[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 8, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   TRIBUTE TO ERVIN ``BUTCH'' CONRADT

                                 ______


                             HON. TOBY ROTH

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 8, 1994

  Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today before my colleagues in the House 
of Representatives to pay tribute to Ervin ``Butch'' Conradt, an 
outstanding Wisconsinite and a very good friend. After more than 40 
years of exceptional civil service at the town, county, and State 
level, Butch Conradt continues to find new and positive ways to 
influence his community.
  At the age of 77, Mr. Conradt will likely be elected the next mayor 
of Seymour, WI. His newest commitment to community service, follows 18 
distinguished years in the Wisconsin State Assembly and, most recently, 
a prominent position as Wisconsin State Commissioner of Transportation.
  Born October 14, 1916, in the town of Bovina, WI, Butch Conradt's 
remarkable career began on a 120-acre farm bought in 1943 for $8,500. 
After serving as justice of the peace and town supervision for 4 years, 
Mr. Conradt was elected Bovina town chairman in 1951. He was later re-
elected to the post and served as chairman for an additional 29 years. 
Furthermore, in 1951, he gained a seat on the Outagamie County Board.
  In 1964, at the age of 47, Mr. Conradt was elected to fill the 
Outagamie County Assembly seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly. A man 
of clear conviction, Assemblyman Conradt often took the floor to speak, 
and when he did--the assembly listened. The speech Butch Conradt gave 
on assembly bill 222 was the greatest speech ever given on the 
Wisconsin State Assembly Floor. In voting against the bill to increase 
the Wisconsin State sales tax, Mr. Conradt's 20-minute speech brought a 
round of applause from the assembly floor and the gallery. People from 
throughout the State capitol building came to listen.
  Never a man to shy away from the chance to stand up and make a 
difference, Assemblyman Conradt served on scores of legislative 
committees: most notably, the committees on agriculture and nutrition; 
excise and fees; highways; and the legislative council highway 
committee, for which he was vice-chairman from 1967-1971.
  For Butch Conradt, community service was not just a 9 to 5 job. Butch 
was a respected member of the Shiocton Lions Club, the Outagamie County 
Farm Bureau, the unit chairman for the Outagamie Towns Association, as 
well as the State director for the Wisconsin Towns Association for a 
10-year period.
  In 1990, Gov. Tommy Thompson appointed the tireless Butch Conradt to 
the position of commissioner of transportation, which he served until 
the dissolution of the office on January 1, 1994. While Wisconsin has 
lost a great commissioner, the town of Seymour will, undoubtedly, gain 
an exceptional civic leader.
  In the words of Butch Conradt, ``If you are respondent to the people 
and don't give them a lot of hogwash, you can serve as long as you 
like. Honesty--that's the name of the game.''
  His exemplary record and many years of accomplishments have earned 
Butch Conradt a reputation for determination, integrity and hard work.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and a pleasure for me to pay tribute to 
Ervin ``Butch'' Conradt. He is a man of moral character committed to 
the betterment of his community and a lifetime of tireless service. On 
behalf of the U.S. Congress and the people of northeast Wisconsin, I 
wish Butch and his family our fondest wishes and deepest gratitude.

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