I have been privileged over my life and
career to have a number of friends and mentors, including giants like Daniel
Patrick Moynihan, Barber Conable, Elliot Richardson, and Walter Mondale. But
none has meant more to me than Paul Volcker, who died at 92 this morning.

I met Paul Volcker a little more than thirty years ago. I helped create the National Commission on Public Service, known more widely as the Volcker Commission. We had a remarkable group of members and a small board of directors, including me, and we spent a great deal of time with Paul. He was a towering figure in every way, including the fact that he was well over a foot taller than me! But his courage and commitment to making government, whatever its size and scope, work for all, and to encouraging the best people to go into public service and to have the best values, was clear and was key to our report, as well as the second commission several years later. The recommendations of both hold up very well — which is both testament to their efficacy and a marker of how little we have done over the decades to ensure the public interest and protect and enhance the civil service.

After Paul left the Fed, after a long career in public life, he made some money in work in financial services. He was never about accumulating money by basking in his fame — a well-deserved fame for saving America from financial catastrophe during his time as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. He called me and others to brainstorm about how he could use the lions’ share of his resources to continue the efforts to make government work and enhance public service. The result was the Volcker Alliance, now ably headed up by Tom Ross, and on whose board I serve. It is so characteristic of the man that his family asked that in lieu of flowers or other gifts, that contributions be made to further the work of the Alliance.

I went up to New York a couple of months
ago to meet with Paul in his apartment; he knew his time was limited and was in
considerable discomfort, but he wanted to talk about the future and about what
we could do to make sure that this legacy continued in the best way going
forward. Paul did not believe in a giant government, but he believed in the
essential role of government. And he wanted it to work, and he wanted the best
and brightest among us to consider public service. He wanted the schools of
public service and public administration to focus on training their students to
fulfill that mission. In this perilous time in the country, with the core areas
of public service under direct siege, it is even more essential.

People like Paul Volcker do not come along very often. The combination of intellect, integrity, drive, and commitment — along with decency, honor, and good humor — is rare and to be treasured and celebrated. It was my honor and rare good fortune to know him. May his memory be a blessing, and his family, including his wonderful and devoted wife Anke, be comforted in that knowledge.

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