In Memory of Marilyn Bergman

Floor Speech

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Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and to honor the life and legacy of Marilyn Bergman, who passed away on January 8, 2022. Marilyn was an accomplished songwriter and a longtime President of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). I offer my most sincere condolences to her family and friends on her loss.

A native New Yorker, Marilyn broke barriers as one of a relatively few women in the then-male-dominated songwriting business in her early career and as the first woman to serve as President of ASCAP, a position she held for a decade and a half.

Over the course of her long and impressive career, Marilyn wrote the lyrics for many iconic songs as part of a songwriting duo with her husband Alan, including the Academy-Award winning ``The Way We Were'' and ``The Windmills of Your Mind,'' as well as songs for the film Yentl and the theme songs to a number of popular television shows. During the course of her illustrious career, she was nominated for sixteen Academy Awards, winning three times, as well as earning four Emmy Awards and two Grammy Awards. Among her many accolades, in 1980 she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In addition to her work as a lyricist, Marilyn was a tireless advocate to protect the rights of songwriters. In 1985, she became the first woman elected to the Board of Directors of ASCAP. She later served as President and Chairman of the Board and presided over unprecedented growth in the organization. Through her leadership of ASCAP, she was a strong partner to Congress, and particularly to the Judiciary Committee, in its work to support the music industry and to protect the rights of creators. Among her accomplishments, she worked to help pass the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a landmark piece of legislation governing copyright and the internet. This is but one example of her diligent efforts to ensure that songwriters and music creators can sustain a living through their creativity notwithstanding the dramatic changes in technology that occurred during her leadership in the industry.

Marilyn is survived by her husband, Alan, her daughter, Julie, and her granddaughter, Emily.

Marilyn will be remembered by many Americans for her artistic talents, as her lyrics graced our lives in so many ways. She will also be remembered by many songwriters for her strong advocacy on their behalf. May her memory be a blessing.

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