[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 199 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 199

   Honoring the life of Rex David ``Dave'' Thomas and expressing the 
     deepest condolences of the Senate to his family on his death.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 23, 2002

  Mr. Levin (for himself, Mr. DeWine, Ms. Landrieu, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. 
  Craig, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Helms, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. 
     Grassley, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Inhofe, Mrs. 
  Feinstein, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Hagel, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. 
 Johnson, Mr. Allen, Mr. McCain, Mr. Nickles, Mr. Burns, Mr. Sessions, 
 Mr. Durbin, Mr. Specter, and Mr. Hutchinson) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Honoring the life of Rex David ``Dave'' Thomas and expressing the 
     deepest condolences of the Senate to his family on his death.

Whereas the Senate has learned with great sadness of the death of Dave Thomas 
        from liver cancer at the age of 69 on January 8, 2002;
Whereas Dave Thomas, born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on July 2, 1932, and 
        adopted shortly thereafter by Rex and Auleva Thomas, of Kalamazoo, 
        Michigan, was a lifelong advocate and activist for the cause of 
        adoption;
Whereas Dave Thomas, in 1979, was awarded the Horatio Alger Award for 
        dedication, individual initiative, and a commitment to excellence, as 
        exemplified by remarkable achievements accomplished through honesty, 
        hard work, self-reliance, and perseverance;
Whereas from 1990 until 2000 Dave Thomas was national spokesman for numerous 
        White House adoption and foster care initiatives;
Whereas Dave Thomas received numerous awards including the Angel in Adoption 
        Award by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption for generating 
        awareness of the thousands of children waiting for permanent homes and 
        loving families;
Whereas Dave Thomas, in 1992, established the Dave Thomas Foundation for 
        Adoption and donated his speaking fees and profits from sales of his 
        books, ``Dave's Way, Well Done!'' and ``Franchising for Dummies'', to 
        adoption causes;
Whereas Dave Thomas established the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, to work 
        with national adoption organizations, individuals and public and private 
        agencies to raise awareness about children awaiting adoption and to 
        provide direct support for programs seeking to find permanent homes for 
        children in foster care;
Whereas Dave Thomas established the Dave Thomas Center for Adoption Law to ease 
        and facilitate the adoption process through education, advocacy and 
        research;
Whereas Dave Thomas was a constructive force in shaping corporate health policy 
        to cover adoption expenses and, through his efforts, 75 percent of 
        Fortune 1000 companies now offer adoption benefits to their employees;
Whereas Dave Thomas received the 2001 Social Awareness Award from the United 
        States Postal Service for being instrumental in the use of the Adoption 
        Awareness postage stamp as a vehicle for highlighting cause of adoption;
Whereas Dave Thomas founded Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers in Columbus, Ohio, 
        on November 15, 1969 and transformed it into one of the most successful 
        food franchises in the country and, in promoting Wendy's, became a 
        national figure representing a friendly face, good food, and a kind 
        sense of humor;
Whereas Dave Thomas, in 1993, 45 years after leaving school, earned his GED 
        certificate and received his high school diploma from Coconut Creek High 
        School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, securing him as role model to 
        students of all ages; and
Whereas Dave Thomas used his financial success to promote and advance the cause 
        of adoption: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes that America has lost one of its most 
        dedicated and hardest working advocates for adoption, and 
        honors him in his devotion to family, life, and business; and
            (2) expresses its deep and heartfelt condolences to the 
        family of Dave Thomas on their loss.
                                 <all>