Thomas Daschle: “this is not a happy day for America. On this day occurs a memorial service for Lew Wasserman, who died in his 89th year.…”

“this is not a happy day for America. On this day occurs a memorial service for Lew Wasserman, who died in his 89th year. He is one of the two giants of the American free enterprise system who for over 60 years helped shape and build one of America's greatest export trade prizes and an extraordinary engine of economic and creative growth: The American film industry. He was a pioneer of great intellect and innovation. He could see what others could not, for he had the gift of vision, both rare and valuable. He was more than that. He was a patriot in a shining sense of that word. He cared about his country and all who live in it. He believed in the American free market system. He was appalled at the behavior of those executives who knowingly soiled the honor and integrity of that system. He and his wife, Edie, believed in young people and lavished millions of dollars in scholarships on them at a dozen universities on a continuing basis. His heart and his purse went without hesitation to the Motion Picture Home and Hospital, giving it millions of dollars so that those in the movie industry, hard-working craftsmen, artisans, and creators, when they became old and sick, could be cared for. More millions were conferred anonymously. Lew never sought the spotlight because fame was not his goal nor publicity his guide. He had an old-fashioned view about loyalty.…”