From The Congressional Record:

REVEREND WILLIAM SLOANE COFFIN -- (Senate - May 26, 2006)

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I rise today to remember my friend Rev. William Sloane Coffin who passed away in Vermont on April 12, 2006, at his home in Strafford.

Bill Coffin was an extraordinary man who leaves behind a legacy of inspired service for social justice that few Americans have matched. He dedicated his life to speaking out on behalf of those who would otherwise be forgotten, to improving the lives of the underprivileged, and to calling for justice for victims of discrimination in our society.

As chaplain of Yale University, Bill used that pulpit like none before him, to serve not only the Yale community but to inspire the entire Nation. While many Senators may remember him best for his moral leadership and courageous activism during the Vietnam War, Bill also established himself as a dedicated leader for racial and social justice. He was a member of the Freedom Riders who rode interstate buses in the South to challenge segregation laws. He was a visionary and powerful leader in pointing out the hypocrisy of religious and sexual discrimination

Mr. Gary Trudeau, creator of the cartoon "Doonesbury" and fellow Yale graduate, may have immortalized Bill Coffin in his Reverend Sloan character. But that was only one chapter of a lifetime of using his ministry to fight injustice. After his long service at Yale, Bill became pastor of Riverside Church in New York City where he continued to advocate for the downtrodden all over the world. Bill continued to be a forceful presence for good long after he left Riverside.

Mr. President, Vermonters were fortunate to have Bill Coffin as a resident of our unique State. Vermonters have a long history of independent thought, of standing up for what is right, and Bill Coffin set a standard for all of us. I was privileged to know him personally and to be able to call him a friend. I know his other friends and neighbors felt the same way. We were all made better, and felt better about ourselves, when we were in the company of Bill Coffin.

I ask unanimous consent that...an editorial in the Valley News be printed in the Congressional Record so that other Senators may have a further appreciation of this great and good man.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

[From the Valley News, April 14, 2006]

William S. Coffin

The Upper Valley has its share of accomplished and prominent residents, but we can think of few whose presence seemed such a gift as did that of The Rev. William Sloane Coffin, who lived here full time from the late 1980s until his death Wednesday at his home in Strafford.

The Upper Valley phase of Coffin's life showcased the same devotion to social justice as his earlier chapters as pastor of Riverside Church in New York City and chaplain of Yale University. His focus shifted somewhat--the Vietnam War and black Americans' civil rights while he worked in New Haven, Conn., and New York City; nuclear disarmament, gay Americans' civil rights and the environment while in Vermont--but the larger theme remained constant. He was committed to speaking truth to power, and he did that by talking about the issues of the day with striking clarity and wisdom.

One of the last op-eds he wrote for the Valley News appeared just a few weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, and reviewing it now, more than four years later, makes us wish it had had more of an impact in guiding this nation's leaders about the topic at hand--how to best respond to terrorism.

"'What Americans do realize now,' Coffin wrote, 'is that life can change on a dime. On Sept. 11, we lost, and lost forever, our sense of invulnerability and invincibility. Hard as that may be, let us not grieve their passing; they were illusions.

"'Today it is the Devil's strategy to persuade Americans to let go of the good to fight evil. I hope we will resist. I hope that first we will present to the world conclusive evidence of whom these hijackers were, from whence they came, and who knowingly harbored them.

"'Then I hope we shall try to build international consensus for appropriate measures, both to halt the violence and the circumstances that gave rise to it.'

"Here in the Upper Valley, though, we had the opportunity not only to appreciate the power of Coffin's message but also to witness the force of his personality. Whether at a dining room table, behind a church pulpit, at a piano or on a stage at a political rally, Coffin commanded, enjoyed and rewarded attention. The message was difficult to separate from the virtuoso performance of high-spiritedness, humor and insight. Not even a failing body, including the slurred speech left in the wake of a stroke, blunted the force of his personality. Strafford Selectwoman Kay Campbell had it just right when she noted that Coffin, despite his national stature, had a knack for 'treating us like we were all special.'

"Bill Coffin was an accomplished, amazing and fascinating man, and many Upper Valley residents feel blessed not just to have benefited from his wisdom but for the opportunity of seeing him in action."