[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1022-S1023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              ROGER MORIGI

  MR. THURMOND. Mr. President perhaps once in a generation, one person 
will emerge as a master artisan, a person whose vision, skills, and 
creations not only inspire others, but set that artist apart from all 
others practicing the craft. Until this past Wednesday, we were 
fortunate to have such a person, Mr. Roger Morigi, living in the 
Metropolitan area. His many sculptures and carvings not only paid 
homage to the United States, but have been seen and enjoyed by 
literally millions of people.
  Mr. Morigi was a part of what is literally a vanishing breed of 
artists--stone carvers, individuals who create monuments to people and 
ideas through the medium of rock. Not surprisingly, Mr. Morigi was a 
native of Italy, the home of some of history's greatest artists, and a 
country where sculpting has always been an appreciated and valued art 
form. Born in Como and schooled in Milan, Mr. Morigi emigrated to New 
Haven, CT, where he and his father practiced their craft.
  In the following years, Mr. Morigi became an accomplished artist as 
he worked on projects in New Haven, New York City, New York State, 
North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and South 
Carolina. It was right here though, in the District of Columbia, where 
Mr. Morigi spent most of his adult life and where his works are most 
prevalent. The U.S. 
[[Page S1023]] Supreme Court Building, the U.S. District Court 
Building, the Commerce Building, the Department of Justice Building, 
and the Department of Agriculture Building are just a few of the places 
where Morigi's works appear. Perhaps some of Mr. Morigi's most 
impressive work is a part of the ornately decorated National Cathedral, 
where he worked and created stone carvings for almost three decades. 
One of the most prominent carvings, that of Adam, is a part of the 
cathedral's main entrance and Morigi said of that work, according to 
the Washington Post, ``I finished where God began.''
  With each project he completed, not only did Mr. Morigi create a 
piece of artwork, he improved his skills and knowledge, which helped 
him to earn the title of ``master stone carver emeritus'' and to be 
characterized by some as the ``greatest carver of the 20th Century''. 
Perhaps more importantly, he used his talents to craft pieces that 
beautified and paid a lasting tribute to his adopted homeland, the 
United States. While this great artist will be missed, his creations 
will ensure that he is never forgotten. My sympathies go out to Mr. 
Morigi's wife, Louise; and children, Francis and Elayne.

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