III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 491 

Recognizing the accomplishments of Ignacy Jan Paderewski as a musician, 

composer, statesman, and philanthropist, and commemorating the 65th 

anniversary of his death on June 29, 1941. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 24, 2006 

Mr. HAGEL (for himself, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, and 

Mr. VOINOVICH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the accomplishments of Ignacy Jan Paderewski 

as a musician, composer, statesman, and philanthropist, 

and commemorating the 65th anniversary of his death 

on June 29, 1941. 

Whereas Ignacy Jan Paderewski, born in Poland in 1860, 

was a brilliant and popular pianist who performed hundreds of concerts in Europe and the United States during 

the late 19th and early 20th centuries; 

Whereas Paderewski donated the bulk of the proceeds of his 

concerts to charitable causes, including the establishment 

of the American Legion’s Orphans and Veterans Fund; 


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•SRES 491 IS

Whereas, during World War I, Paderewski worked for the 

independence of Poland and served as the first Premier 

of Poland; 

Whereas, in December 1919, Paderewski resigned as Premier 

of Poland, and in 1921 he left politics to return to his 

music; 

Whereas the German invasion of Poland in 1939 spurred Paderewski to return to political life; 

Whereas Paderewski fought against the Nazi dictatorship in 

World War II by joining the exiled Polish Government to 

mobilize the Polish forces and to urge the United States 

to join the Allied Forces; 

Whereas, on June 29, 1941, Paderewski died in exile in the 

United States while all of Europe was imperiled by war 

and occupation; 

Whereas, by the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 

the remains of Paderewski were placed alongside the honored dead of the United States in Arlington National 

Cemetery, where President Roosevelt said, ‘‘He may lie 

there until Poland is free.’’; 

Whereas, in 1963, President John F. Kennedy honored Paderewski by placing a plaque marking his remains at the 

Mast of the Maine at Arlington National Cemetery; 

Whereas, in 1992, President George H.W. Bush, at the request of Lech Walesa, the first democratically elected 

President of Poland since World War II, ordered the remains of Paderewski to be returned to his native Poland; 

Whereas, on June 26, 1992, the remains of Paderewski were 

removed from the Mast of the Maine at Arlington National Cemetery and returned to Poland 3 days later; 


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•SRES 491 IS

Whereas, on July 5, 1992, the remains of Paderewski were 

interred in a crypt at the St. John Cathedral in Warsaw, 

Poland; and 

Whereas Paderewski wished his heart to be forever enshrined 

in the United States, where his lifelong struggle for democracy and freedom had its roots and was cultivated, 

and now his heart remains at the Shrine of the Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pennsylvania: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the accomplishments of Ignacy 

3 Jan Paderewski as a musician, composer, statesman, 

4 and philanthropist; 

5 (2) on the 65th anniversary of his death, ac6 knowledges the invaluable efforts of Ignacy Jan Pa7 derewski in forging close ties between Poland and 

8 the United States; and 

9 (3) recognizes Poland as an ally and strong 

10 partner in the war against global terrorism. 

Æ 


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