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[[underlined]] Tributes to George H. Mahon and J. Paul Austin [[/underlined]]

The Regents and the Staff of the Institution were deeply saddened with the news of the passing of the Honorable George H. Mahon on November 19, 1985, and that of J. Paul Austin on December 26, 1985.

Mr. Mahon had served as a Regent from 1964 until his retirement from the House of Representatives in 1978, during which time he had been Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.  Exceptionally dedicated as a Regent, Mr. Mahon became the first former Regent to be designated Regent Emeritus by the Board, a distinction he especially valued and continued to merit through his active service on the Audit and Review Committee and the Personnel Committee until his death.  The following motion was unanimously adopted and will be forwarded to Mrs. Mahon:

VOTED that the Board of Regents mourns the passing of their valued colleague George H. Mahon and expresses its great admiration and sympathy to his family.  A man of extraordinary achievement, he blessed the Smithsonian with his interest as a Regent.  That he continued to serve with distinction as the Smithsonian's first Regent Emeritus has been a special joy for the Board.  His friendship and insight will be sorely missed.

A graduate of Harvard University and Law School, Mr. Austin had a distinguished career as the President, Chief Executive Officer, and then Chairman of the Board of the Coca-Cola Company.  He became a Regent in 1972 and was active on the Regents' Investment Policy Committee.  After his resignation from the Board of Regents in 1983 he continued his association with the Smithsonian as a Regent Emeritus.  The following motion, also adopted unanimously, will be forwarded to Mrs. Austin: