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1997 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 402
On the death of Pamela C. Harriman.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 20, 1997
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 21, 1997

WHEREAS, Pamela C. Harriman, the United States Ambassador to France, died on February 6, 1997; and

WHEREAS, a native of England, Pamela Harriman was prominent on the world's stage from the time she married the son of Winston Churchill during World War II; and

WHEREAS, with her marriage to Averell Harriman, former Governor of New York and Ambassador to Great Britain and the Soviet Union, Pamela Harriman became prominent in the Democratic Party; and

WHEREAS, her political acumen, her charm, and her ability to bring together disparate positions and personalities made Pamela Harriman a leading figure in the rebuilding of the party following the electoral defeats of the 1980s; and

WHEREAS, Pamela Harriman's influence on Virginia was likewise notable, as she played an important role in the political careers of Charles Robb, Douglas Wilder, Gerald Baliles, and Mary Sue Terry; and

WHEREAS, the owner of a country home near Middleburg, Pamela Harriman was appointed by Governor Baliles to the Board of Visitors of The College of William and Mary in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, in addition to service on the William and Mary board, Pamela Harriman created the Pamela C. Harriman Professorship of Government and Public Policy at the college and was instrumental in establishing the Williamsburg Campus Child Care Center; and

WHEREAS, in 1992, Pamela Harriman was appointed Ambassador to France by President Clinton, and she put her considerable understanding of the French, their language, and their culture to good use; and

WHEREAS, certainly one of the most popular ambassadors in the often-difficult history of U.S.-French relations, Pamela Harriman was able to maintain her popularity with her hosts despite dealing with such complex issues as Bosnia, the restructuring of NATO, and trade and cultural differences; and

WHEREAS, in April 1996, Pamela Harriman was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Culture Minister, the first active foreign diplomat to be so honored; and

WHEREAS, throughout a lifetime lived in the limelight, Pamela Harriman had an extraordinary influence on public policy and politics of the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of a remarkable woman, Pamela C. Harriman; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Pamela C. Harriman as an expression of the General Assembly's respect and appreciation for her manifold contributions to the Commonwealth and the nation.