March 20, 1998

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a true champion of public education and the arts: June K. Goodman of Danbury, Connecticut. Sadly, Mrs. Goodman recently died at the age of 77.

One of the greatest gifts that June Goodman's parents gave her was an appreciation and a passion for opera and the performing arts. Just as they also provided her with a sense of community and an unfailing commitment to helping others. She had many jobs, including teaching, but what set her apart from others was her volunteer work.

She directed the Danbury Music Center for 20 years and helped found the Charles Ives Center for the Performing Arts in Danbury. She also served on the board for the National Theater of the Deaf in Chester. In Hartford, she was best known for her unpaid service as Chairwoman of the State Board of Education and the Commission on the Arts. During the 1970s and 1980s she would actually make the 100 mile round-trip to Hartford several times each week to serve in these posts.

June Goodman attained a national reputation for her expertise and work in the arts. In fact, President Carter often called on her for her advice and ideas. But the focus of her work always shone brightest on her home town and the state.

For more than 40 years, Mrs. Goodman was a close friend to the famed opera singer Marian Anderson, who also hailed from Danbury. In 1990, Mrs. Goodman established the Marian Anderson Award fund, which provides grant assistance for talented opera singers throughout the country. After her passing, Mrs. Goodman's family asked that donations be made to the Anderson Award fund. This fund will serve as living testament to both of their legacies.

June Goodman was an extraordinary woman and a true treasure. She will be dearly missed. She is survived by her husband, William, her five children, her six grandchildren, her sister and her brother. I offer my heartfelt condolences to them all.