[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11] [Senate] [Pages 15272-15273] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]REMEMBERING CONGRESSMAN EMILIO DADDARIO Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of former Connecticut Congressman Emilio Daddario who passed away on July 6, 2010. One of the unique strengths of the United States of America is that our government derives its power from the people. It is dependent upon an educated populace, engaged in public affairs, and prepared to offer their services to make our society better and fairer for all of our benefit. That system has worked well for more than 200 years thanks to citizens such as Emilio Daddario. He was born in Newton Center, MA, on September 24, 1918. As a young man, he moved south to Middletown, CT, to attend Wesleyan University where he starred on the baseball and football teams. He was an exemplary athlete who twice received MVP honors in football, and was named team captain in 1938. Upon his graduation in 1939, Emilio chose to pursue a career in law. After beginning law school at Boston University, he graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1942. He successfully passed the bar and moved back to Middletown to begin private practice. But then the call to serve his country came. In 1943, he enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army. He was sent to the Mediterranean theater during World War II. [[Page 15273]] There he was a key member of the team which captured Rodolfo Graziani, then-chief of staff to Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini, at the Hotel Milan in 1945. His distinguished service earned him the rank of captain, as well as the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and the Italian Medaglia d'Argento. After the war, he could have easily gone back to private legal practice and no doubt would have been very successful at it. Instead, he chose to continue his military service as a member of the Connecticut National Guard and to pursue a life in the public arena by running for mayor of Middletown. At just 28 years old, fresh from his service overseas, Emilio Daddario won that election. He served as mayor from 1946 until 1948 and was appointed judge of the Middletown Municipal Court. In 1950, the Nation called on him again. This time, the 43 Division of the Connecticut National Guard, of which he was a member, was sent to engage in the Korean war. His military service in that conflict as a member of the Far East Liaison Group earned him promotion to the rank of major. Upon returning to the United States in 1952 he chose to resume private law practice, this time in Hartford, CT. But the call to serve proved to be too strong, and in 1958, Daddario ran for the opportunity to serve the people of Connecticut's 1st Congressional District. He won that election, as well as five more, serving as a member of the U.S. Congress until 1971. While in Congress, he sat on the House Science Committee where he became an advocate for science and technological innovation. He chaired two subcommittees and also in the planning and development of the Apollo missions to the moon. In 1970, Emilio decided not to run for reelection to the House, and instead ran for Governor of Connecticut. He did not win that race. But he sought ways to remain involved in public policy, in particular issues related to science and technology. He returned to Congress in 1973, not as a member, but as the Director of the Office of Technology Assessment. He also went on to serve as the president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and as cochair of the American Bar Association's Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Conference of Lawyers and Scientists. Emilio Daddario was just the sort of American citizen that our Nation's Founders were hoping for, and his legacy is one of exemplary public service, and commitment to making our Nation a better place for future generations. He was a devoted husband and father, and I know that he will be deeply missed. My deepest sympathies and prayers go out to his children, Richard, Anthony, and Stephen, and to the rest of his family. ____________________