Cord Byrd: “The great Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once observed that, "Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum."…”

“The great Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once observed that, "Life is painting a picture, not doing a sum." And, indeed, the transcendent life requires much, much more than a mere balance sheet of wins versus losses. Just as shade, hue and the subtle use of light distinguish great art, delicate nuances of character, honor and intellect provide the defining elements of a sublime human existence. The man we honor here tonight has painted a life portrait worthy of Rembrandt. A deeply religious man, Mark Hatfield has done one of the hardest things in life for mere mortals to do. He has actually lived, and even more incredibly conducted a political career in near-perfect accordance with the teachings of his personal faith. Mark Hatfield has been a faithful disciple of his own conscience. He has maintained that fidelity despite intense pressure sometimes from his own party. He has gone against the grain of popular public opinion.”