-
https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/files/original/0587e6408de83924d637c5f93ce06cdf.pdf
898788d7024a28bdbe7557fd36bb444b
PDF Text
Text
FOIA Number: 2006-0462-F
FOIA
MAR
;.
T.his is not a textual record. This is used as an
admihistrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
· Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Offi_ce of Origin:
· Series/Staff Member:
Speechwriting
Terry Edmonds
Subseries:
10989
OA/ID Number:
· FoideriD:
Folder Title: .
Ron Brown - Articles
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
s
0
0
0
0
�JOHN TEMPLETON: Ron Brown and black economics
RETURN TO VOICES: NORMAL
http://somerset.nando.net/newsroom/ntn/voices/040896/voices7 _ 207 55 .html
II LOW-GRAPHICS
Remember your first date? Rernen~ber your flr.ilt car?
Remember cruising the strip? Remember being the envy of aU
your friends';'
.... ·
~
· Wcdo.
~ ·~
O.ICKIIERE
JOHN TEMPLETON: Ron Brown and black
•
economics
Copyright© 1996 Nando.net
Copyright© 1996 San Francisco Examiner
SAN FRANCISCO (~Rr 8, 1996 5:30p.m. EDT)-- Commerce Department secretary Ron Brown
@Ofl<edlirelesslx to bring_minority_businesses iiitOtlie globareconomv
Brown, the son of a Harlem hotel manager, was a personal pioneer as a Washington lawyer, Democratic
Party chair and secretary of Commerce -- but he was also the firsfU~S~fficiall:oconsistently ana\
@illloashe""dlx tr.eat.Africa-=-and_black.Americ.an_s_::~.~§.J~rosRects wiUi_e_c_onomic_p.o.tentiaLinstead-of
~Rair and aid)
·
.
.
It was a testimonial to his personality that he could take his roots with him without making others feel
left out. Not only are African American, Asian American and Hispanic American business leaders
devastated by Brown's death, but so are leaders of the Fortune 500 corporations, along with political
leaders throughout the nation.
Brown visited Africa five times, most recently last month, when he warned European powers that they
no longer would have guaranteed markets in their former colonies. With more than 500 government
operations in Africa now being privatized-- like this week's news that Air Afrique is seeking new
investment -- the continent is going through an economic boom.
He led the U.S. delegation to the biennial African and African American "Summit" last year in Dakar.
Brown also played a critical role in helping bring about peaceful transition to majority rule in South
Africa.
Although his Commerce Department broke all records for new business for U.S. companies abroad and
played a key role in the restructuring of telecommunications, p10st-people-remembe.r-Brown'~pe·rsonal")_
f[oue<.li -- 110\VlieCOTilelwork-tne-crowd;-disRlaxing_enc.y..clopedic knowle.dge_of_ey_erxone iril:he r_oom,i!§J
he did last month in OaKland~Calif.~for tlieopening of a new office o£ the International Trade
Association.
I was astounded when he wrote me a letter just weeks after he took office, remembering to mention my
book ("Success Secrets of Black Executives"). He also wrote to a federal patent examiner I had praised
for her cooperation with my firm, and she said it was her first communication from any of the secretaries
of Commerce.
Brown's personality brought more notice than the economic equity programs he pushed, but he fought
within the administration .for presidential support of affirmative action.
Brown demonstrated that courageous leadership can make a difference in ending racial discrimination,
perhaps more so than bureaucratic bean-counting exercises.
In his passing, Brown is receiving-a-bipartisan-level-of-respect that many in the public may find
1 of2
07/18/97 18:36:07
�JOHN TEMPLETON: Ron Brown and black economics
http://somerset.nando.net/newsroom/ntn/voices/040896/voices7_ 207 55 .html
surprising, given efforts by the Republicans to eliminate the Commerce Department and implicate him
in allegations of corruption.
However, ~rue resr-ect for B.r.o_wn_iStlie recogriition-tharlre-sh-owea~mliis]ife,Jll~ oottOi'ff=lih-e-impaccof)
\_diversity:-He-btougnt Qeor-le togetller,_QeOQle wfio naa never imagineo it-::=J
There are a lot more Ron Browns from the Harlems and Western Additions and Flatlands and East Palo
Altos waiting for opportunity. Business leaders who gladly took advantage of Brown's quest for global
business should also keep the door open for a new generation of diverse talents.
Changing the face of America's executive suites -- still lily white -- is a tribute worthy of Brown, who
was not afraid to be held accountable. Can American business leaders say the same?
Minority business leaders should also step up to the plate and think big, as Brown prodded them to do,
seizing opportunities like Air Afrique and Kenya Air and Ghana Commercial Bank to operate on a
transnational scale.
IJ3rown slioweClllie wax to 15ring all-Americans-into-the-economic-mainstream;:>
(San Francisco writer John William Templeton is executive editor of Griot, an international daily with
business news affecting Africa, the Caribbean and African Americans. He is author of "Our Roots Run
Deep: The Black Experience in California.")
I GLOBAL I STATESIDE ISI'ORTS II'OLITICS I VOICES I BUSINESS IINFOTECH I HEALTH & SCIENCE !ENTERTAINMENT I MAIN I
Copyright© 1996 Nando.net
Do you have somefeedbackfor the Nando Times stajj?
2 of2
07/18/97 18:36:10
�,.
..
~·--:
PAGE
4
33RD STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
April 11, 1996, Thursday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section D; Page 21; Column 1; National Desk
LENGTH: 854 words
HEADLINE: With Tears and Remembrances, Ron Brown Is Laid to Rest
BYLINE:
By DAVID E. SANGER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON, April 10
BODY:
With his voice breaking and some in his Cabinet dabbing away tears, President
Clinton today led the country in a farewell to Commerce Secretary Ronald H.
Brown, eulogizing him as "a trailblazer, a builder, a patriot."
Mr. Clinton's tribute to the man he credited with helping him engineer his
successful campaign for· the Presidency four years ago was the culmination of one
of the largest and most emotional official funerals in the capital in many
years.
More than 4,700 people --veterans of the civil rights movement, diplomats,
Federal officials, lawyers, lobbyists and entertainers -- jammed the cavernous
National Cathedral. By 1 P.M. the crowd grew so large that that many of the
President's top aides were forced to stand in the wings, dwarfed by soaring
stained-glass windows.
Many still ~ppeared stunned one week after the plane crash in Croatia that
killed Mr. Brown and 34 others, including many of the Commerce Department's top
officials and a correspondent for The New York Times, Nathaniel C. Nash.
At the conclusion of the 90-minute service, the hearse bearing the body of
the first black Commerce Secretary moved through one of Washington's oldest
black districts, the Shaw neighborhood. It looped around the Commerce Department
building on Pennsylvania Avenue and then crossed the Potomac River to Arlington
National Cemetery, where Mr. Brown, 54, was laid to rest just below the Tomb of
the Unknowns.
As a brisk wind and a sprinkling of rain swept around the mourners and the
strains of "America the Beautiful" filled the air, Mr. Clinton presented the
flag that had been draped over the coffin to Mr. Brown's widow, Alma. The
President, his wife, Hillary, and their daughter, Chelsea, each placed a lily on
the coffin, and lMr:-Brown-•-s-daughte-r-,-'I'-racey-;-ki-s·s·e-d-nerTing.e:J;".s_and-:r:an-the~J
rover_the-smooth-mah_qgany surface one. :ra·st t·ime=J
The echoes of a military salute resonated off the hillside and drifted onto
the Mall, just across the river.
The funeral ended an extraordinary week of mourning in Washington, where the
emotional impact seemed to catch the city a bit off guard. The people who
streamed into the cathedral were drawn from different periods in Mr. Brown's
�PAGE
5
The New York Times, April 11, 1996
:_
~~--= :_f~om-hr-s-da:sr;s-a·s-a-ch.i:Td-rr:r-t:neT615by-o f-the-The res a-Het=e-1-in_:.Har'l:emJ
fr~m h1s e~r~_Y c~reer at the Urban L~~-gu~ wnere_-~
~a·s_-part-of a E;_econC:l-generatlon of Cl v1I r1gnt:s workers; ~rom hrs-tenure-asl
CChief_of_the_Democra.tic_National_Commi.t.tee.,_and_final;I,_y from his tenure at tfieJ
(9ommerce Depar.tment_,_a_huge_b_u_t_o_l]J;:_~sleep_y Wasfiington 15ureaucracy tliat 118)
·~""j2ea-~illto a a centralplayer in American ftired·gn po'J.-:i:cy~
.~_hls_f:_t~e_r_ m~ag~_<:J._;
"He came on like a force of nature," the President said. "I want to say to my
friend one last time, 'Thank you. If it wasnit for you, I_wouldn't be here.'
Mr. Brown was such an irrepressible deal maker, competitor and advocate in
this city of bland suits that the memorial service --· which lasted five hours on
Tuesday night -- and the funeral today inevit-a:J:STy-firnedJ.ntci-srory=-t·e-rriE§J
Qre·s·si-on:9, most focusing on Mr. Brown's impeccable attire, voracious appetites
and relentless bargaining tactics.
Mr. Clinton recalled offering the job of Commerce Secretary to Mr. Brown in
1992, when the lobbyist-turned-political-strategist had hoped to become
Secretary of State.
"He said, 'That sounds good. I want to think about it,' " Mr. Clinton
recalled of Mr. Brown. "I later learned that he walked out and went to see our
mutual friend Harold Ickes and said, 'Harold, what does the Secretary of
Commerce do?'
Though Mr. Clinton did not mention it, others close to Mr. Brown recalled at
the memorial service that Mr. Ickes, now the deputy chief of staff in the White
House, told him, "I don't even know where the building is."
The President laughed about Mr. Brown's winner-take-all approach, recalling
how, in Los Angeles a few years ago, he and Mr. Brown briefly joined a
basketball game with some children, taking opposite sides.
"All of sudden he forgot who was President and how he got his day job," Mr.
Clinton said. "He was totally caught up in the drama of the game. This was an
important trip we took. But afterward, whenever anyone asked him about that
trip, all he could remember to say was, 'The President was in my face from 20
feet out, but when I shot I saw nothing but net.'
The President used the funeral to make an oblique defense of his
prune-with-care approach to budget cutting. He recalled a budget meeting at
which he and members of the Cabinet were "being just a little sanctimonious and
looking for symbolic gestures" like cutting their own perquisites, including
chauffeurs and dining room staff.
Mr. Brown spoke up, the President said, and reminded the Cabinet members that
the people who drove them around and served them meals needed to be taken care
of. "So let's go on and do the right things and make the cuts," Mr. Clinton
paraphrased Mr. Brown as saying, "but let's not forget about those people and
let's try to help them go on with their lives in dignity."
"No one else said that but Ron Brown," Mr. Clinton said.
GRAPHIC: Photo: President Clinton, who gave the eulogy for Commerce Secretary
Ronald H. Brown, at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. (Associated
�PAGE
The New York Times, ,April 11, 1996
Press)
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 11, 1996
6
�IN RON BROWN'S HONOR
http://www.sltrib.com/96/APR/05/ted/22175450.HTM
IN RON BROWN'S HONOR
How terribly ironic that the initial colossal loss resulting from the United States' direct
. involvement in Bosnia's peaceful reconstruction should be a Cabinet member, this country's
secretary of commerce, and several other prominent civilians. The air accident death of Ron
Brown and those accompanying him on an economic recovery mission to the war-battered
Balkans grimly rebukes predictions that early U.S. peace-keeping casualties in Bosnia
would be large numbers of at-risk Gis.
When the Air Force plane carrying Mr. Brown and various private business executives
crashed into a hill on Croatia's Adriatic Sea coast, leadership essential to U.S. effort on
behalf of Balkan security and stability was seriously depleted. But consequently disclosed
was the important breadth of this foreign policy initiative.
While conspicuous U.S. troop assignments to Bosnian peace-keeping generate most of
the ongoing news coverage from that tragic trouble spot, other help was equally mobilized.
Mr. Brown's delegation, assembled at U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher's request,
was seriously exploring economic assistance possibilities when it perished in unaccountable
disaster.
'4cknowledged_as_aJife;-long_meCliatorof p_olitic::tl,_s.o_ci"al:etliiiic_ano:::.e~c·onomic>
cdifferences,_Ron.Bro.wn_toiled-resourcefiilly_ana_effecti:v.ely_as_comnrerce-secretaf)5. In
shocked and saddened response to his untimely death, government spokesmen worldwide
joined President Clinton in acknowledging the major contributions he made to improved,
mutually beneficial international trade during his unexpectedly brief Cabinet term.
That he could enlist so many CEOs for the fact-finding tour which unforeseeably took
his and their lives attests to the confidence he inspired among this nation's trade and
business leaders. He and they were, indeed, embarked on a fundamental contribution to
world peace.
As tangible appreciation for the sacrifice now attributable to Mr. Brown and his
associates, this country and its foreign trade industry could multiply help the Balkan people
need to peacefully achieve ethnic coexistence and shared prosperity. The fateful Brown
mission's purpose proceeded from that crucial understanding; it deserves to live on in no
less a commitment.
©.Copyright 1996, The Salt Lake Tribune
All material found on Utah OnLine is copyrighted The Salt Lake Tribune and associated
news services. No material may be reproduced or reused without explicit permission from
The Salt Lake Tribune.
·
1 of 1
07/18/97 18:44:13
�Ron Brown
http://www .betnetworks.com/brown.html
In a December 1993 exclusive interview with Emerge Magazine,
Rori Brown publicly spoke for the first time about his rocky year as
Secretary of Commerce. He candidly cited his frustrations at going
from triumphant orchestrater of President Clinton's election to
having to fend off questions about his personal finances. The June
issue of Emerge will contain a follow-up story with the latest
developments.
A 'PRETTY TOUGH CUSTOMER'
RON BROWN'S FIRST YEAR AT THE COMMERCE
DEPARTMENT
By Michael K. Frisby
Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown was
in the Oval Office explaining to President
Clinton why he should overrule
administration bean counters and grant him
more than the $3.6 billion they
recommended for the budget next year. As
Brown's eloquent pitch ended, Clinton
turned to Budget Director Leon E. Panetta,
cracking: "Wouldn't you like to have Ron as your lawyer?"
A few weeks after the 1993 mid-December meeting, Clinton
rewarded Brown: The president wiould ask Congress to give
Commerce $4.08 billion for fiscal1995, a 12 percent boost at a time
when most agencies are licking their wounds from severe cuts. The
president's words and his actions presented undeniable evidence that
Ron Brown was strutting tall once again.
Few people played the Washington power game better than Brown.
For years, his medley of arrogance, grace and smarts catapulted the
lobbyist-political strategist into a darling of the media. But neither
his reputation nor guile could save him from the nightmarish
preceding year: His polished image was shattered by allegations that ·
he sought a $700,000 bribe from a Vietnamese businessman.
Later, Brown emerged from that cloud satisfied that he has
performed well in Bill Clinton's Cabinet, despite the distractions of
a grand jury probe that so far had found nothing wrong. But he was
a changed man inside. He was tougher and stronger, he said, after
his career was threatened by untruths.
Still polished on the outside, Brown blamed the media· for fanning
doubts about his character and blamed some of those attacks on
jealousy, partisan politics andrace. "You often can't even defend
yourself because you have to make a judgment on how you spend
1 of6
07/18/97 18:44:58
�Ron Brown
http://www. betnetworks.com/brown.html
your time," he says. "It is difficult to get up and read things in the
press that you know have no connection with what happened."
That winter of 1993, what Brown had read in the press was how
Binh T. Ly, a Fort Lauderdale businessman, claimed that Brown
sought money in exchange for his assistance in lifting the U.S. trade
embargo against Vietnam, gaining favorable tariffs for Vietnamese
imports and helping to finance energy and infrastructure projects in
Vietnam. But Binh admitted not having met Brown, and that his
accusations came from a third party, businessman Nguyen Van Hao,
who denied the charges.
In addition to lacking evidence, Binh's fairy tale was tainted by
meetings he held with GOP legislators harboring partisan motives
for attacking Brown. Yet, it was enough to ignite a stampede against
Brown that would have trampled others who lacked his confidence
and willpower.
In breaking his long silence on the ordeal, Brown cited for Emerge
his many frustrations. Suddenly, for instance, he found his sterling
accomplishments meant little. As chairman of the Democratic
National Committee, he orchestrated the recapture ofthe White
House, but that was ancient and meaningless history in the face of
the titillating allegations. Brown found he had fewer friends. It was
a Qliilifiilreniinder_that_no_matter_~liigl1allAffican-=-America~
e±~bs,-it1 s-a-~ast-sli:de-~t~e _n~ountain - even x~u are d~K:ed}
\out-m-expensive-smts ana tli~_mttials.RHRare_emnrmaered on-your=>
I(Uave,.-custom-maae sfiiffs:)
Jf
"I have never used race in anything that I have done, but I must say I
think there has been a double standard," Brown said, sitting in his
Commerce Department office, a Black man in charge of its 38,000
employees for the first time. More gray hairs dotted his head, and
the lines in his face were more pronounced - possible signs of the
rage roaring inside. "A Black person in America, when he or she
achieves a level of success and power and authority, faces in some
cases a hostile environment," he said. "People are jealous; they don't
. like it; they resent it. They want to give all kinds of reasons why you
are there, other than the reason that you are good and confident and
smart."
CTile_ra~e-i·s~Br.o~n_oel~~~!.::eyen-t~~n_!e~~~ysome~
llemocrats-vtewed-htm. "1 tfllllK, lie sa1a, "tfiere areoa lot 0~_,-:=)
QNCthere-who-resent-it-being·said;-but·not·forme;--BiU-Clinton woulO
nof15.e_president-I-think-that-there-are.some_people-in-the_)
·
~Qn wlio a_Qn~OiK:e_tliat===:>
II
Clearly, he possessed the courage to speak out about what he saw as
an injustice, but had not let bitterness hurt his performance. "I'm not
here by force, I'm here by choice," he said. "This is what I have
chosen and I have to face the music, whatever the music is, and
sometimes the music is unpleasant and sometimes it is pleasant, and
you have to kind of roll with it, whichever way it is."
In a way, Brown's refusal to buckle under the pressure was indeed
unusual. He wasn't chased off the Clintonreservation like Lani.
Guinier and Clifton Wharton. And he didn't leave town dispirited
.like Anita Hill. Instead, Brown quietly flourished in his post as the
2 of6
07118/97 18:45:00
�---------------------------------
--
-
----------------------
Ron Brown
http://www.betnetworks.com/brown.html
storm brewed, peaked and faded, only to swirl again. Mark Steitz, a
communications expert who worked with Brown at the Democratic
Party, said that his~r~s.:..was_extremely-disciplinea:-~RonJ1aS)
~mendous-ability.:to_k~~p.}1ims~lffor~~~d~cte·a~~steady;)
r~gardless-of-w@Cotllers.are.saymg,~Steitz.explams.:s--
The greatest example of this came in the spring of 1991. President
Bush w~s fresh offh~r:y,_his_p_QP-ulari~y hitting
record h1ghs, but \Brown preached-to-Democrats-pubhcly-andJ
sprivately·that·Bush-c·ould-he-he·atenoe-c·aasetl1e"A1ilefic.an..QeOQle:>
\...wanted cnangf)
"In some meetings, he was laughed at," recalled Steitz. "Ron had
spent two years telling everybody he could get to listen to him that
his job was going to be electing a Democratic president, he just kept
·
going," says Steitz.
While Brown's own strength had been key to his survival, so too had
been his relationship with Clinton, one that often had given him
roles beyond his Cabinet duties. It was an alliance in which at times
they have been adversaries, but each had always maintained respect
for the other. In 1990 when Clinton became chairman of the
Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), a group of moderates and
conservatives, the then-Arkansas governor showed his regard for
Brown: The DLC was a rival to the official party apparatus headed
by Brown, but Clinton privately met with Brown before taking the
helm to ensure him they could make peace and his new post would
not hurt him as a future Democratic presidential candidate.
For years, Brown was tied to politicians and causes far more liberal
than Clinton. At the National Urban League, Brown was deputy
·executive director, general counsel and vice president for its
Washington operations. He worked in Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's
1980 presidential campaign, and brokered the peace between Jesse
L. Jackson and the Democratic Party in 1988. But in the 1992
campaign, he flashed his pragmatic side, which may_haY.e_bee~hat
bonded him with Clinton1:Aoparty cliairman:iS=Supposed:to:;be
neutral-in·primarieS,]5_uf.Brown-clearly-advocated·forelinton~
When Gennifer Flowers alleged that she had carried on an affair
with Clinton, Brown wrote a stern letter to Cable News Network
(CNN) urging that it not broadcast her news conference. And later,
when Clinton rival Jerry Brown sought a high-profile role at the
Democratic National Convention, Brown stepped into the fray,
making sure that he was the target of the Californian's barbs, rather
than Clinton.
The Clintons themselves didn't panic. They had already dealt with
allegations of wrong-doing, so it may have contributed to their
standing by Brown, calling the secretary at various times to offer
support, even as some in the media suggested he was hurting the
administration. 'IL&lways_liaa]lie_fe.eling tnat·hoth-ofthem-were~
ctot'!!!Y..B!RP..Ortiv:e,'J Brown said. "From instant one, there was never
any doubt. That was very reassuring when you have all of this
swirling."
Not everyone around the president supported Brown, though. "We'd
get little tidbits of rumors back about things that had been said at
3 of6
07/18/97 18:45:01
�Ron Brown
http://www. betnetworks.com/brown.html
various low levels," Brown recalls.
And then there were the media confrontations. Take the September
day that he was supposed celebrate one of his biggest successes. He
shared the stage in the White House Roosevelt Room with the
president, as they unveiled the new trade policies that a Brown-led
commission had devised to make the U.S. more competitive.
Clinton praised the commerce secretary's leadership to the press,
public officials and business leaders present, but the mood turned
sour when Clinton took a few questions from reporters. The first one
did not deal with trade at all, but with the allegations against Brown:
"Mr. President," a reporter asked, "are you satisfied with Secretary
Brown's explanations about his relationship to Vietnam?"
Clinton responded, "Well, let me say he's told me that he hadn't
done anything wrong, and he's done just about everything right as
commerce secretary. I think he's done a great job, and I have no
reason not to believe him."
The response pleased Brown, but it's usually the kiss of death when
a president is forced to defend one of his troops at a public forum,
rather than promote his agenda. And for someone with Brown's
pride, it was, as he put it, "disconcerting." Clinton, he said, "was
terrific," and most of the press reported it that way, but Brown
remained somewhat bitter at the media for feeding the flames. "One
guy, I forgot who," he said, "wrote that it should have sent a chill
through my spine."
Few could argue that Brown had not turned a sleepy cabinet
department into one that now packs some punch. For instance, his
Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee found ways to reduce
export controls on $35 billion worth of high-tech exports, opening
new markets for high-tech companies.
Against the wishes of the powerful State Department, Brown also
convinced Clinton to reverse a government policy of more than 20
years and require that some countries receiving U.S. foreign aid use
the money to hire American firms. Brown led a trade mission to
South Africa, which was heralded for opening the door to a new
relationship with the U.S. after the collapse of apartheid. And his
department is expanding programs that allow the government and
private industry to jointly research technologies that increase
productivity and create new markets.
Along the way, [fu:Q._wn_illiSii'Cforgo.tten_to_give.other-BlacKSJ
co1Jp_Qtl_unities.1Dfhis first 235 appointments, 43, or 18 percent, were
Black. Many played high-profile roles such as Carol Hamilton, his
press secretary; Larry Irving, the assistant secretary for the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration; and James V.
H~c~ey, B~~~·s counselor.I'Ttlii'fiKtliafifrdon:t d~it,_who_is=J
~to Clo I(?_Brown-says-of-the-need-for-diverstty.
Further, Brown liked the challenge of breaking down old barriers.
After Clinton's victory, he was offered other posts, such as U.S.
trade representative or U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. But
Brown said he wanted a job that was both a mandated Cabinet post
and that broke a new threshold. "I had a couple of options in the
administration," he said, "and the one I chose to pursue was the one
4 of6
07/18/97 18:45:01
�Ron Brown
http://www .betnetworks.com/brown.html
that I thought would make the most difference as far as removing
old ceilings and barriers and stereotypes and obstacles." One of the
biggest challenges, he said, had been playing a major role in areas in
which he has had little previous experience. On major economic
decisions, he was at the table right beside more experienced people
such as Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen and Labor Secretary
Robert B. Reich .. But what helped make it all work for Brown was
his special relationship with his boss, the president.
€-lint_on;::he-saiG;is~the-:smaxks.tp:er:sprt"-thl!ClleJ1acLe:v.er-worl(eoJ
\~Brown said the president can quickly grasp a range of
information and remember it. Perhaps because they are both master
politicians, the pair shared ideas. "I feel very comfortable in saying
anything that I want to," Brown said. "I don't feel at all inhibited in
talking to the president. That is a pretty good place to be, a pretty.
good feeling to know that I can say anything that I want to say to
him, and ifhe likes it, fine, and ifhe doesn't like it, fine."
In turn, Brown suggested that what the president, as well as the First
Lady, saw as his strengths were an ability to articulate a message
and advocate a cause. They sought his advise when they were
stumped on a health care reform issue: How to turn potential job
losses resulting from streamlining paperwork and administrative
expenses into a positive. Brown's answer: emphasize that health care
reform also would create jobs in areas such as home health care.
Alexis Herman, the White House director of public liaison, noted
that Clinton signaled his confidence in Brown early in the
administration, when he placed the commerce secretary in charge of
developing a plan to revive the California economy. To Clinton,
there may be no bigger political stake: Without that state's lode of
electoral votes - the largest in the nation - he faces an uphill fight for
reelection in 1996. "The president, first and foremost, is a shrewd
politician and a real political animal and he understands the
contribution Ron made," Herman said.
Dee Dee Myers, the president's press secretary, concurred: "Ron
Brown has had a highly successful first year as secretary of
commerce on a number of fronts, from participation in the economic
plan to being the point person out in California and overseeing the
initiative in South Africa."
But what appeared to have changed forever was Brown's
·relationship with the media. After his year under fire, he had joined
the growing ranks of those who feel there is something
fundamentally wrong with the way White media organizations
conduct their business.
"There needs to be scrutiny," he said. "On the other hand, I think the
balance has been tipped way over, and I think there is such an
incestuous relationship within the press. I'm not a psychologist or a
psychiatrist, but I think there is a lot of guilt going on in the press
about their own behavior." Brown said there is a blur in the line
between objective reporting and subjective analysis that occurs
when reporters and writers turn into television pundits. "Isit a joke,
is it a game, or is it serious business?" he asked about the changing
roles.
5 of6
07118/97 18:45:02
�Ron Brown
http://www.betnetworks.com/brown.html
Brown, moreover, said members of the press spend too much time
paying attention to each other, rather than finding out the facts. The
result is "a mindless pack behavior," in which reporters race head
over heels after the same story. "It is disturbing," he said, "because
so much. time is now spent by decision makers, policy makers [and]
leaders on: What is the press reaction going to be?" He, however,
knew it was smart to be concerned about the media. "But now there
is just so much time and attention spent to what did this one say, and
what did that story say, and what are we going to do about it. I don't
think that's the way it ought to work," he said. "The roles and the
weight of the roles have gotten out ofhand."
Brown admitted that he miscalculated the impact of the allegations
against him. First, he didn't realize that people seeking to prevent
the United Statesfrom normalizing relations with Vietnam would
seize the allegations as a tool to attack that policy shift. Second,
Brown conceded that he didn't think anybody would believe the
charges~ "I thought it was just so far off the wall and came from
somebody, who by his own admission had never seen me, met me,
had any contact with me whatsoever" that it would not seem
credible.
So Brown, perhaps adhering to an outdated chapter of "How To
Play The Game," didn't respond much to the allegations that first hit
the rumor mill in 1993. When he finally did in August and
September that year, he said his reaction of outrage toward the
charges were mistakenly taken to mean he had never met with
Nguyen.
He was then slammed for not being forthright when his lawyer later
disclosed that he did meet with Nguyen on three occasions.
Despite the anxiety for months, Brown said he probably still had
done the t:ight thing by not aggressively confronting the charges,
although many friends and family urged him to fight. And deep
down he, too, wanted to fight. He maintained, however, that it
would have opened the door to more and more questions about his
life and consumed more of his time.
"In the final analysis," he said, "folks are going to say that it was
tough. I took a lot ofknocks.probably got hurt. not irrecoverably,
but got hurt; got a little bark chipped off, but this is a pretty tough
customer. He took his knocks. He took them with dignity. He never
missed a step. He kept going. He has been a hell of a secretary of
commerce."
IWR.ITETO SET 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' - - - - - 0 : > 1 9 9 . 6 8fT
6 of6
07118/97 18:45:03
�REMEMBERING SECRETARY OF COMMERCE RON BROWN
http://www .northern.edu/sdibi/2daschle.html
Remembering Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown
Submitted by Senator Tom Daschle
Last month, America's business community lost a d~ar-and-truste~d:ffienel':when the plane carrying United
States Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, went down on a hillside in Croatia.
Secretary Brown was traveling to the region with many of our country's top business leaders to t:t;y_:::'!_n~
The memorials
that have been held in theirlloiiOfSince tlianragic-day-are-excellennemirrdersoftlieir courage and
foresight in understanding that strengthening economic ties with emerging nations also strengthen our
opportunities for lasting peace.
cfind-way:s-in-which-p~e-industr-y-eould-help-re-buildJhe_war.::torn_Balkan_p.eninsul~.
As Secretary, Ron Brown was committed to promoting American companies abroad. With his frequent
trips overseas and a strong commitment to making useful business and trade information more accessible
via technology, Ron Brown helped make the Department of Commerce one of our most efficient and
responsive Government agencies. All across South Dakota, small companies have been given the same
affordable access to overseas market information that their larger competitors enjoy. Many other South
Dakota businesses have benefited directly from the Commerce Department's frequent overseas trade
missions, regarded to have been the most productive in our nation's history.
The effects of Ron Brown's leadership were especially evident to one South Dakota business. It was just
a few months ago that Don Lefevre, president of Cynetics Inc. in Rapid City, contacted my office
regarding a severe contract dispute that the government of Swaziland in Southern Africa was having
with his company. Given the Secretary's frequent trips overseas, it was not surprising to me that he was
in Africa when we contacted him about Cynetics' problem. It was also not surprising that when Secretary
Brown met with officials from the Swaziland government the next day, he personally resolved the
dispute and persuaded the Swaziland government to honor the contract of a South Dakota company.
Despite the loss of its leader, the Commerce Department remains committed to helping American
companies succeed in the global economy. Secretary Brown's replacement, Mickey Kantor, is an
experienced leader in international trade and will be a great advocate for South Dakota companies
abroad. I am also confident that the Commerce Department will remain committed to providing valuable
research and marketing information and assistance to small companies who wish to expand their markets
overseas.
I would encourage all South Dakota companies interested in expanding their markets abroad to utilize
the Department of Commerce and the information they have available. If you desire further assistance,
please feel free to contact me or Bob Simpson, my special assistant for economic development. I look
forward to continuing our work together in bringing more international trade opportunities to South
Dakota.
Back to SDIBI Home Page I Forward to International Newletter
I of I
07/18/97 18:46:26
�Ron Brown Fellowship Program
http://www.irex.org/grants/intl/rbrown.htm
'0
International
-:'
~
~
The Ron Brown
Fellowship Program
Reflecting Ron Brown's Commitment
The Ron Brown Fellowship Program provides
opportunities for graduate study at leading US
institutions to outstanding university graduates·
and young professionals from Central and
Eastern Europe. Named after the late US Secretary of Commerce, Ronald H.
Brown, the program reflects his commitment to assisting democracy in the
region and strengthening the global economy.
Become a Host for Ron Brown Fellows
Read the Program Description
Meet the Sponsor
Candidate Eligibility
· Grant Provisions
Application, Review, and Placement Process
Requirements and Restrictions
Contact Information
Examples and Profiles of Program Participants
Description:
Grants in 1997-98 program to graduate students from Albania,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Poland, Romania,
Slovenia, and the Republic of Yugoslavia for one- and two-year degree and
nondegree programs of study at US institutions in the fields of business
administration, economics, educational administration, environmental
policy/resource management, civic education, journalism/mass
communications, law, public administration, and public policy.
1 of3
07118/97 18:47:09
�Ron Brown Fellowship Program
http://www.irex.org/grants/intllrbrown.htm
Sponsor:
USIA
The United States Information Agency
Candidate Eligibility:
o Citizenship of one of the above-named countries. (Countries are
· subject to change.)
o Maximum age at time of application: 40.
o No alternative funding for study in the United States .
.o Undergraduate degree or equivalent.
o Advanced English proficiency, TOEFL score of 550 or above.
o Two years of professional work experience.
Grant Provisions:
o Tuition, room and board, stipend, book allowance, and medical
msurance.
o Round-trip transportation to and from placement city in the United
States.
Application, Review, and Placement Process:
o Prospective applicants should contact IREX after December 1,
o
o
o
o
o
1997 for information on program status, participating countries,
and application procedures.
Application deadline to be announced.
Application limited to one field of study (e.g., application for both
economics and law is prohibited).
Interview required.
Placement at US institutions arranged by IREX. Fellows may not
choose host university.
Program to begin in June or September 1997, pending funding.
Testing Required:
o TOEFL
o GRE or GMAT as appropriate.
Focus and Restrictions:
o Business administration, economics, educational administration,
environmental policy/resource management, journalism/mass
communications, law, public administration, and public policy.
o Programs combine study with internships.
o Fellows may not remain in the United States for study beyond
completion of the fellowship; every student must return to home
country to fulfill 2 year home residency requirement.
Grants Awarded for 1996-1997:
35
2 of3
07/18/97 18:47:21
�- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ron Brown Fellowship Program
------------
http://www.irex.org/grants/intl/rbrown.htm
!REX/Washington Staff Contacts:
o Tamara Dunbar, Program Officer
o Kathryn Petruccelli, Program Associate
E-mail: irex@info.irex.org
Examples and Profiles Program Participants:
o Some recent program participants discuss their Fellowships
o Visit Peter Josza's Minnesota Hungarian's Website
Return to the top of the page
3 of3
07118/97 18:4 7:22
�"Remembering Ron Brown: Tribute to an American Success Story"
http://www.trincoll.edu/~tj/tj4.11.96/articles/current.html
"Remembering Ron Brown: Tribute to an
American Success Story"
By Paul Skowronek
Political Writer
what might have become a historic trip to the former Yugoslavia, potential
economic opportunity and rebirth for a war torn region became a grave tragedy
early Wednesday morning, April3rd. The military Boeing 737 occupied by
:Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, 12 American businessmen, the six-member
·crew, 12 other U.S. government officials, a European development bank
official, a New York Times reporter, a Croatian interpreter, and a Croatian photographer
crashed during a fierce rain storm on an approach for landing.
Since news of the tragedy hit Washington and the return ofthe
bodies to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, President Clinton has
spent much ofthe weekend comforting relatives and making visits to
Brown's wife and grown children at their home. For the President,
the personal loss is obvious. Brown enjoyed a long friendship with
Clinton throughout their careers in the public sector. The Commerce
secretary also played a large role in propelling Clinton to the White
House in 1992, serving as chair ofthe Democratic National
Committee in that year. At Commerce, Brown is credited as being the most effective
secretary in the history of the agency, propelling the United States back to its previous role
as world economic leader. Under his leadership, the Commerce Department became a
standout in the Clinton cabinet. Brown heavily promoted American exports, technologies
such as the "information superhighway," and the economic development ofdepressed urban
areas around the nation.
Ron Brown was born in Washington, DC and grew up in Harlem.
Paralleling the work ethic and determination exhibited by another prominent
African-American, ex-joint chief Colin Powell, he attended Middlebury
College in Vermont and later served on its board of trustees. After four years
in the Army in both Germany and Korea, he received his law degree from
St. John's University. At this time, he also served the New York City as a
welfare worker. A longtime Clinton associate, Brown achieved prominence
in the Democratic Party and was named its chair in 1992. In January, 1993,
Brown was confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of Commerce. He also served as chairman
of the Senior Advisory Committee at Harvard's John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics and
was an elected member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
For the nation, the Democratic Party, the President, and his family, Brown's death is a great
loss. In some manner, his actions in the Commerce department affected the way all of us
"do business." Whether his work promoted internet connection or usage iri your office or
school, or increased the number of American cars sold to Japan thereby strengthening
1 of2
07/18/97 18:48:48
�"Remembering Ron Brown: Tribute to an American Success Story"
http://www.trincoll.edu/~tj/tj4.11.96/articles/current.html
American competitiveness and ensuring jobs, Brown's actions were undoubtedly positive in
rebuilding American business for the 21st century. A man of humble means who rose to the
highest levels of partisan politics, Ron Brown's work will indeed be missed.
© Trincoll Journal, 1996.
2 of2
07118/97 18:48:59
�More on Ron Brown
http://www. wolfl.com/clinton/brown.htm
More on Ron Brown
A few days ago, the U.S. Air Force released the results of its investigation into the "crash" of U.S.
Commerce Secretary Ron Brown's plane as it approached Dubrovnik airport in the fabled "worst
storm in ten years."
One week after the crash, THE NEW WORLD ORDER INTELLIGENCE UPDATE released its
own detailed report and, quite frankly, we prefer ours to theirs.
In fact, we think that they could have saved quite a bit of money by just taking out a subscription.
We're assuming, of course, that they were actually after the *truth*.
The entire article from our May issue is far too long and detailed to reproduce in full, so we'll
tease you with some extracts from the beginning and the end of it.
We think that that will be sufficient to indicate why we and the U.S. Air Force came to different
conclusions.
We looked at the evidence they looked at- and then we looked at some key, non-technical factors
too.
And, try as we might, we've had the hardest time finding metreological evidence of that "worst
storm of the decade", which they are still touting as the prime culprit.....
**************************************************
from the MAY 1996 issue of THE NEW WORLD ORDER
INTELLIGENCE UPDATE ...
**************************************************
THE SUSPICIOUSLY-CONVENIENT "ACCIDENTAL" DEATH OF COMMERCE
SECRETARY RON BROWN:
.
When the U.S. Air Force Boeing 737 carrying U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown crashed, "in
the midst of a blinding rain storm", into a rocky peak just outside Dubrovnik, Croatia, on April
4th, killing all but one aboard [and that lone survivor to die on the evacuation helicopter later], no
one could have anticipated the sequence of strange events and the storm of suspicious question
which would almost immediately follow.
But, first, some background. The 54-year-old Washington lawyer had been described by some as
"flamboyant", by others as "a super salesman", by admirers as oozing a"smooth charm", by
colleagues as "dynamic, aggressive, imaginative and flexible", by President Clinton as "a
magnificent life force", and by Charles Lewis, Director of the Centre for Public Integrity, as "an
operator", who used his political connections to maintain a lavish lifestyle and to make some
questionable business deals.
Clinton was indebted to him for rebuilding the Democratic party after Dukakis' defeat; James
Carville, Clinton's election strategist, said that Ron Brown had been "extremely influential" in
Clinton's winning the 1992 election: "he raised more money [for the Democratic party] than we
had ever raised before." Businessmen competed for places on his world-girdling "trade tours",
which seemed to effortlessly result in major business deals and invaluable high-level contacts.
But Brown's ebullient taste for high-living and emphasis on the business as well as the political
I of5
07/18/97 18:50:33
�----
----~----------
More on Ron Brown
http://www.wolfl.com/clinton/brown.htm
But Brown's ebullient taste for high-living and emphasis on the business as well as the political
aspects of his role raised queries regarding his ethics, which inevitably sullied his reputation.
U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT made a number of revealing comments in its epitaph on
Brown: "He also had a taste for the good life, and when he built bridges between people or
companies, he sometimes took his commission." ... "He was a deal maker and proud of it, a man
who traded in choices and not absolutes. Says Mark Steitz, a former aide: "He had no particular
truck for what he used to call th,e.'feel good' politics of losers"." Brown learned the inside
workings of the Washington power structure early and well. He was in many ways an expression
of the corrupting influence of the high-powered, highly- paid legal and lobbyist circuit, where
influence and money push ethics, often permanently, out of mind. In a city where appearances,
connections, power, influence and money are everything, Brown applied his drive, creativity and
energy to gaining them. Sometimes, it appears, he wasn't too particular about the means employed
or the moral constraints that had to be suspended. He was a particularly talented and successful
hustler. Be that as it may, he was a symbol of success for many black Americans and, whatever his
shortcomings may have been, was widely liked.
In 1981, he joined Patton, Boggs and Blow,.a law firm which has variously been described as "one
of Washington's most powerful and unprincipled lobbying firms" and as "the consummate insider
firm." Patton, Boggs was his springboard to connections, power and success and he made full use
of the opportunities it offered to him.
After his stunning success in revitalizing and re-financing the Democratic party, Brown was
appointed Commerce Secretary in the new Clinton Administration. He threw his energies into
reinvigorating a department of government that had become bureaucratic to excess, hidebound
and unsure of its own purpose or objectives. He favoured, supported and tirelessly promoted
American
business, and was frequently accompanied on his trips by some of the CEO's of America's most
powerful corporations. He flew out on 19 trade missions in three years, to 25 countries, which
resulted in an estimated $80 billion dollars worth of new contracts for American business.
But a string of eyebrow-raising and increasingly- questioned business deals and financial
arrangements- his Chemfix connection, his association with Texas wheeler-dealer Noland Hill,
Corridor Communications, the First International Communications Corporation affair - were
drawing renewed attention. Pursued by Pennsylvania Congressman William Clinger, newlyappointed in 1995 to the Chairmanship of the Government Operations Committee, the denials and
stonewalling tactics adopted by Brown and his lawyers began, for the first time, to prove
insufficient. His connections were unable or unwilling to shield him and his own blustering threats
were probably beginning to turn the thoughts of some of his erstwhile and current partners and
associates more toward self-preservation than to Ron Brown's preservation.
The man who had previously been under investigation by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the
Commerce Department's Inspector General, the Justice Department, the FDIC, and the House
Government Reform and Oversight Committee was within two weeks of possibly being indicted
for an bribe allegedly paid by Dynamic Energy Resources in Oklahoma.
The string of near-scandals and near-escapes is impressive. AP reported on February 3, 1995, that
22 Republicans in the House had written to Clinton and, citing Brown's financial dealings, had
·demanded that he be dismissed. The WASHINGTON TIMES National Weekly Edition reported
four weeks later that Clinger had announced that his Brown probe had "developed a large body
of information and docume'ntation that s.eems to indicate Secretary Brown may have violated
federal law in several instances." Finally, in early July, 1995, DanielS. Pearson, a former appeals
court judge, was appointed to investigate Brown. He was directed, according to the NEW YORK
TIMES, "to investigate whether Mr. Brown improperly accepted nearly $500,000 from a business
partner and filed inaccurate financial disclosure statements."
A few years ago, a Vietnamese official accused him of asking for a $700,000 or so bribe in
exchange for using his influence with Clinton to get sanctions against Vietnam lifted and to open
2 of5
07/18/97 18:50:34
�More on Ron Brown
http://www.wolfl.com/clinton/brown.htm
exchange for using his influence with Clinton to get sanctions against Vietnam lifted and to open
the country up to U.S. trade and investment. After apparently stalling on the issue, the Justice
Department convened a grand jury to hear evidence, which could have resulted in a possible
criminal indictment. Veteran investigative journalist Sherman Skolnick, whose connections inside
the Beltway are remarkable, commented that "There was jury-tampering by President Clinton
and his Justice Department. The grand jury proceedings were supposed to be kept secret, yet
Brown and his confederates were day by day illegally kept informed, so they could obstruct justice
by bribing or terrorizing grand jury witnesses. Brown was not indicted." .....
This time, escape would not prove so easy. Brown made sure that Democratic leaders got the
message: "I'm too old to go to jail. If I go down, I'll take everyone else down with me." That, of
course, would include the Clintons. Brown's oft-repeated warning was clearly heard; but it
resulted in a response that he hadn't allowed for. Given his knowledge of inner circle amorality
perhaps, in hindsight, he might be considered naive in not expecting it.
The Apri11996 issue of the AMERICAN SPECTATOR contained an article- written before these
events- entitled, ironically, "Why Ron Brown Won't Go Down." We say "ironically" because,
shortly thereafter, that's exactly what he did do. Brown's threats may have become his own death
warrant.
Contrary to the widely-publicized media accounts of the tragic "crash" of Ron Brown's plane due
to stormy weather, a number of other unsavoury possible scenarios are now beginning to emerge.
The truth appears to lie in one, or some combination, of them.; ..
[substance of article, detailing facts and lengthy background and analysis, deleted to save space]
Anyone who prefers to think that agencies of the U.S. government and the U.S. Special Forces are
above assassinating U.S. citizens, not to mention senior U.S. officials, where expedient may wish to
bear in mind the following testimony given by a retired U.S. Green Beret in a telephone interview
on Texxe Marrs' Saturday, April 20th, 1996, program on WWCR shortwave. This Colonel
confessed that he had been so moved by the death of President Kennedy that he determined to join
the Green Berets, a unit the President had apparently regarded highly.
While going through Green Beret training at Fort Bragg in 1963, he stated that his trainee group
was asked
if any members would like to volunteer to take special assassination training to work with the CIA
on the eliminating of U.S. citizens who had become "national security risks." About 6 people,
himself included, volunteered.
One of the operational scenarios employed in their assassination training was the killing of
Kennedy [he said there were four shooters, including two -each with a spotter -who were
positioned on the two routes which could be employed to take the wounded President to hospital;
if the spotter determined he was still alive, the accompanying shooter would finish him off]. He .
heard his CIA instructors saying at the time that "we sure got him![the President]." He assumed
that Kennedy himself must therefore have been a national security risk for some reason [Kennedy
had vowed to break up the CIA and wind down the U.S. intelligence community, which might
explain the CIA's animosity to him].
As he continued with his Fort Bragg training, he was approached by a CIA operative who asked if
he was ready to "do a job" for them. He answered that he was, and asked who the target was. "Lt.
Com. Bruce Pitcher, at Bethesda Naval Hospital," he was told. He backed off quickly, and
declined: he explained that the "arrangement" was that they would "take out" U.S. citizens
overseas, as there was no statute of limitations on murder in the U.S. and they could be denied as
"deserters" if they were caught He said that it was left to the individual assassin to decide when,
where and how he would eliminate his victim. He saw the same CIA operative go over to another
Green Beret in the CIA program and talk to him. He never saw that Green Beret again.
3 of5
07/18/97 18:50:35
�More on Ron Brown
http://www.wolfl.com/clinton/brown.htm
Years later he saw Dr. Bruce Pitcher's name among those who had died violently or mysteriously
subsequent to the Kennedy assassination ..
Shaken, he made enquiries and discovered he'd been found with a pistol in his hand at the base of
a ladder; his death had been ruled "a suicide".
He discovered that Pitcher had been responsible for the audio/visual records of the President's
autopsy at Bethesda Naval Hospital, and for photographically recording those present. He had
kept a set of the actual autopsy results, which he'd shown to a close friend. What they revealed
terrified him, and he had hidden them.
The Colonel surmised that the CIA's Green Beret assassin had killed him just as he was in the
process of retrieving these hidden records. He also mentioned that a later President, who he
named, had reactivated two FBI assassination teams, until stopped by a Congressional Committee.
However, he personally felt that they were probably still operational.
He has since become a Christian, has confessed to his wife what is was he was involved in, and has
spent a considerable amount of time and effort since trying to get Congress to investigate the
·
death of Lt. Com. Pritchard; he feels that this is the key which will open up to public scrutiny the
entire Kennedy assassination and the coverup which followed.
It's in the light of this alarming history and this amazing series of events that the death of Ron
Brown is raising questions. Was he just one more potential embarrassment to Bill Clinton and his
elite establishment backers, intent as they were on winning the 1996 election, completing their
transformation of America and furthering their globalist agenda? Or have the same
globalist-minded elite decided, as some sources indicate, that an AI Gore-Jay Rockefeller
·combination will better serve their future purposes in the White House - until, that is, they
"unseat" President Gore to permit Vice President Jay Rockefeller to slide effortlessly and
unelected into the ultimate seat of power in the Oval Office?
If so, the death of Ron Brown may be a chilling and public warning from the elite to those on their
payroll who step out of line. And the ouster of President Clinton, if it comes to pass, may then ·
ironically - be a second one.
AS A POSTSCRIPT TO THIS STORY: we reproduce, without comment [other than for our
emphasis of certain passages], the following interesting insights volunteered concerning his own
personality by President Clinton. We leave the reader to assess their relevance:
DAILY TELEGRAPH,
Friday, 6 October, 1995
UNHAPPY CHILDHOOD SHAPED ME, SAYS CLINTON
By Stephen Robinson
PRESIDENT Clinton believes his unhappy childhood is to blame for his inability to convince
America's enemies that they should heed his warnings.
·
He says in a magazine interview that growing up in a home dominated by his alcoholic stepfather
made him into a man who always wanted to please people.
Having watched his mother's marriage, Mr Clinton said he once doubted that he could ever be
happy with his wife. "When I was 21, I put down the things I really wanted in my life, and having
a good family life and a child was one of them," he said.
But he feared he could not achieve it "because if your model of a marriage has been bad, it has a
subconscious drag on you".
During the interview, he indulges in introspection about how the loss of his mother affected him.
When she died last year, Mr Clinton had to go straight from her funeral in Arkansas to a summit
4 of5
07/18/97 18:50:36
�More on Ron Brown
http://www. wo lfl.com/clinton/brown.htm
meeting in Moscow. "Boris Yeltsin and I have a good relationship, and one of the reasons is that
we both loved our mothers. "He lost his mother after he became the President of Russia, so he
understood what I was going through. It was very touching." The story of how a teenage Bill
Clinton stood up to his drunken stepfather and warned him never to touch his mother again
became an essential part of his biography in the 1992 election.
He believes that his "dysfunctional home" affected him deeply and causes him, as an adult, to
send mixed signals to friends and enemies.
"In Haiti, *I pretty much had to invade the country because people didn't believe me*. When I
finally had planes in the air, *they [the junta leaders] believed me* and got out of there.
"That's happened all my life, from the time I was in school. People underestimate your resolve
because you go out of your way to accommodate them *before you drop the hammer*," Mr
Clinton told Good Housekeeping magazine.
*********************************************
Abstracted from an article in the May, 1996 issue of THE NEW WORLD ORDER
INTELLIGENCE UPDATE, an analytical monthly which provides up-to-date news, comment and
geopolitical forecasts on issues relating to liberty, world events and the New World Order.
Visit our Web site at http://www.inforamp.net/-jwhitley for subscription and review copy
information, and for a comprehensive listing of books and videos on the New World Order.
THIS ITEM MAY BE RE-POSTED IF THIS CREDIT IS INCLUDED
**********************************************
· Return to Klinton page
You can e-mail me for any questions or comments noyaz@wolfl.com
5 of5
07/18/97 18:50:37
�The Chicago Tribune : Ron Brown
http://www.chicago.tribune.com/news/brown/mourn.htm
PAGE ONE4NEWS1SPORTS+STOCKS4TECH+FUN+EXTRA
JOBS l
HOMES~
CARS,) WEATHER } 1V LISTINGS
BRIEF UPDATE
Washington Mourns Brown
Chronology
of Events
United States Secretary
of Commerce, Ronald H.
Brown, chats with
American soldiers during
breakfast, shortly after his
arrival at Tuzla air base
Wednesday. It was his
last known photo.
(AP PHOTONadim Ghirda)
By John Diamond
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Web-posted: Thursday, April 4, 1996
•
RealAudio Report
from Bosnia
Tribune
Correspondent Kit
Roane reports from
Dubrovnik.
384 Kb AIF
384 Kb WAY
WASHINGTON (AP) --A stunned capital was in mourning
today. Flags flew at half-staff and grief hung over the Commerce
Department on a sunny spring day that should have held the
promise of new life.
The bodies of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and his entire
entourage had been found, recovered from a plane crash in
Croatia on Wednesday.
A grieving President Clinton, whom Brown helped win the White
House in 1992, ordered flags flown at half-staff in the nation's
capital. On Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange was
observing a moment of silence.
ClintOiiCalle"'d-Brown'swidow-early-toda)_rto-notif,Xl1ef1liauheJ
rsecfetary's oo"'dy: fia(foeen ig_~l}fifieo-;)aid presidential spokesman
Mike McCurry.
The president joined other administration officials at a brief
memorial service at nearby St. John's Church. The service was
scheduled at the request of the White House, McCurry said, so
that Clinton and his aides could "reflect in a private way on the
loss of Secretary Brown."
Victims
1 of4
At the Pentagon, Air Force Lt. Gen. Howell Estes III said search
crews were trying to determine the number of people on the
plane. A passenger list for the flight showed 33 Americans and
07/18/97 18:51:22
�The Chicago Tribune : Ron Brown
http://www. chicago. tribune .com/news/brown/m ourn.htm
plane. A passenger list for the flight showed 33 Americans and
two Croatians but, as oftoday, only 33 bodies had been
recovered.
Wilmette
executive among
the dead
Complete
passenger list
Contrary to reports from Croatia, Estes said he did not believe the
Air Force passenger plane carried a voice or data recorder. He
also defended the relatively old technology used to guide the
plane toward the Dubrovnik airport prior to the crash.
"It is a kind of an approach that's been around for a while, there's
no question about that, but it's still a very valid approach," Estes
said. "Many aircraft have landed at the airport there at Dubrovnik
with no difficulty. If we thought it wasn't a safe approach we
wouldn't allow our aircraft to use it."
The Air Force and the National Transportation Safety Board
dispatched a team to Dubrovnik to investigate Wednesday's crash
near the Adriatic coast. And the Army field headquarters in
Tuzla, Bosnia, assembled an emergency team to help search for
bodies amid high winds and sheets of rain.
"We have found the last victim," Croatian Interior Minister Ivan
Jarnjak told the state HINA news agency today, confirming that
none of the 33 aboard survived the crash of the U.S. Air Force
plane.
The State Department was waiting to release the names of the
victims pending notification of their families.
Clinton, visiting the Commerce Department's Washington
headquarters on Wednesday to deliver the tragic news, praised
Brown.
"He was one of the best advisers and ablest people I ever knew.
And he was very, very good at everything he ever did," Clinton
told about 700 Commerce employees, several huddled together in
stunned sorrow.
With first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Vice President Al Gore
and mostofthe Cabinet on hand, Clinton led Brown's
subordinates, many of them weeping, in silent prayer.
Clinton and his wife joined a parade of friends and dignitaries
who trekked to Brown's home to comfort his wife, Alma.
Longtime political allies of the former Democratic Party chief-Sen. Edward Kennedy, former National Urban League chief
Jordan and others-- were among the visitors.
fl:ousing-Seeretary-Henry-eisnerosdescrio_e.a]lie_mood_in_tlie)
JfrOWifnousehold. }
~~p~andJhey-have-a-lot-of-reas_on,to=be,proud=o~=Ron~s?
(.a~~PlrL~~.nts.,__Tliey_
are
~trong_peopl€-and-they're-holdmg-up~"
celslfetos saia;)
According to Estes, the jetliner carried six crew members and 27
American passengers, including Brown, several aides and more
than a dozen senior executives on a mission to stimulate U.S.
2 of4
07118/97 18:51:35
�The Chicago Tribune : Ron Brown
http://www.chicago.tribune.com/news/brown/mourn.htm
corporate interest in rebuilding Bosnia. In addition, a Croatian
photographer and translator were on board. But government
officials were still trying to confirm the total number of
passengers.
Among them were Walter Murphy, a senior vice president for
AT&T Submarine Systems Inc. of Morristown, N.J.; Robert A.
Whittaker, chairman and chief executive officer of Foster
Wheeler Energy International, Clinton, N.J.; and John A.
Scoville, chairman ofHarza Engineering Co., Chicago.
In a statement announcing that one of its vice presidents was
aboard the plane, the Riggs National Bank of Washington said,
"We have been told that the crash left no survivors."
The T-43 aircraft that crashed 1.8 miles north of the runway at the
airport near Dubrovnik was the same plane used earlier this week
to shuttle Defense Secretary William Perry and, last week, Mrs.
Cl.inton through Bosnia.
Estes said the plane, an Air Force version of the Boeing 737, was
making an instrument landing when it apparently veered off
course and into the 2,300-foot hillside.
The Air Force said in a statement that the 23-year-old plane was
not equipped with a "black box" flight data recorder, unlike
commercial planes and most Air Force planes used to carry YIPs
and other passengers.
The devices record voice transmissions and information about the
plane's systems and are often used to help investigators determine
the cause of crashes.
Estes said the crew manning the Dubrovnik tower reported no
signs of emergency before the plane disappeared from their radar.
"There were no calls made indicating any kind of a problem
aboard the aircraft," Estes said. "They were in contact with the
tower, making their approach when contact was lost."
Brown was a former Senate aide to Kennedy and later worked in
Kennedy's 1980 primary challenge to President Carter. After
leaving his Senate job, he became one of Washington's top
lobbyists, and in 1988 he was Jesse Jackson's top aide at the
Democratic National Convention. Two years later he won the
Democratic National Committee chairmanship, becoming the first
black to lead either of the major parties.
As Clinton's Commerce secretary, Brown's frequent foreign trips
became a target for Republican criticisms. His personal financial
dealings also were criticized, and were the subject of an
investigation by an independent counsel.
3 of4
·07/18/97 18:51:36
�The Chicago Tribune : Ron Brown
http:/lwww .chicago. tribune. com/news/brown/mourn .htm
I return to top of page I
I help I index I feedback I
© 1996 Chicago Tribune
4 of4
07/18/97 18:51:37
�http://www. chicago. tribune. com/news/brown/time li ne.htm
The Chicago Tribune : Ron Brown
PAGE ONE+NEWS1SPORTS+STOCKS,)TE'CH-lFUH~EXTRA
JOSS+ HOMES+ CARS~ WEATHER ~ 1V liSTINGS
BRIEF UPDATE
Chronology
of Events
Brown's Legacy
Chronology of Events
Wednesday, Apri13, 1996
o Noon (5 a.m. CST) --Brown has breakfast with U.S. troops in
Tuzla, Bosnia.
Tribune
Correspondent Kit
Roane reports from
· Dubrovnik.
384 Kb AIF
384 Kb WAY
o 2 p.m. (7 a.m. CST) -- Brown's plane leaves Tuzla for 45-minute
flight to Dubrovnic, Croatia.
o 2:52p.m. (7:52a.m. CST)-- Plane disappears from radar
screens.
o 7 p.m. (noon CST)-- U.S. ambassador to Croatia informs White
House that plane is missing. (12:35 a.m. CST) White House
press briefing
o 7:22p.m. (12:22 p.m. CST)-- Nightfall in Croatia hampers
search efforts.
Thursday, April4, 1996
o Washington Mourns Brown
Victims
Saturday, April6, 1996
1 of2
07/18/97 18:52:34
�http://www .chicago.tribune.com/news/brown/timeline.htm ·
The Chicago Tribune: Ron Brown
Saturday, Apri16, 1996
o 35Hodies Evacuated From Site Where Brown's Place
Crashed
Wilmette executive
among the dead
Source: Knight-Ridder Tribune
Complete
passenger list
I return to top of page I
I help I index I feedback I
© 1996 Chicago Tribune
2 of2
07/18/97 18:52:51
�----------------------------------
http://www.chicago.tribune.com/news/brown/mccurry.htm
The Chicago Tribune : Ron Brown
PAGE ONEiNEWS+SPORTS~STOCKS.)TECH¥Ft.JN~EXTRA
JOBS~ HOMES~ CARS,. WEATHEJl41V
USTINCS
BRIEF UPDATE
White House Press Briefing
Chronology
of Events
White House spokesman
Mike McCurry~tl1f")
\press ARriD)aoout the crash
ofthe plane carrying u.s.
Commerce Secretary Ron
Brown.
(Reuters Photo/Gregg Newton)
MR. MCCURRY: Good morning, everyone. There is obviously
a great deal of concern here at the White House about the reports
that I'm sure you have all seen that Secretary Ron Brown's aircraft
is unaccounted for on a flight as part of his delegation that- he has
been leading in former Yugoslavia. TheSecretary, our
understanding is at this point, was flying from Tuzla to
Dubrovnik and is now roughly three hours overdue for his
scheduled landing there.
ReaiAudio
Report from
Bosnia
Tribune
Correspondent Kit
Roane reports
from Dubrovnik.
384 Kb AIF
384 Kb WAY
We were first notified about this by Ambassador Peter Galbraith,
our ambassador to Croatia, who phoned the State Department to
report that the Secretary's plane had not arrived on schedule. You
will see right now a lot of conflicting reports about -- from all
sorts of sources, about what they think has happened. The answer
is, at the moment we just don't know.
The President is verys_Qnc_erned,_obY.io.usly.:,_as_y:ou cart imagine.
fle::has.spoken-to-Mrs.-Brown-within-the-last-hal.f-ho~ He has
decided to remain here at the White House and not proceed with
his schedule so that he can get further reports from National
Security Advisor Tony Lake.
We have assembled a task force at the U.S. State Department,
which we do in circumstances like this to get information, to
work with other governments that might have information, and to
deal with any American citizens and their families who might
have been part of that flight. And the Pentagon, because of our
military presence in the theater, will be putting together further
information and be in a position to brief later on in the day.
Victims
1 of4
That's really all I have at this point.
07/18/97 18:53:27
�http://www.chicago.tribune.com/news/brown/mccurry.htm
The Chicago Tribune : Ron Brown
Q Do you have information on what kind of plane it was?
Q Private plane?
MR. MCCURRY: There are conflicting reports about the type of
plane, although it is apparently a U.S. Air Force plane.
Wilmette
executive among
the dead
Complete
passenger list
Q U.S. Air Force?
MR. MCCURRY: We can confirm all that? Okay. We know that
the plane was a U.S. Air Force T~43, which is their military
equivalent of a 737, and then we do have, because of our military
presence in the area we ate assisting search and rescue efforts that
are underway. I believe some other governments have indicated
that they're participating in the search and rescue. They've got
both helicopters and C-130s involved in that.
There is a report now that we can confirm that there is wreckage
in the water, but we cannot confirm at this point that wreckage is,
in fact, Secretary Brown's plane.
Q Is there any indication of foul play?
MR. MCCURRY: That's the only information we've got.
Q Any indication of foul play, Mike?
MR. MCCURRY: None that I have at this point.
Q Were there CEOs with him, Mike?
Q What about the manifest?
. MR. MCCURRY: We are working to verify the manifest at this
·
point.
Q Do you know how many people were on that plane, Mike?
MR. MCCURRY: We don't know. We have conflicting reports
about that, that indicate perhaps as many as a half a dozen
passengers, but again, we need to confirm that.
Q And the plane's destination?
MR. MCCURRY: Was Dubrovnik.
Q From?
MR. MCCURRY: Tuzla -- from Tuzla to Dubrovnik.
Q And what exactly was he doing there, Mike?
MR. MCCURRY: Well, Secretary Brown, as you know, was on
a very important mission to build support for both trade ties and
economic assistance to Former Yugoslavia as we implement the
civilian aspects of the peace accords that have brought some .
measure of peace to Bosnia and to Former Yugoslavia. He was
working to assist U.S. companies in the private sector in
2 of4
07/18/97 18:53:34
�http://www.chicago.tribune.com/news/brown/mccurry.htm
The Chicago Tribune: Ron Brown
developing closer trade ties and economic ties with those
countries as they emerge from the shadows of the Civil War.
Q Was his plane unescorted?
MR. MCCURRY: We don't know that.
Q (Inaudible.)
MR. MCCURRY: We have not verified the manifest.
Q -- part of the mission?
MR. MCCURRY: He had a large delegation of both private
sector leaders and other U.S. government employees who were
doing various aspects of the trip at various points, which is why
we want to make sure we know for certain the manifest before we .
say anything further about it.
Q --American, the team that was with him?
MR. MCCURRY: We need to verify that and we'll give you
updates later in the day.
Q When did he leave Lille, Mike? He had been, I gather, at a
ministerial meeting in Lille before this, or when did he enter the
theatre of-MR. MCCURRY: It was within the last several days, if my
recollection is correct. He was at the G-7 ministerial meeting in
Lille up until the weekend, right? Yes.
·
Q Roughly, where is the wreckage?
MR. MCCURRY: We'll get you more information about that as
it's available.
Q When you say the water, it's the Adriatic?
MR. MCCURRY: That is the Adriatic off the coast of
Dubrovnik, yes.
Q Does the sighting of the wreckage and the location of the
wreckage give you some sense that it was along the flight path?
MR. MCCURRY: We'll have to develop that information for
you. We are at the very early stages of reporting on this, and as
we get more reliable information, it will be coming to you, as I
said, from the Pentagon. We are going to not plan to do any
further briefing here at the White House because the best source
of information, we believe, will be the Pentagon. And I'll keep
you apprised here later in the day about the President's activity.
Q Mike, it's our understanding there was quite bad weather in that
MR. MCCURRY: We do have reports that the weather was very
bad, yes.
3 of4
07118/97 18:53:36
�The Chicago Tribune : Ron Brown
http://www.chicago.tribune.com/news/brown/mccurry.htm
Q Were there any prior reports of plane trouble?
MR. MCCURRY: Not that I'm aware of, but, again, let's develop .
more facts for you and then we'll report back.
Thank you.
Q Are you going to brief again?
MR.
MCCURRY~
Much later today.
END 11:35 A.M.EST
I return to top of page I
I help I index I feedback I
i
first chicago.online
© 1996 Chicago Tribune
4 of4
07118/9718:53:36
�The Nation Mourns Ron Brown
-
http://photo2.si.edu/rbrown/rbrown.html
·-
hmJ Ii•fjn I IJU ui•ljill •lJI!Iim r
at,1on
Bu~iness
ourns on rown,
Leaders, U.S. Offic1a s
mton, accompame y ts wt e an
tee rest ent
ore, conso e ..ea'c amt y t
private. Then, with his voice often near breaking, the president said, "Theirl loved one
were proud of what they were doing. They believed in their country and ~h~y believe
hey could make a difference.'
I
" I
ay1ng ast
espects
t
ommerce
~·--1 of2
07111/97 17:49:22
�---------------------------------
..
The Nation Mourns Ron Brown
http://photo2.si.edu/rbrown/rbrown.html
B;;.;:::m;"'!R!fii'"''"""!il1
Return To Smithsonian Photographic Services Home Page
2 of2
07111/97 17:49:33
�Ron Brown
http://www.boston.com/wgbh/pages/frontline/president/players/brown.html
Ron Brown is far from the first Commerce Secretary who has been accused of
using his job to pressure American businesses for political contributions or to
reward those who have written his party checks. President Bush's Commerce
Secretary and campaign finance chairman, Robert Mossbacher, faced similar
allegations when he was the nation's top business official.
Still, controversy has followed Brown, 54, through most of his career, both in
and out of government: The charge most frequently leveled against the
millionaire former Democratic National Committee Chairman is that he has
traded on his personal and political contacts for his own gain or to unfairly
help his political allies.
Brown, who was a civil rights activist before he became one of Washington's
best-paid and most well-known lawyer/lobbyists, once told an interviewer a
story about his boyhood in Harlem. Brown's father managed a hotel there that
attracted black celebrities, among them Louis Armstrong and heavyweight
boxing champion Joe Louis, the "Brown Bomber," who dubbed young Ron
"Little Brown." The boy made a brief career out of getting the autographs of
famous guests in his father's hotel and selling them to his friends. "Sugar Ray
Robinson and Joe Louis would go for $5 a pop," Brown once recalled. The
operation came to a halt when the boxers got wind of it.
As an adult, Brown has been no less well-connected. He worked as a young
lawyer for the Urban League and as chief counsel to the US Senate Judiciary
Committee. He was also involved in the 1980 Presidential bid of Senator
1 of3
07/14/97 16:07:25
�Ron Brown
http://www.boston.com/wgbh/pages/trontline/president/players/brown.html
Committee. He was also involved in the 1980 Presidential bid of Senator
Edward Kennedy.
In 1981, he joined the Washington law firm of Patton, Boggs & Blow as one of
its first black partners. The firm has long been a political powerhouse,
especially within the Democratic Party. Name partner Tommy Boggs, for
instance, is one of the capitol's premier lobbyists and is personally close to
President Clinton.
At Patton, Boggs & Blow, Brown got used to six-figure paychecks and became
known for his effectiveness as a lobbyist and his somewhat flamboyant style -he favors, for instance, custom-tailored suits and is rarely seen in public
without a monogrammed shirt and a collar pin. He also became acquainted
with controversy.
In 1982, Brown was named deputy chairman ofthe Democratic National
Committee. That same year, he began lobbying the U.S. government on behalf
of the brutal Duvalier regime which was then in power in Haiti. Over the next
four years, Brown earned $630,000 helping to persuade the Administration to
continue aid to the government of dictator Jean-Claude ("Baby Doc") Duvalier.
Brown refused to drop the Duvaliers despite being criticized for representing
such unsavory clients.
In 1989, Brown became chairman of the Democratic National Committee,
putting his formidable fund-raising and organizational skills to work on behalf
of a party that had not controlled the White House since 1981. After President
Clinton's election in 1992, Brown was named Secretary of Commerce, where
he made an irresistable target for the President's Republican opponents in
Congress. (Some of those critics were already interested in eliminating the
Commerce Department altogether.) Early in his tenure, he was accused of
accepting a bribe from a Vietnamese businessman in exchange for promoting
US trade with that country. The FBI investigated the allegations but no charges
we.re ever brought against Brown. He has always maintained he did nothing
wrong.
Brown's Commerce Department is staffed at its senior levels with former DNC
officials. Critics, chief among them Republican Congressman William Clinger,
have charged those people have used their government positions to solicit
campaign contributions to the Democratic Party and to reward the party's
business friends with special favors. While it is not unusual for incoming
agency heads to carry over their personal staff from their former jobs,
FRONTLINE has identified 15 DNC veterans who went with Brown to key
positions at Commerce, most of them from party fund-raising, finance, and
business outreach operations. Brown denies Clinger's charges and defended the
appointments to FRONTLINE, saying the ex-DNC staffers are "very
experienced in dealing with business people" and adding, "The fact is, you
bring in the people who you've worked with, who you have confidence in, who
you know can deliver."
An aspect of Brown's tenure at Commerce that has drawn the most fire is the
2 of3
07/14/97 16:07:32
�Ron Brown
,_
.' '
http://www.boston.com/wgbh/pages/trontline/president/players/brown.html
matter of which business executives are selected to accompany Brown on
international trade missions like the one he took to China and Hong Kong in
August and September 1994. Twenty five executives flew with Brown on a
modified 707 which once served as Air Force One. FRONTLINE has
determined that over 70 percent of the business delegates on the China trip
have been donors to Clinton and the Democrats, among them Ray Smith of
Bell Atlantic whose firm has given $236,625, and Robert Denham of Solomon·
Brothers, down for $109,722, not including a $50,000 gift to President
Clinton's inauguration.
While many of the participants on Brown's trade trips have also been big givers
to the GOP, the percentage of Democratic givers accompanying him on major
trade missions to the Middle East, Russia, India, South Africa and Latin
America has ranged between 56 and 67 percent.
Brown, however, rejects the suggestion that politics influences the selection of
trade delegations, telling FRONTLINE that "very detailed criteria" are used in
selecting executives for the trips and political contributions are not among
them.
Home I Money Charts I The Players I The Interviews I Feedback
Frontline I WGBH Educational Foundation I www. wgbh.org
3 of3
07/14/97 16:07:33
�PAGE
25
79TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
April 4, 1996, Thursday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section A; Page 1; Column 3; Foreign Desk
LENGTH: 1147 words
HEADLINE: CRASH IN THE BALKANS: IN WASHINGTON;
Jet Crash Casts a Sudden Shadow Over Official Washington
BYLINE:
By TODD S. PURDUM
DATELINE: WASHINGTON, April 3
BODY:
l.N;_l_Q_: 3-0-t[i~?_ morn1n-g;-Presi-dent Clinton's national security adviser,· Anthon~
f§_e_, walked_i;;to.::_the Oval Off"ice wHJ1 tne n~ws: Commerce Secretary Ronald_H.f
Brown+s-p:l-ane-wa_s_mn;sin~ in-EneBil'k:an'S.::.:.and wre-ckage haa b·e·en -spot ted-:-Tlie res
~a wen:er -of unconfi__J;'~-L~P2E.t~_:,r-
EJ
(~~-=mo~-a~ri:__li~nt__~!?-~~!!-_g__9~y turned to -ash_:~ Minutes later, the
deputy-Whrte-House pres·s secretarles, Glnny Terzano and Mary Ellen Glynn, crept
into the office of their boss, Michael D. McCurry, with news service bulletins
and spirited him off to the top-secret Situation Room in the basement of the
West Wing.
totell
tBy 11 A.M., Mr. Cl1nton was on the phone to Mr. Brown•sw:rfe;-A:Ima,
l[i~X afFlie Rn·ew-:-She
.-home sick with the flu, ~not listening to radig__ or
was
~r-evi-~ion.:.--=---frrends said, a.ncr-=tll'e-Presi"dent Is
-------------
call
came-~out-~Ttheblu~
"I want you to hear it from me first," aides said the President told her.
Minutes later the President was making the rounds of the West Wing, consoling
aides who were Mr. Brown's friends, and by midafternoon, he and his wife,
Hillary Rodham Clinton, had arrived grim-faced at Mrs. Brown's house in
Northwest Washington for a vigil.
From there, the Clintons went to the Commerce Department auditorium where the
President brought hundreds of workers to their feet by repeating what he said
Mrs. Brown had told him: that her husband had fought for the department and its
workers, and that she hoped the President would too. ~crinton brought ~
\_h~~the-crowded r_o_om b~ r_ecalling_Mr-.-Brown-'-s-faver--i-t-e-pa-ssag_e-f-:r:oml-~
,script~sa iah_r_s_words-abou t_how_the-f ai-th-f-u-l-"-sha-l-1-moun t-up-w i-th-w.ings_as=:J
~res:-•)
"Ron Brown walked and ran and flew through life," Mr. Clinton said. "And he
was a magnificent life force. And those of us who.loved him will always be
grateful for his friendship and his warmth."
So it went throughout the top echelons of the White House and Government,
where almost everyone knew the affable Mr. Brown, one of the principal
architects of the Democrats' 1992 victory.
�------------------------------------------------------
PAGE
26
The New York Times, April 4, 1996
Many had worked for him in his four-year tenure as chairman of the Democratic
National Committee. Mr. McCurry was his press secretary for a time; later, so
was Ms. Terzano.
The deputy White House chief of staff, Harold M. Ickes, worked with Mr. Brown
on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's presidential campaign in 1988, and on Mr. Clinton's
in 1992. Together with Paul Tully, the political director of the Democratic
National Committee who died of a heart attack at the height of the 1992.
campaign, Mr. Brown was the main institutional author of Mr. Clinton's victory0
z_anane rem a ~the- od.ds~~rr::::fa vor n·e t:O-=i.-e:3.ci--=th:~-=J?;;e stde~ t··-8 - ~~ ~ ei
~ ~n_) ---- ~
;e:{.
~fr-unt~-l~fi~r~~-a~~u~_:__~n-"_:_:;0ati<:)I?-t> __ in_t;o hj,_Li_:h_nan,::_es .: _)
The bad news arrived even as workers were dismantling the tent in the Rose
Garden where on Tuesday evening Mr. Clinton had presided over a glittering state
dinner for President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro of Italy. Mr. Lake was celebrating his
57th birthday, and both he and the President were aglow from five innings at
opening ~ay with the Baltimore Orioles that afternoon.
But by midmorning today, that mood had evaporated. Mr. Clinton canceled his
schedule for the rest of the day, including a planned speech at the Justice
Department where he was to have announced a crackdown on gang violence.
Mrs. Clinton canceled a planned appearance tonight on "Larry King Live."
As the day progressed, the West Wing was transformed by the taut, herky-jerky
atmosphere of crisis, conflicting information, closed doors and tears. At the
Justice Department Attorney General Janet Reno told the crowd of prosecutors
gathered in the Great Hall that the President would not be coming.
"I think we should all pray at this point," Ms. Reno said, her voice
trembling.
All afternoon, visitors streamed in and out of the Browns' townhouse in the
Barnaby Woods neighborhood, where Mrs. Brown received them in a small room off
the living room. The mourners were a cross-section of Washington's politicians
and power-brokers from Senator Edward M. Kennedy to Vernon E. Jordan, the
lawyer, to Mayor Marion Barry and the United States trade representative, Mickey
Kantor.
"Everyone was shocked," said Laura Murphy, a neighbor, longtime friend and
director of the Washington office of the American Civil Liberties Union, who
shuttled to the Brown house three doors away, ferrying faxed updates from the
military because Mrs. Brown did not have a fax machine.
At the Commerce Department, which has been under siege from Republican
budget-cutters who want to eliminate it altogether, the scene was grim, with
senior staff members trying to cope with developments that unfolded slowly on
the televisions they clustered around. tBecaifsefne-dep·a:rfiTlelltcfrd.1:1ot release Ell,
~-its gelegatipn, most--errfpToye-e"Sllad no idea of who ha-d oeen on -the plane,~
~-i-d__e:_~r/_Br.own)
Mary Lowe Good, Undersecretary for Technology Administration, served as
acting secretary, spending the day holed up in Mr. Brown's executive suite,
managing the crisis. Ms. Good is the department's No. 3 official -- the post of
deputy secretary is vacant -- and it was she, clearly shaken, who introduced
�..
PAGE
27
The New York Times, April '4, 1996
Mr. Clinton this afternoon.
For more than an hour
confused and conflicting
plane. The United States
Peter Tarnoff, the Under
Dubrovnik a bit before 9
was overdue.
this morning, top Administration officials were torn by
reports from the scene about the status of Mr. Brown's
Ambassador to Croatia, Peter W. Galbraith, telephoned
Secretary of State for Political Affairs, from
A.M. Washington time to report that Mr. Brown's plane
Mr. Tarnoff in turn called Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who was in
California, and also called Mr. Lake.
For the next hour, there was a frantic search by intelligence agencies of all
possible electronic and photographic data. At one point, there was a report of a
plane landing in Zagreb that might not have been a scheduled flight. Hopes rose,
but they were quickly dashed.
"The plane was up,
said.
it was down-- it was awful," one White House official
---
---------------
j,Finally, at 10: 3_0_,_there_was_enough_solid-evidence_for_Mr.. _Lake_to see the
)
~ident5
This afternoon, with the touch that he invariably brings to such occasions,
Mr-:-·-cn~called Mr. Brown in a way fnatreflectea-·tJ:le----wayan-o:rciTnaryweeR
~n_di-sse~lve~frit:O=t~rc::g~dy-.-~-------._______,
\-..---~--~-
"When we met earlier this week, right before he left for the Balkans, he was
so excited," Mr. Clinton told the Commerce employees. "Because he thought that,
along with these business leaders and the other very able people from the
Commerce Department on this mission, that they would be able to use the power of
the American economy to help the peace take hold in the Balkans, to help people
in that troubled place have the kind of decent, honorable and wonderfully
ordinary lives that we Americans too often take for granted."
GRAPHIC: Photo: Leslie Doggett, Deputy Undersecretary for Travel and Tourism,
grasped the hand of ~ Commerce Department colleague, Mike Frazier, as they
listened to President Clinton speak to the employees of the Commerce Secretary,
Ronald H. Brown, in the department auditorium yesterday afternoon. (David
Scull/The New York Times); At right, the President and Hillary Rodham Clinton
left the Brown home in Washington after having visited with the family. (Stephen
Crowley/The New York Times) (pg. A9)
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 4, 1996
�~-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAGE
28
BOTH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
April 4, 1996, Thursday, Late Edition - Final
Correction Appended
NAME: Ronald H. Brown
SECTION: Section A; Page 10; Column 1; National Desk
LENGTH: 1627 words
HEADLINE: CRASH IN THE BALKANS: The Lives Broken Off;
Ronald H. Brown, 54, Clinton's Commerce Secretary
BYLINE:
By DAVID E. SANGER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON, April 3
BODY:
Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown, who was reported missing today in the
crash of an Air Force plane near Dubrovnik, Croatia, is one of Washington's most
skilled political insiders, a consummate deal maker who helped unify the
Democratic Party behind Bill Clinton and then put the creation of American jobs
at the center of the nation's foreign policy.
•Reare""d-il}_the_~c.e_Ie!?JJ::!:~-::_fTl::_:J:_~-~ C§l~opliony or-t:ne-Hotel. fhere§_~.::::i,n_ Ha:J;:~
~he-:r:e-hi s-:Gat=he·r-workecra·s_:::_manager I ~-:. --~row!?: _9u-~ ckly re~aYned··the··art-of-making)
foiliieCt·J.:"c:sr1s-arid-cTosi~_;r ~~-~d_<:.~l-- -=-n::-st--for tfie-autographs of Joe Louis and ("~
Jackie Robinson, and eventually-for the chief executives that he led to China!
'---- --- - - - - - - - - - - ---·-·
·------------ -- ----~o':.t:~eas_!-_3~!a.. ~~~~· ~n-~~::e_nt: -~_onth~, many of the worrd· s t:_o~~Ee_~~?ts)
As smooth as his perfectly pressed suits, he exudes confidence, making sure
that those he meets know that he considers himself a black leader, one who rose
to prominence not only because of his connections to the civil rights movement
but also because he wis "good and confident and smart" at operating in the halls
of corporate America and Capitol Hill.
B~t it is this same reputation for tracking the scent of profit and
straddling the line between public and private that has often landed him in
trouble, and he has spent much of his three years as Commerce Secretary fending
off investigations into his private dealings. One set of allegations was
dismissed as groundless and nothing has ever been proven in other cases, but the
charges alone are widely acknowledged in the White House to preclude Mr. Brown's
public move to a central role in the President's re-election campaign.
Nonetheless, he played an active behind-the-scenes role until he left for
Europe last weekend.
~B:r:ewn-learnS!~ political ways from liberal stalwarcs-rike-senat:or )
(Eaward M.--· Kennedy: and the Rev. Jesse- Jac:Kscin. In 1·9 8·9,--=-he-too:k=on=-::tne-..:-une-nvi'able
,j~b~~-=-~~~d__g_f the__ D_emocratic_National-Com!!!_:i,l,_t._e_e_,___ and_in--=~c;Jur years turned--it- /
\[nfO-t:lie centrisf-fnstitllt:lop. _thaTMr~ciinton--1.lsed in his succe_~:>s.f:uLbid_f_o~
@e~Rre s i dency.. )
�PAGE
29
The New York Times, April 4, 1996
As Commerce Secretary, Mr. Brown has used his office to both break open
markets and to announce that the power of private enterprise was the new
incarnation of American foreign aid. He often talks as if he were America's
chairman of the board, and to many business executives -- including Republicans
who could hardly believe they were flying the world with the man who in 1988
managed Mr. Jackson's Presidential campaign -- he is.
"There is no question," Mr. Brown said a few months ago, "that when that
plane lands on runways around the world bearing the letters 'The United States
of America,' and I come down the steps with a string of C.E.O. 's behind me, it
conveys the power of this nation to turn commerce into the infrastructure of
democracy. "
Mr. Brown was the first black to pledge a fraternity at Middlebury College in
Vermont, which was overwhelmingly white at the time. He was the first black to
run a major political party, and the first to become a partner in his Washington
law firm, Patton, Boggs & Blow, known as one of the most skilled lobbying firms
in the capital.
Yet~is_pey:er_far_.from_his--mind.J Over lunch in his office one day last
fall, Mr. Brown reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a photograph from a
Midwestern newspaper stapled to a note card bearing the stars of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. The picture was of Mr. Brown; the caption identified him as
Gen. Colin L. Powell.
·~hey__ still_can'__t_tell_us_apar_t_," General Powerr1
s
note readJ
· In person, Mr. Brown is a commanding presence, with a booming voice and quick
sense of humor. Though his charm can be disarming, few who have dealt with him
doubt that behind the suave veneer is one of the capital's most practiced hands
at pulling the levers of power.
He surprised Democrats in 1988 by acting as peacemaker between Mr. Jackson's
camp and that of the party's nominee, Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts,
and then used that achievement to persuade many skeptics that he was neither too
liberal nor too tied to Mr. Jackson to succeed at the top post at the Democratic
National Committee.
"I promise you, the story of my chairmanship will not 'be about race,
be about the races we win," he said.
it will
Like Mr. Clinton, however, Mr. Brown has often been accused of trying to be
too many things to too many constituencies. Some have questioned whether he is a
true liberal, asserting that he is politically and racially nonideological.
Ronald Harmon Brown was born on Aug. 1, 1941 in Washington, D.C., to two
graduates of Howard University, William Brown and Gloria Carter Brown. But his
home was Harlem, and more specifically the Hotel Theresa on 125th Street. The
hotel was across from the Apollo Theater, a mecca for black entertainers,
politicians and sports stars .fHe traded in their autographs, ari-d-even-had-a
~_:_himself.,_at_age_10_~_posing with Richara M. N.ixon ..
(He-was-sco:hoo:l:ed-at-excl-usiv:e=pr.ep-schoo:J:s-and when he attended public high
school it was in White Plains, a racially mixed Westchester suburb. In 1958 he
went to Middlebury, and when he was accepted by his fraternity, its charter
�PAGE
30
The New York Times, April 4, 1996
was revoked. While the civil rights movement got its start, he was in the
Reserve Officers Training Corps, then the Army.
After his discharge, he studied law at St. John's University in Queens,
getting h~~- degr_:e _ i~ 1970. \WhY~tudent-,-he-w_~-r~ed-as-a-wel-fare--casewo:r:ker~
~r:~.!T_J::,eague-·on-the--Lower-East-ST~e__::_::>
.
~
"This was typical Ron Brown energy," said Mickey Kantor, the United States
Trade Representative. "He had this sense that he had to get ahead and give
something back at the same time."
Mr. Brown later moved to Washington, where he n~e·ga-n-toourrd-what-was-eas·i-1-y)
one~~P.Ytc;l).~ s fnicK:escRolOd.exe_§:l and moved~quickly to what he ·considered
a~far less confining field: deputy head of Senator Kennedy's 1980 Presidential
bid.
That campaign collapsed, but Mr. Brown was just getting started. He worked at
the Democratic National Committee, but by the mid-1980's he had already turned
to another task, making money, and soon became one of the city's most
recognizable lawyer-lobbyists. It was the period of his life that came to haunt
him.
In 1993, the F.B.I. looked into allegations that Mr. Brown had solicited a
bribe from businessmen promoting trade with Vietnam. The inquiry was later
dropped.
In the past year, an independent counsel has examined Mr. Brown's ties to a
broadcasting executive.
Mr. Brown has always maintained that he had done nothing wrong and that his
business deals had "been made to sound sinister" even though."there's nothing
sinister about it."
~
\He weatheredail-fhe allegations in
par~_~e_gause
of hi·s roguisncharm,
hi~
\~~~~~¥:~:~r~~~ie!~~{="I,~:~Titdf~h~~=~~,;;~~;;~tt:~;;;o~:~~:::n2~tical science
That skill served him well at the 1992 Democratic Convention where he helped
unify a divided party behind Mr. Clinton. And it made him a natural for a
Commerce Department that was about to be turned into a major instrument of the
Administration'.s economic plan -- refocusing American business on "emerging
markets" and using the power of the Government to make sure trading partners
bought American.
He has spent a good deal of time in the department's "war room," monitoring
major contracts that Governments around the world we~e scheduled to award. The
delicate part came when he tried to push American goods while delivering
messages that his customers did not want to hear -- including protests over
China's human rights record.
Mr. Brown has been pressing China to complete a huge order for McDonnell
Douglas jets and has his usual phalanx of chief executives in tow. But he is
also being accused by human rights groups of undercutting pressure on the
Chinese leaders by seeking to win billions in orders.
�PAGE
31
The New York Times, April 4, 1996
"This was the biggest test," said Jeffrey Garten, the under secretary of
commerce for international affairs until a few months ago who described Mr.
Brown's meeting with Jiang Zemin, China's president ..
"Before we went in to see Jiang Zemin, other Chinese told us that if we bring
up the human rights issue, the meeting will be a disaster," Mr. Garten said. So
Mr. Brown started by talking business. "Then there was a long pause," recalled
Mr. Garten, "and Ron started by saying that human rights has a special meaning
to anyone who worked in the civil rights movement and that America has a long,
long way to go as well. But he made it clear that China could never achieve its
major goal in the world, to become a major player on the world stage, if it was
constantly being criticized around the world."
Mr. Jiang, he recalled, said,
talk about."
"If you put it that way, we have something to
It is too early to tell whether Mr. Brown's efforts ~- what he called
"commercial diplomacy" --will generatemuch more.than commerce. His entreaties
to China resulted in airplane orders, but imprisonment of dissidents has
continued. He bristles when challenged at length over the success of the
strategy. Critics point out that many of the deals he has initialed on such
trips have never came to fruition.
But in the past year, he has also turned his trips to a new purpose -- one
not designed to profit American companies as much as to put a new face to
American aid, fueled by corporate investment that focuses on infrastructure and
new businesses. He traveled to Northern Ireland, to Africa, and, this week, to
Croatia, where a mission that merged commerce and reconstruction ended in
disaster.
Mr. Brown and his wife, Alma, have two children: Tracey, a deputy district
attorney in Los Angeles, and Michael, a lawyer in Washington.
CORRECTION-DATE: April 17, 1996, Wednesday
CORRECTION:
Articles on April 4 and 5 about the late Commerce Secretary, Ronald H. Brown,
referred incorrectly to his membership in a fraternity at Middlebury College.
Though he was the first black to be admitted to Sigma Epsilon at Middlebury, he
was not the first black to be admitted to any fraternity at the Vermont school;
that milestone was passed in 1948, a decade before Mr. Brown attended.
GRAPHIC: Photo: Ronald H. Brown and Bill Clinton, then the President-elect,
acknowldged cheers on Jan. 18, 1993, at.an inauguration dinner in Washington.
(Agence France-Presse)
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 4, 1996
�PAGE
23
78TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
April 4, 1996, Thursday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section A; Page 24; Column 1; Editorial Desk
LENGTH: 473 words
HEADLINE: Mr. Brown's Mission
BODY:
The plane crash ~hat is feared to have claimed the lives of Commerce
Secretary Ron Brown and his traveling companions occurred as Mr. Brown led a
mission of faith and hope. This journey into dangerous and disputed territory
reflected the highest tradition of American public service. ~wa-s)
~ar~~~i.ta~ ~~2-BE~g.E! _that th~ U:n~ted States wo_ul.ci_ Qpt ~ck~tP-~- <::h~Uepg~
\?f pr~g stab_~l~ty_and_pr_o_~J?.er~ty ~n a place racked by four years of wa~)
The fighting in the former Yugoslavia has brought pain and destruction to
hundreds of thousands of families. Well before yesterday's accident the United
States had suffered losses in the Balkans, including the death of three
Americans last year on a diplomatic mission to bring the warring parties
together for a negotiated settlement. As President Clinton remarked in eloquent
tribute to Mr. Browns:n~p~l5e~n_::me 9_f ___the __ Adminis_tr.Ati..9_I1_'~~o_st_ ~p.ergetic
@vacates of exJ?.ancfing rnarkets_o_v:_erseas_f_or American -~)(_pc::_:r-ts~
The search of the crash site continued overnight in bad weather, and there
remained a slim hope of finding survivors. That would be a welcome miracle, but
if our worst fears are realized, the Government and the private sector have
suffered a rending loss.
Over the last four years The New York Times has sent dozens of reporters to
cover the Balkan war, and now, at a time of fragile peace, one of our own is
among the missing. :Nafl1anTeitJa8fi,, The Times's Frankfurt bureau chief, has been
a passionate and committed correspondent who served the newspaper at home and
abroad for 23 of his 44 years. His analytical approach and zest for adventure
have brightened dispatches from South America and Europe. His work, like his
life, has been marked by decency, courage and high ethical standards.
The career of Ron Brown was an inspiration to his many supporters and
friends. He brought a zeal for combat in his political fights as a leader of the
Urban League and as a supporter of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Rev. Jesse
Jackson and Mr. Clinton in their campaigns for the Democratic Presidential
nomination.
As President Clinton pointed out yesterday, Mr. Brown also fought hard for
the Commerce Department and championed American export industries ag~a~~~·n~s~t~----~
Congressional attack. >;!hi·s-page-ha·s-----cr:ltl.ci"zed-Mr. Bro_wn for financial-dealings
~r.e_now_being~gated by an inae2endent c9_unsel. But w_e resp_s:ct nTS"]
<:@_1-f_o_r_campaign_stra.tegy_and_p_o_li_tical_conc_iliatiOi:'i:
The prospect of having lost so many talented men and women makes this a time
of reflection about the fragility of life and the importance of the work that
took each passenger on Mr. Brown's plane into a troubled region. In this case,
�PAGE
24
The New York Times, April 4, 1996
worry about the final outcome and grief for those already known to be lost are
tempered by an awareness of their honorable efforts for peace.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 4, 1996
�PAGE
13
56TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
April 07, 1996, Sunday, Final Edition
SECTION: OP-ED; Pg. C07
LENGTH: 778 words
HEADLINE: Ron Brown: Honor His Memory
BYLINE: DavidS. Broder
BODY:
The chilling news of the airplane crash that took the live? of Commerce
Secretary Ron Brown and a group of his government and business companions while
they were on a mission to help rebuild the war-ravaged economy of the former
Yugoslavia, struck this capital a heavy blow. (Brown was one of-fnebest-likedl
(p"eopl"ewho-has-worked-here-in-th·e-past:t--wo-decaaes ana his death, in the middl_e
:of Holy Week, made what is normaiTy a season of celebration a time of ser:l.-ous:J
freflecti?ID
1
It is a reminder that no one in public life ever knows how much time he or·
she may have. The obvious lesson is that the time must be used as constructively
as possible.
That is what Brown was doing, when he led the group of corporate executives
and government administrators in an effort to help build a functioning economy
in a land devastated by years of ethnic conflict.
It was far from the first time that he had gone on such a journey. His
travels had taken him to South Africa, to Gaza and the West Bank and to Northern
Ireland, among other trouble spots. His itineraries were a rebuke to the cheap
journalism and late-night comic routines about government "junkets."
. ,T:ne-be s t . way tha:t-the-po~-:i:t rc ra:rs-wh·o-adini~d~~-enj·o~e·d-Ron-B ro-:n-c an-hene~
memory lS to behave as lf they understooa tne lmperatlve for actlon on the)
rAmerican e_c_ollQ!IIY, which: was of course his ma_in_c_Qn<:;ern~ Compared with the
countries he had visited, the United States is a marvel of prosperity and, for
many, affluence. But there are steps that need to be taken now -- steps that can
be taken -- to deal with its problems, if only the politicians would lift their
sights beyond the tactics of the approaching election campaign.
~s
There is remarkably little disagreement on what those fundamental steps are.
The first is the budget. The country has made significant progress in paying its
bills. In both absolute and relative terms, the deficits have declined every
year since 1992. Leaders of both parties now agree that it is possible to plan
further cuts or savings that would eliminate red-ink spending by the first years
of the next century.
Doing that would make it more likely that interest rates would decline and
economic growth would accelerate. But budget-balancing depends on slowing the
growth of the two big government health programs, Medicare and Medicaid. The
Republicans have tried to do that, but President Clinton and most Democrats have
greeted each proposal as if it were a dire threat t6 seniors and the needy.
�PAGE
14
The Washington Post, April 07, 1996
If the Democrats would give up their demagoguery, the Republicans should
postpone their effort to redesign the health care system with controversial and
largely untested schemes such as block grants and medical savings accounts that
needlessly arouse people's fears.
As an interim step, the Kennedy-Kassebaum health insurance bill -- without
the partisan adornments the House added last month -- would help people get and
keep coverage. The Senate debates it later this month. Along with gradual
reductions in projected Medicare and Medicaid growth, a start can be made in
dealing with this problem now.
The second area that needs to be addressed is the growing squeeze on working
families with children and the growing gap in incomes between those with the
skills the modern economy requires and those without. As a temporary measure,
the tax credit for children that both Sen. Dole and President Clinton have
endorsed has much to recommend it.
That could be passed now, and the larger changes in the overall tax system
could wait until the election gives a clearer sense of what the public wants.
There is a strong case to be made for reducing both payroll taxes and taxes on
invested income, but the partisan disagreements on those subjects should_not
stand as a barrier to short-term tax relief for working families with children.
The "skills gap" question is more difficult, but again, there is broad
bipartisan agreement on an interim step. The Senate and House have passed bills
that would bring some order to the cha'os of government-funded job-training
programs. These bills pas·sed by overwhelming majorities. But a conference of
senators and representatives to resolve the differences in the measures has been
delayed by picayune objections from extreme groups on the political right. Here
is an area where Dole needs to say to his party, "This is too urgent for
political gamesmanship. Let's get on with it."
These words will sound naive to many who have concluded that partisan
politics rule all in Washington. ~~~rnaps-~ast-weeK'S:trageay can snaRe--some~
common sense infc).fhis_capi.tal_and_shame __the. cynics. who ordinarily .pre:v:ai1.
·
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 08, 1996April 07, 1996
�-----------
PAGE
18
62ND STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
April 06, 1996, Saturday, Final Edition
SECTION: METRO; Pg. B01; DOROTHY GILLIAM
LENGTH: 632 words
.HEADLINE: The Legacy Ron Brown Leaves
BYLINE: Dorothy Gilliam
BODY:
~Wa-sh:i:ngton-:r-s-gr~fng~~~- _Ron _§~in ~ays ~ 've never-s:·:n-it-g-r--ieveJ
b~e_._He
was a frlend of mlne, and I '11 mlss hlm.
- ---------~
As I, along with so many others, struggle with the tragedy of Ron's death, we
might want to ask ourselves, what was the secret of his success and greatness?
He probably would want us to do that so we can pass his legacy on to future
generations of African Americans and, indeed, to all Americans.
_ -·- M~c-~ h~s bee==._ma~e already about his rabil~ty to. bring toge~her _p~o~~e~ofj
ra·ce·s, cultures and backgrounds. Hls remarK:a:Ole serles of flrses--r
Ct:_ne "first:-KfrYc·anc AffierTcan-t:o serve as secretary 6-f c·omme·rce, Eo :Oe ·ere~
(Chairman of the Democratic Party, to_j_qin_a_fraternity_at his college
(clemor)strCJ,_t_es_that_lifelong-skill.)
~lfferent
::=--:J
But I think there might be something even more remarkable about my friend
Ron. He was a keen student of history and knew how to make social theories and
ideas come to life. ~believed that politics was def1ned.I10t-nya:OSn·a·ct)
\~~esbut ~y handshakes and a fe_w__words .. of-understand-i-ng.
He had the common touch -- the same touch possessed by great black leaders
such as Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois. In his 1903 classic, "The Souls
of Black Folk," DuBois articulated the tension of twoness, the dual cultural
heritages -- one African, the other American -- that Brown bridged. "One ever
feels his twoness -- an American, a Negro, two souls, two thoughts, two
unreconciled strivings," DuBois wrote.
Ron never let that twoness get in his way or stop him from attaining his
goals. Ron resolved the tensions inherent in that double consciousness.
Just as Douglass advised President Lincoln, Ron advised President Clinton. As
Democratic National Committee chairman, Ron was instrumental in getting Clinton
elected.
Just as neither Du Bois nor Douglass would compromise principles for
expediency, _neither would Brown, as DuBois biographer David Levering Lewis put
it, "allow the ends to get lost in the seamy business of the means."
One of the problems of history is that we seldom recognize it when it's being
made. Consequently, we often don't realize that some of the people we talk with
every day have made and are making history. I'm sure some people who knew Du
Bois did not sense his greatness, and I'm also sure people who knew and lived
�PAGE
19
The Washington Post, April 06, 1996
in the time of Douglass never recognized his. Like those other great
men,~
t:na·de=ni~n<-w_ays that we proDa:Ery--wrrrrl.ot~a-lize-·for""yearsTc)come-=:7
Ron's own history began in Harlem, a community that has always nourished
resourcefulness and individualism. \H~rl.em in the 1940sarld-r9SOs was an open_
9_g_mmunity-wherce-blacks-and"_whites __ so.c_i.E,lized freely. As the sQD_of_the_managerl
g__the-HoterT:J:lefeSa-,-Ron-saw-many-of-the-pri-nces-of-that-t·ime-when··tneycame t<Sl
~Y tliere
all of flie greaCbla<::k ente_:r:tE_ipe:r:s,_ ~~s and _lead~~ ev~
~pJ:LEllis.Q_Jl, Roy Wi],j(:i,._ns_and __ F:ide_l Castr~)
That is the buoyant legacy he inherited. It nourished his unyielding,
resilient spirit.
Ron Brown's legacy, an extension of the legacy of Douglass and DuBois, is to
show future generations that a black man can strive for and achieve positive
goals, not only within America's black community but also in the white community
and the entire world community.
He taught us we can and must learn from each other -- that as Americans, we
cannot live exclusive of one another. The issue is never black or white; it is
black and white and all the colors represented within our country's one people.
The truth is, ;l~i_!flp_o.ssible_to_SUITLl:!P Ron+s-:tegacy-s6so6n. Hundreds of
books and articles are yet to be written. In the meantime, all we can do is live
and tell our children what Ron achieved, so they and their children can use him
as a c~pringoo.ar_a=to __flie-fufure:o
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 06, 1996April 06, 1996
�PAGE
20
66TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 .The New York Times Company
The New York Times
April 5, 1996, Friday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section A; Page 13; Col1,1mn 1; Foreign Desk
LENGTH:
956 words
HEADLINE: CRASH IN THE BALKANS: THE NEIGHBORHOOD;
Harlem Remembers the Heart That Never Left
BYLINE:
By RACHEL L. SWARNS
BODY:
In Washington, Ron Brown will be mourned as the master politician who helped
propel Bill Clinton to the Presidency, as the savvy salesman who hawked American
goods abroad,and as the barrier leaper who soared to national prominence as the
first black chairman of the Democratic National Committee and as the first black
Secretary of Commerce.
IBu~rn-Harlem~he\;{11 be remembered as the skinny little boy-w~gre~up i2D
~n _a_pa:rtm-ent at:~~~ the-'1iotel Ther~_sa, New York's pr_emie_:=-~:...lac~_})_otel ~n the
cl9SQ-•-s-,-and beggea autographs from New York's black glltteratl~He Wlll be
\
----___J
rememberea-as tile--young lawyer who ran an Urban League youth program in the
1970's, counseling poor children in classrooms and on the basketball court. And
he will be remembered as the Washington bigwig who schmoozed with foreign
ministers and chief executives but still managed to slip home for salmon cakes
and fried chicken at Sylvia's restaurant.
"We have a saying in the black community: 'Don't ever get so big that you
forget where home is,' " said Percy Sutton, a former Manhattan borough president
and chairman of the Queens Cable Television System who has known Mr. Brown since
he was a boy.
Mr. Brown was killed along with at least 32 others when the military plane
carrying them to a business conference in Croatia crashed into a mountain during
a storm on Wednesday.
While acknowledging the ethical questions that periodically dogged Mr.
Brown's efforts to straddle the line between public service and private
enterprise, those who knew him from his early days had nothing but praise for
him yes te rda y, \ eu-l~g i-z-ing-him-- a-s-a-man-who-soared------to-great-he ±gh ts-w ithou t-eve r-=:::>
\l_osing ECiUCnw:tth-hi-s roots=J
Mr. Brown was born in Washington, D.C., but he grew up in Harlem, where his
\fat:J:1e r_was_the_manag_e r_o_f_the_Hot_e 1-Tneres----a~a-c ro·s s-the-s t·re·et-f rom-the~p-oi_-:to
rfhea_ter-on-1-2-5-1=-h-St--:rcee.t. It-was-:tnNew-Yo:f:K that he learn_e_Ci_ to straddle two)
~ I_WOrlqs::::)
_
\1
At home, he lived in the heart of black New York. The singer Dinah Washington
lived in the apartment across the hall and a dizzying array of stars stayed in
�------------------------
PAGE
21
The New York Times, April 5, 1996
the hotel rooms below, bringing with them their furs, their fame and their
luxury cars.
At school, he studied in overwhelmingly white classrooms, in a series of
exclusive academies including Hunter College Elementary School and the Rhodes
and Walden prep schools. At Middlebury College in Vermont, he became the first
black to join a white fraternity.
But after earning his law degree at St. John's University in Queens in 1970,
Mr. Brown returned to Harlem, where he ran an Urban League program for
underprivileged youths.
"He could communicate with those kids," said Andrew Adair, an attorney who
worked with Mr. Brown at the Urban League in the 1970's. "He was one of the
guys. He wore the afro. He-hao:-apiCk in his pocket, but he kn~-w the_dictionary"J
@. He_t_o_rd-"th_e_m-.:~-=-7"'·y:-:_,-o_u__-~an_g_et=o_U:t_of_this on'les;: Y•m going to help_:_you. ,--;
By the 1990's, after he had moved to Washington and established himself
there, working for a time as the head of the local Urban League, as an aide to
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, as a political strategist for the Jesse Jackson
campaign and the first black partner at the elite Washington law firm of Patton,
Boggs & Blow, Mr. Brown's list of friends and colleagues read like a Who's Who
of prominent Americans, both black and white.
Among the New Yorkers was Hal Jackson, the Harlem disc jockey who gave Mr.
Brown his first job carrying records and reading public service announcements at
the radio station WLIB-AM. "This little devil was so neat," Mr. Jackson
recalled. "Even as young as he was then, he would always wear his little shirt
and tie and jacket in the studio."
The list also included Mario M. Cuomo, the former governor of New York who
was also one of Mr. Brown's law professors at St. John's, who said, "I rememb~~
telling him, '(Y~naveflie capacity to per~uade peo2le you're right_,_e:v:en_when)
(YOU"'-re-·wron·g' wnicli means you I lU,e a terrific lawye~
And it also included David N. Dinkins, the long-time friend Mr. Brown
supported during Mr. Dinkins's successful attempt to become the first black
mayor of New York City.
~..!1..-ths:r_e~ ever a guy-wh-onaa-t:ne capa:OTlity to·;;lk_=-withhngp_and_queeilSJ
carld-riot-:ro·se-tlie
COiliinon- eouch-=;=Ron=was
the guy'
II
Mr:"I'finK:lnss·a·i-d-:''--"'.
When Mr. Brown became chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he
persuaded the then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton to go to Harlem to meet
with the editorial board of the Amsterdam News. And he convinced Hillary Rodham
Clinton to appear on WLIB.
"He was instrumental in getting them to go where most white politicians would
not go," said Wilbert Tatum, publisher of the Amsterdam News.
Last year, Mr. Brown came back to New York to help Hunter College Elementary
raise more than $50,000 for a new playground. At the benefit dinner, he told the
audience not to forget those who did not have the luxury of att_end:Ln,g such_a::on=----,
exc l us i ve school, saying, 'Ghe_American-d-r:eam-right·f-u-l-1-y-be-longs-to-eve·Fy-eh-i-ld-:::J
~~
�PAGE
22
The New York Times, April 5, 1996
While Mr. Brown will be remembered by some as a power broker and globe
trotter, ~_._Q_:i,pkins sai~c:r=-he 1?-:-~_rfeves-_fus_friend_would~like-most-to _:b~
ere c ogni-2 e ?- :-tor'hlscommTt--mentt:Oni s c ommun{t~.:J
~_gue§1:J_, knowing -Ron, -rs-cnacfie woul.d l.i~~ t_o_b.e_r_ememb_e_r_ed as a k{cr froffi1
\_Ha-r-lem-who-went-on-to-exce-l-1--a_nd-an?· never forgot-wh-e:te-necarne~from,_wh~=didni:U
Cfm::ge_t_h_i_s_J;:..o.o.ts_,_''_Mr-.-Dinkins~d}
"My guess, knowing Ron, is that he would like to be remembered as a kid from
Harlem who went on to excell and and never forgot where he came from, who didn't
'forget his roots," Mr. Dinkins said.
GRAPHIC: Photos: Memories of Ronald H. Brown remain strong in Manhattan, where
he spent his youth and honed the skills that propelled him to the top of
national politics. At right, Whitney Baxter, age 10, showed off a memento from
the Commerce Secretary's February visit to Hunter College Elementary School on
East 94th Street, which M~. Brown also attended. (Philip Greenberg for The New
York Times); Below, Mr. Brown with Representative Charles B. Rangel and others
in February 1994 at the William F. Ryan Community Health Care Center on West
97th Street. (Carrie Boretz for The New York Times)
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: Apr{l 5, 1996
�PAGE
2
16TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
April 15, 1996, Monday, Final Edition
SECTION: OP-ED; Pg. A21
LENGTH: 745 words
HEADLINE: Feeding A National Cynicism
BYLINE: William Raspberry
BODY:
I don't know Barry R. Harris of Montgomery, Ala., but his question, raised in
a two-paragraph letter to the editor of USA Today, is my question.
"It's nice to see the tributes to the work of the late Commerce Secretary
Ron Brown and all those who perished in the tragic events of a few days ago," he
wrote. "But I'm wondering why we didn't see such reporting before their untimely
deaths.
"It s_eems that the media spend so
that there's little time or space to
of our country. That is a disservice
governmental cynicism perpetuated by
much time on criticism of public servants
comment on their accomplishments on behalf
which only contributes to the climate of
primarily selfish forces."
Harris's question, which has bothered a number of thoughtful journalists for
some time, is especially valid in the aftermath of the outpouring of praise and
affection for Ron Brown. IMiTrions of -~!!!_e~~icans must have been sur.pr.is.e_d to learn
wha:t-sort:Of-pe-r·son-=-=-and~w_h~t-sort-of-o·fficial
- Brown wa_s: t:ou~
(pers·onalSle, a liighly skfri_ed-negotiator, cons_ummate deal maker, motl.vator ,)
Cbui)der of bri_dg_es_across_a1l sorts of racialand polTt:i"carc:na.-sms"J
Why didn't they know these things before?
Two things before we wrestle with that question. First, stories on the
recently dead almost always err.in the direction of kindness and, particularly
if the decedent is well known, they usually will include some tidbit, some
poignant anecdote, calculated to help give the public a better sense of the
person. Second, in the very work of pulling together these final stories,
reporters will talk to sources -- school or childhood friends, family members,
social and professional colleagues -- not normally consulted during ordinary
reporting. The reporters themselves, that is to say, are frequently surprised.
But not this time. So much of what Brown's intimates knew about his
professional skills was reported by journalists out of their own knowledge
after his death. They knew the good stuff before but seldom bothered to report
it.
Barry Harris's perfectly reasonable questions is: Why?
The first answer you'll get from journalists is that we do report the good
stuff and that if you've got the time we'll show you a paragraph here about
Brown's charm, a story there about his tireless negotiating, an account
J
�-----------------------------------------------------
PAGE
3
The Washington Post, April 15, 1996
somewhere of every single business deal he helped engineer for American
businesses. But only at the end were there attempts to paint the picture whole.
It's like noting, as separate items, each sit-in, each freedom ride and each
nonviolent march and neglecting to tell readers there's a civil rights movement
in progress.
And I'm not sure how well we covered even the bits and pieces. I've just
looked at the last 100 stories The Post carried on Ron Brown. The 50 most recent
came after his death and were, if not merely factual, uniformly full of praise.
Of the 50 before his death, perhaps three or four could be called positive -including stories that merely had him vowing to defend his department against
attempts to eliminate it.
I'm doing what I didn't intend to do. I didn't want to make this a column
about how the media did Ron Brown wrong. It's not Ron. It's political and
government officials. ·It's not personal; it's today' s journalism.
We seem almost afraid to say anything good about public officials -- afraid
even to give them credit for good intentions. We insist on viewing everything
they do through the prism of political ambition, as mere tactic. Editors who
will praise us with a wink or a raise for knocking some politician down will
seldom stop by to say: That was a wonderfully balanced piece you did on old
Thus-and-Such; you made me see him in all his strength and complexity.
And editors aside, we seem afraid of being had-- of praising someone who's
later found to be a charlatan or a knave. Better to take the cynic's path and
assume knavery -- at least until the obituary.
There are exceptions, of course. Seldom have we written a story about Robert
�------
---------------------------------------------------------------------.
bStrauss without referring to his negotiating brilliance. James Rouse, who died
this week, rarely had a negative word written about him -- or, as far as I know,
deserved to have.
But for the most part, and with most public figures, it seems we'd rather
report the scandal we suspect than the extraordinary service we know.
It does feed our national cynicism, and Barry R. Harris of Montgomery isn't
the only one wondering why we persist in doing it.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE.: April 15, 1996April 15, 1996
�PAGE
7
38TH STORY of Level_1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
April 11, 1996, Thursday, Final Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A01
LENGTH: 999 words
HEADLINE: 'This Man Loved Life and All the Things in It'; President Recalls
Brown as Friend
BYLINE: .John F. Harris, Washington Post Staff Writer
BODY:
1A"--WeeKOf mourning that
c_ons.ume d_much_of_of.f.ic ia 1-Wash-ing-t-on-ana-s a w-eommerc::e
~cret·ary-Rona::tct-H-:-Browh-b-ecome a nat:i:Orial S'z':ll,l~fc)f _!~ersonal achievemen.t_and)
Jra·ctarbrf"dg.e.::.huilding-came-to_a_close-yesterday_with_a_memorial service-in']
wnic:h_s_ox:r.o_w_gay_e_way_to_e_EUlTient----rilernoriesof Brown 'slTfe\
The pews at the Washington National Cathedral were filled with some 4,700
mourners, a group that included hundreds of the country's most powerful figures
in politics, business and entertainment, along with more than a thousand others
who didn't know Brown but got in line at dawn for the chance to honor him.
"The Bible tells us, 'though we weep through the night, joy will come in the
morning,·' " said President Clinton, who gave the eulogy. "Ron Brown's incredible
life force brought us all joy in the morning. No dark night could ever defeat
him. And as we remember him, may we always be able to recover his joy. For this
man loved life and all the things in it."
Afterward, the funeral procession drove a wandering route through Washington,
past the grand embassies on Massachusetts Avenue and though the District's
downtrodden Shaw neighborhood, in what was intended to be a symbolic retracing
of Brown's rise from modest roots. Then the cavalcade crossed the Potomac for a
military burial at Arlington National.Cemetery.
It was a week to the day after Brown and 34 others perished when their Air
Force transport crashed into a Croatian mountainside in a blinding storm. At the
cathedral yesterday, the sun kept pushing through the clouds
both outside the
majestic building and in. The sea of faces were creased, not in despair, but in
easy smiles of laughter and affection.
. 'Brown·•·s~~c~~~~nore·d-pu.-ck1sh"ly-e:nat:fewof-urep~e-_:::~~~ave-~p~keJ
itn:-t11e past wee:K of fils f·ather·•-s grace un"der pressure could nave J5een f.amlllar
~itn-n1s-erratic:P.Ufting on the-gorf-course~clinton recalled how he and Brown
found themselves on opposite sides of a pickup basketball game ·with teenagers in
Los Angeles and "all of a sudden, he forgot who was president and how he got his
day job."
There were solemn moments, too. White House aide Alexis Herman, a longtime
friend of Brown's, read from the Book of Matthew -- "Blessed are those ~ho
mourn, for they will be comforted" -- in a strong, resonant voice, then broke
down as she walked away from the altar.
�PAGE
8
The Washington Post, April 11, 1996
Fittingly for a man who in life was known for ambition and achievement, the
service drew a remarkable constellation of achievers from all quarters o.f.
American life.
Official Washington, naturally, turned out in force, making the congregation
an almanac of the politically powerful. On one pew: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy
(D-Mass.), on whose presidential campaign Brown once worked, sat beside retired
Gen. Colin L. Powell, who shared with Brown an ability to command respect on
both sides of the country's racial divide. But Brown's sudden loss has resonated
beyond the political capital, into the worlds of entertainment and business.
Singer Stevie Wonder, wearing a rhinestone jacket, was there, as was star
defense lawyer Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. Black Entertainment Television chief
executive Robert T. Johnson gave a reading, and so did Eastman Kodak chief
executive George Fisher. Musician Wynton Marsalis performed a piercing, mournful
trumpet solo.
It wasn't just the mighty filling the rows. More than a thousand people,
black and white, young and old, lined up outside the cathedral early yesterday
morning to get public tickets to the funeral service. They stood shivering in
the cold wind, ·~g fQr_a_chance_to_say: far_e_w_e_Il_tQ_a_p_e_r_s_p_n_l<no.wn_to_fn~
Conl.y-by-reputationl
.
,
That reputation, of course, has transformed in the days since Brown's death,
as the trajectory of his. life -- from middle-class kid growing up in Harlem to
savvy, globe-trotting Cabinet secretary -- received such broad public notice. A
person who was in life a familiar, and controversial, Washington figure, has in
death become a symbol of personal attainment and barriers surmounted.
What was striking about yesterday's service, for all of its pageantry and
famous congregation, was the extent to which-I"E was ~r.o.wn_the_p_er.son,_not-BrownJ
~leg.end,_who_shined_thr_o.ughl Clinton recalled how Brown "loved life's little
things -- the Redskins and basketball and golf, even when it was bad, and
McDonald's and clothes.
"And I'm telling you, folks, he would have loved this deal today," Clinton
said. "I mean, here we are for Ron Brown in the National Cathedral with full
military honors, filled with distinguished citizenry of this country and leaders
from around the world in a tribute to him. And as I look around, I see that all
of us are dressed almost as well as he would be t~day."
Clinton said that because of Brown's talent for "going beyond the stereotypes
of his time, he lived a truly American life."
For some, the service seemed to mark an end to the grieving, and a return to
Washington workaday concerns. Many mourners left the service talking into
cellular phones.
At the White House, likewise, attention is starting to turn to the question
of a replacement. Clinton, his aides said, has been intent on not discussing a
replacement for Brown until after the funeral. But a senior official said
yesterday that the man most named as a likely candidate, former chief of staff
and now counselor to the president Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty, has told officials
and associates that he does not want to be considered because of the opening for
Republican "mischief-making" his nomination could provoke.
�PAGE
9
The Washington Post, April 11, 1996
Officials said the White House would begin reviewing
discussing potential nominees with Congress in the next
are being supported internally are Stuart E. Eizenstat,
staff in the Carter administration. He was confirmed by
undersecretary of Commerce for international trade.
candidates and
week. Among those who
White House chief of
the Senate last week as
Staff writer Ann Devroy contributed to this report.
GRAPHIC: Photo, larry morris; Photo, rich lipski, The body of Commerce Secretary
Ronald H. Brown is escorted through Arlington National Cemetery as part of
funeral procession yesterday that culminated in burial with full military
honors. Alma Brown, flanked by daughter, Tracey, and son, Michael, carries the
flag from her late husband's coffin after the burial ceremony at Arlington
National Cemetery.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 12, 1996April 11, 1996
�PAGE
10
43RD STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
April 10, 1996, Wednesday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section A; Page 16; Column 1; National Desk
LENGTH: 792 words
HEADLINE: Thousands of Mourners Remember Brown
BYLINE:
By DAVID E. SANGER
DATELINE: WASHINGTON, April 9
BODY:
Ronald H. Brown came back to the Commerce Department today in a flag-draped
coffin with military honors, and thousands of mourners stood for hours in a
driving rain to pay their respects to a man who in the last decade had stood at
the center of American politics, trade and diplomacy.
Mr. Brown, who was killed last Wednesday in a plane crash in Croatia that
took the lives of 34 others -- including Commerce Department employees, business
executives and a correspondent for The New York Times -- was the (first Cabinet)
~eml::ier-±n-more-than-rs·o-years-to-dl"e-wni"Ie carryingout:nl"s-dufieB:\
But what caught this usually hard-edged city by surprise today was the
outpouring of public emotion from Government employees, residents of the city
and visitors who flocked to the headquarters of the Commerce Department for the
first of two days of public remembrances.
~He wa·s-a:rlincredi.6Terorerno""del-forb:LacJ<Sand-for anyone inpi:il51TCJ
~ce.,..!.'J said Dwayne Reevey, a corrections officer from Red Bank, N.J., who
waited with his family of six this afternoon for a glimpse of Mr. Brown's
coffin, which rested on the catafalque constructed in April 1865 for President
Abraham Lincoln's coffin. "Standing here for two hours doesn't seem like much
when you think of what he did for all of us."
Tonight, Mr. Brown was remembered at a memorial service that was filled with
stories of his e-arly-days-in-Harreml, his huge appetite and his days at
~rd""dTebury-co-J.-:te·ge)-
Representative Charles B. Rangel, a Harlem Democrat who had worked at the
Hotel Theresa when Mr. Brown's father ran it recalled watching the young Ron
Brown run through the hotel ballrooms and bar and said it was there that he
learned how to deal with celebrities, "Later he taught us a lesson that this
great nation is no long~r a European.country," Mr. Rangel said. "That someone
who looked and thought like Ron Brown could.reach out to India and China and
Saudi Arabia."
The memorial service was led by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose campaign for
President Mr. Brown once managed, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of
Massachusetts, also spoke.
�PAGE
11
The New York Times, April 10, 1996
At the service, Mr. Brown was described by many speakers as a brilliant
strategist, particularly when he managed Mr. Jackson's money-starved campaign.
"I have no idea at that point whose credit cards were being used," said Willie
L. Brown, the Mayor of San Francisco recalled amid laughter. "That was the magic
of Ron Brown, but I can tell we had every hotel and limousine in town."
On Wednesday, President Clinton will deliver a eulogy at the National
Cathedral, and Mr. Brown will be buried later in the day in Arlington National
Cemetery.
For many in the Commerce Department, which Mr. Brown had in the last year
fought to save from dismantlement, work has been carried out from habit since
the plane carrying the Secretary's delegation was first reported missing last
Wednesday morning. Now, even though the initial shock is over,r the hallways are
still filled with workers who are embracing each other and recalling the lives
and hopes of the 11 other Commerce officials who died during the mission.
"She ha'd just fallen in love," one worker said today, shaking her head as she
looked at the photograph of Carol Hamilton, Mr. Brown's press secretary. Ms.
Hamilton's picture was displayed along with those of her colleagues on a table
inside the Commerce Department's ornate foyer.
The use of the Lincoln catafalque was a measure of the Qfdministration's)
services-for-Mr-:-Brown-irit:o someffiing_just:Sl:1c5I't-of-a-state)
Cl.uneraL) The Commerce Department said" that the antique platform had never before
been used for a Cabinet secretary who died in office, though it served as the
platform for the coffins of President John F. Kennedy, Gen. Douglas MacArthur
and Chief Justice Earl Warren.
~isionf<)TuiTlfne
little :prec_e.dent_for_how_to_J::wnor a Cabinet_member_Jihp1
~-p_e_;fo_~ming_his~dutiesfThe last instance was in February 1844, when the
world's largest naval gun at the time, called The Peacemaker, was demonstrated
for President John Tyler and his Cabinet on the Princeton. The gun exploded,
killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Thomas W.
Gilmer and four others. Their coffins lay in state in the East Room of the White
House, where the funeral services were also conducted.
'!I'l:1erefs:--in fact,
Many in the line were among the 38,000 employees of the Commerce Department,
most of whom knew Mr. Brown only distantly. "I only saw him twice, but he had
this vibrant personality that made you feel good about coming to work every
day," said Tony Perry, a 40-year-old official at the Census Bureau, which falls
under the Commerce Department's broad purview. "That makes such a huge
difference."
GRAPHIC: Photo: Visitors paying their respects at the Commerce Department's
headquarters to Secretary Ronald H. Brown, who died with 34 others last
Wednesday in a plane crash in a. mission on foreign investment in Bosnia.
(Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: April 10, 1996
�PAGE
15
59TH STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1996 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
April 07, 1996, Sunday, Final Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A16
LENGTH: 992 words
HEADLINE:
'Let Us Resolve to Continue Their Mission of Peace and Healing .
BODY:
Following are remarks by President Clinton yesterday at a ceremony at Dover
Air Force Base, Del., to honor those killed in a plane crash in Croatia last
Wednesday:
My fellow Americans, today we come to a place that has seen too many sad;
silent homecomings, for this is where we in America bring home our own -- those
who have given their lives in the service of their country.
The 33 fine Americans we meet today, on their last journey home, ended their
lives on a hard mountain a long way from home, but in a way they never left
America.
On their mission of peace and hope, they carried with them America's spirit
what our greatest martyr, Abraham Lincoln, called the 'last best hope of
Earth.'
Our loved ones and friends loved
country. They believed that America,
re~tore a broken land, help to heal
better tomorrow through honest work
their country, and they loved serving their
through their efforts, could help to
a people of their hatreds, help to bring a
and shared enterprise.
They knew what their country had given them, and they gave it back with a
force, an energy, an optimism that every one of us can be proud of.
They were outstanding business leaders who gave their employees and their
customers their very best. They were brave members of our military, dedicated to
preserving our freedom and advancing America's cause.
There was a brilliant correspondent committed to helping Americans better
understand this complicated new world we live in. And there were public
servants, some of them still in the fresh springtime of their years, who gave
nothing less than everything they had because they believed in the nobility of
public service.
Alld there was a noble secretary of Commerce who never saw a mountain he
couldn't climb or a river he couldn't build a bridge across. All of them were so
full of possibility, even as we grieve for what their lives might have been, let
us celebrate what their lives were.
For their public achievements and their private victories of love and
kindness and devotion are things that no one -- no one could do anything but
treasure.
�.PAGE
16
The Washington Post, April 07, 1996
These 33 lives show us the best of America. They are a stern rebuke to the
cynicism that is all too familiar today.
For as family after family told the vice president and Hillary and me today,
their loved ones were proud of what they were doing. They believed in what they
were doing. They believed in this country. They believed we could make a
difference. How silly they make cynicism seem.
And more important, they were a glowing testimonial to the power of
individuals to improve their own lives and elevate the lives of others and make
a better future for others.
These 33 people loved America enough to use what is best about it in their
own lives to try to help solve a problem a long, long way from home.
At the first of this interminable week, [Commerce Secretary] Ron Brown came
to the White House to visit with me and the vice president and a few others, and
at the end of the visit, he was bubbling with enthusiasm about this mission.
And he went through all the people from the Commerce Department who were
going, and then he went through every single business leader that was going. And
he said, "You know, I've taken so many of these missions to advance America's
economic interest and to generate jobs for Americans, these business people are
going on this mission because they want to use the power of the American economy
to save the peace in the Balkans."
That is a noble thing. Nearly 5,000 miles from home, they went to help people
build their own homes and roads, to turn on the lights in cities darkened by
war, to restore the everyday interchange of people working and living together
with something to look forward to and a dream to raise their own children by.
You know, we can say a lot of things because these people were many things to
those who love them. But I say to all of you, to every American, they were all
patriots. Whether soldiers or civil servants or committed citizens, they were
patriots.
In their memory and in their honor, let us rededicate our lives to our
country and to our fellow citizens. In their memory and in their honor, let us
resolve to continue their mission of peace and healing and progress.
We must not let their mission fail, and we will not let their mission fail.
The sun is going down on this day. The next time it rises, it will be Easter
morning -- a day that marks the passage from loss and despair to hope and
redemption.
A day that more than any other reminds us that life is more than what we
know, life is more than what we can understand, life is more than sometimes even
we can bear. But life is also eternal.
For each of these 33 of our fellow Americans and the two fine Croatians that
fell with them, their day on Earth was too short. But for our countrymen and
women, we must remember that what they did while the sun was out will last with
us forever.
�PAGE
17
The Washington Post, April 07, 1996
If I may now, I would like to read the names of all of them in honor of their
lives, their service, and their families.
Staff Sergeant Gerald Aldrich, Ronald Brown, Duane Christian, Barry Conrad,
Paul Cushman III, Adam Darling, Captain Ashley James Davis, Gail Dobert, Robert
Donovan, Claudio Elia, Staff Sergeant Robert Farrington Jr., David Ford, Carol
Hamilton, Kathryn Hoffman, Lee Jackson, Steven Kaminski, Kathryn Kellogg,
Technical Sergeant Shelly Kelly, James Lewek, Frank Maier, Charles Meissner,
William Morton, Walter Murphy, Lawrence Payne, Nathaniel Nash, Leonard Pieroni,
Captain Timothy Schafer, John Scoville, I. Donald Terner, P. Stuart Tholan,
Technical Sergeant Cheryl Ann Turnage, Naomi Warbasse, Robert Al Whittaker.
Today we bring their bodies back home to America, but their souls are surely
at home with God. We welcome them home. We miss them. We ask God to be with them
and their families.
God bless you all, and God bless our beloved nation. Amen.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
COUNTRY:
UNITED STATES;
LOAD-DATE: April 08, 1996April 07, 1996
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Terry Edmonds
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Office of Speechwriting
James (Terry) Edmonds
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1995-2001
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36090" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7763294" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2006-0462-F
Description
An account of the resource
Terry Edmonds worked as a speechwriter from 1995-2001. He became the Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting in 1999. His speechwriting focused on domestic topics such as race relations, veterans issues, education, paralympics, gun control, youth, and senior citizens. He also contributed to the President’s State of the Union speeches, radio addresses, commencement speeches, and special dinners and events. The records include speeches, letters, memorandum, schedules, reports, articles, and clippings.
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
635 folders in 52 boxes
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Ron Brown – Articles
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Office of Speechwriting
James (Terry) Edmonds
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2006-0462-F
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Box 40
<a href="http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/2006/2006-0462-F.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7763294" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Adobe Acrobat Document
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
12/9/2014
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
42-t-7763294-20060462F-040-009-2014
7763294