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REMARKS BY:		DONNA E. SHALALA, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PLACE:			Audrey Manley's Farewell, Washington, D.C.
DATE:			June 25, 1997

Some uniforms say protect me.

Some say respect me.

Some say, don't mess with me - which is what I need when I testify before Congress.

But, no uniform comes without a gift of opportunity and a price tag of responsibility. All of them are earned. And, perhaps none more than those of our Commissioned Corps.

Which is why when I see Corps members like Mike Friedman, Tony Fauci, or Audrey Manley, I see more than the dedication of an individual, I see the professionalism, sacrifice, and love of country that has been the hallmark of the Commissioned Corps for over 100 years.

I see colleagues and heroes - dedicated Americans who always go where they are needed simply because they are asked. When earthquakes, diseases, and other emergencies threaten the very heart of our communities - the Corps is there. When danger invites courage, and suffering invites a helping hand - the Corps is there. And, day after day, when we need extraordinary public health leadership - the Corps is there - with Dr. Audrey Manley standing right in front.

Because, like the Corps, Audrey Manley has always been there. In good times and bad. Through calm waters and troubled times. No one better exemplifies the mission of the Commissioned Corps. No one has brought more dedication to its leadership.

I think of the day the President apologized to the families and survivors of the Public Health Service's tragic experiment on the black men of Tuskegee. Who went down to Tuskegee to speak to the community? To heal old wounds and build new tomorrows? Dr. Audrey Manley.

I think about the challenges the Surgeon General's office has faced over the last few years. Who stepped in to meet those challenges? Who helped issue the Surgeon General's report on Physical Activity? And get life-saving information to all Americans?

It was, of course, Audrey Manley.

And, I think often about the time I was out in North Dakota with the President. I will always remember the images of flood-ravaged communities.

I will always remember the teams from our national volunteer medical corps who were there - like trained angels of mercy, setting up health clinics, providing emergency aid, and comforting families on the edge of desperation.

And, I will always remember the person who dedicated herself to making that possible. The leader who reorganized and strengthened the Commissioned Corps Readiness Force.

The leader who has always been there for the Corps and for all Americans. Demanding one thing and one thing only: results. That was what Audrey Manley wanted. And that is what she always delivered.

But, like any great leader, it wasn't just what she did, but how she did it. Because even when she was out of the limelight, she was never out of ideas.

Her deeds spoke for themselves and she served this nation with a rare mix of dedication and humanity, with an open mind and decisive spirit. With patience and uncompromising standards. With a voice whose words could not be ignored - and a legacy that won't be forgotten.

Because today our loss is Spelman College's gain - as Dr. Manley moves on - or maybe I should say moves back - to that extraordinary campus. She will be the first alumna to serve as President of Spelman.

But, of course, she will not be the first Manley. Her devoted and beloved husband, Albert, was Spelman's first African American president.

When she leaves, I know Dr. Manley will be taking with her the values of the Commissioned Corps and the values of her family. And I know that the young women of Spelman will have a role model in their midst unlike any they have known before.

A role model whose ties to Spelman are over four decades old. A role model whose life has mirrored Spelman's devotion to public service, to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and to the advancement of those Americans too often left out in the cold. A role model who will be able to tell the young women of Spelman: You can make it. You can go as far as your dreams will take you. You can be Surgeon General. You can be President.

A role model for all seasons - and for all Americans.

Let me close by personally thanking Dr. Manley for her outstanding service. You have worn your uniform with great dignity and brought honor to the mission of the United States Public Health Service.

But, while we may have been lucky enough to claim Dr. Manley as our own, she never belonged exclusively to us.

From the beginning she has been part of America - part of America's great potential, then part of America's great achievements and humanity, and soon, once again, like the prodigal daughter, part of one of America's great colleges. Spelman.

Thank you Admiral Audrey Manley, congratulations, and good luck.