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Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, finally, to the Senate Curator, last week, I was saddened to hear about the passing of the first permanent Senate Curator, Jim Ketchum.

Very few in the history of the U.S. Senate have been tasked with the immense responsibility of preserving the history of this storied institution. Jim was one of them, and the very best.

A proud son of New York, Jim's career took him on a tour through some of America's greatest national landmarks, including the Arlington National Cemetery, the White House, and, of course, the U.S. Capitol.

At the White House, Jim served as Curator for not one, not two, but three administrations: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon. When President Kennedy first appointed him at the ripe age of 24, he was concerned he was ``too young'' to hold the post, to which Jackie Kennedy responded: ``That's what they told Jack.'' So Jim was truly special, and everyone saw it.

Here in the Senate, Jim led a long list of initiatives to preserve the Capitol Building, not just as a museum of American history but as a bustling beacon of democracy.

It is thanks to Jim that the Old Senate and Supreme Court Chambers were restored and now welcome millions of visitors every year. It is thanks to Jim that countless paintings, artifacts, and pieces of furniture documenting our history were recovered and preserved. And it is thanks to Jim that we all have a better understanding today of this building, this institution, and our place in history.

So Jim will be deeply missed. But I think it is safe to say that Jim will live on in this institution he worked so doggedly to preserve.

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