Dedication of the Expansion of McConnell Chao Archives
Remarks by Secretary Elaine Chao
Elaine L. Chao Auditorium
Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville
McConnell Center for Leadership
Tuesday, August 12th, 2025
Thank you very much. I’m thrilled to be here among so many friends to celebrate a shared effort years in the making.
When I arrived in America, so many years ago, my family nor I could ever have imagined what our life would be like today.
The initial years were filled with challenges and hardships: adapting to a new country, trying to survive financially. It may seem strange now to hear me say this: But, I wondered if I would ever find my place in America. Well, I did find my place and it’s home here in Kentucky.
Thus, I’m so grateful to all those who have made today’s event and this expansion possible: from the devoted staff of the Archives and the McConnell Center, past and present… To the University leaders who have committed again and again to deepening this legacy on campus… To the many friends who have made generous contributions… Thank you all for helping to make today possible.
Most of all, I’m grateful to my best friend and teammate. The man who’s supported my career in public life, and whose own decades of service – and lifelong love of this University – are the reasons we’re gathered here today.
Mitch really doesn’t need much of an introduction – least of all here among so many proud Louisville Cardinals! The longest-serving, and most prolific, Senate party leader in American history is not a stranger in the Commonwealth that continues to reap the benefits of his leadership.
Visiting every corner of Kentucky over the years to extend his leadership has been one of the greatest honors of my life. And I’m so proud that, with the expansion of the McConnell Chao archives, his extraordinary achievements will continue to inform and inspire leaders for generations to come.
Please join me in welcoming your senior Senator, Senator Mitch McConnell.
