Jeff Bingaman: “I rise to give a few comments about a good friend of mine, John Wirth. On June 20, 2 weeks ago, the life of John Wirth…”

“I rise to give a few comments about a good friend of mine, John Wirth. On June 20, 2 weeks ago, the life of John Wirth, a great American and a citizen of my State of New Mexico, ended way too soon. His death brings deep sadness to his family, to his friends, and indeed to all of us who knew him and knew his important life's work. John was an internationally acclaimed scholar in the history of Latin America. He taught at Stanford University for many years. His vision was for a more integrated world and for a Western Hemisphere in which countries work together for the common good of all. Many of his efforts were personal, and many of his efforts he pursued through the good works of the North American Institute. Throughout his entire life, John Wirth was a leader in that struggle for world integration and harmony. He sought to understand the world in his travels and in his studies. He sought to explain it through his teaching and through his writing.”