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[Pages S1851-S1852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING LEONARD MINSKY
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, at its 214th commencement on May 14,
2016, the University of Maine at Orono will award an honorary doctorate
degree to Leonard Minsky of Bangor. Today I wish to congratulate my
dear friend for this recognition and to join people throughout Maine in
thanking him for his uncommon generosity, vision, and dedication that
have made our university's flagship campus a center for the arts and
humanities.
A member of the class of 1950, Leonard received an outstanding
education at UMaine and has never stopped giving back. His passion for
the arts and commitment to the highest expressions of human ideals are
evident throughout the beautiful Orono campus. Minsky Recital Hall in
the school of performing arts is a marvelous place for students,
faculty, and world-class visiting artists to perform. In recent years,
I have had the pleasure of hearing the University Singers, which
included my niece, perform there.
The Minsky Gallery in the Maine Center for the Arts celebrates the
visual arts around the world. The Minsky Culture Lab at the Hudson
Museum offers interactive, hands-on experiences for Maine
schoolchildren and UMaine students. With Leonard's support, the UMaine
Museum of Art in downtown Bangor features the best in modern and
[[Page S1852]]
contemporary art, from Andrew Wyeth to Andy Warhol.
Leonard's partner in these endeavors is his partner in life, his
extraordinary wife, Renee. Leonard's service has included leadership
roles on the university's development council, the Campaign for Maine,
and the UMaine Board of Visitors. Renee, one of the first volunteer
docents at the Hudson Museum, has held leadership roles on advisory
boards for both the Hudson Museum and the Maine Center for the Arts.
Both have been active Patrons of the Arts, the UMaine program that
supports tours by university performing arts ensembles and that
encourages student involvement in the arts through outreach to
elementary and secondary schools across Maine.
The university's Fogler Library, Maine's largest research library, is
home to the Minsky Jewish Heritage Collection. This priceless cultural
and historical resource is a gift from Renee and Leonard Minsky, along
with his brother, Norman.
For several years, I had the good fortune to live just across the
street in Bangor from Renee and Leonard Minsky. They were wonderful
neighbors. Since that time, I have been blessed with their friendship
and inspired by their leadership.
Students, faculty, and visitors to the UMaine campus cannot help but
feel similarly blessed and inspired. The energy and excitement of the
University of Maine's arts and humanities community that Leonard Minsky
has helped to create enriches our State today and will do so for
generations to come.
____________________
