program. Each October, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Ruedy runs a column she co-wrote with a surgeon about the life journey of a breast cancer cell. Through her writing and speaking, Shirley Ruedy serves as a role model of courage and positive advocate for all of those who have been diagnosed with cancer.
These women have aspired to high standards in their career fields and in serving their community. They also serve as an inspiration to young Iowans who can look to them for direction and leadership. I applaud the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women for recognizing their outstanding contributions. They are strong role models for all of us and deserve the highest praise. And they are some of the many special people who make Iowa such a great place to call home.
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