Lisa Murkowski: “I rise to honor a truly great Alaskan, a close personal friend, Elmer Rasmuson, who passed away last Saturday at the age…”

“I rise to honor a truly great Alaskan, a close personal friend, Elmer Rasmuson, who passed away last Saturday at the age of 91. Alaska is a far better place as a consequence of his life of public service, his achievements in business, and his personal philanthropy. Elmer was born in Yakutat, Alaska in 1909, not long after the Klondike gold rush. His life spanned Alaska's modern history, history that he had a significant hand in shaping. Elmer served Alaskans in both the public and private realms. He was a successful banker who put together Alaska's first system of statewide branch banking. That wasn't any easy thing to do in a wild, far-flung territory like Alaska with four time zones, but he succeeded in doing a tremendous job with tremendous imagination and perseverance. Along the way, Elmer amassed a personal fortune, which he had, in recent years, used to benefit libraries, museums, and universities in our State. This legacy will live on, as it was Elmer's wish that his personal fortune continue to benefit Alaska long after his death. Elmer also enjoyed a distinguished record of public service. He served on the University of Alaska Board of Regents for nearly twenty years; and he was the mayor of Anchorage from 1964-1967--including the difficult period of time encompassing the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964 and the rebuilding of Alaska's largest city.”