[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 23 (Monday, March 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         HONORING BOB BERGLAND

  Mr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the 
career of Bob Bergland, one of Minnesota's favorite sons. Bob has 
served as manager of the National Rural Electric Cooperative 
Association since 1983. He retired March 4, and with his wife Helen, 
will return home to Roseau, MN.
  Bob Bergland has had a long and distinguished career representing the 
people of Minnesota and rural America. He was elected in 1970 to 
represent Minnesota's old Seventh Congressional District. He was 
returned to office four times, the last time garnering over 70 percent 
of the votes cast.
  In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Bob Bergland to be 
Secretary of Agriculture. He was the first farmer to hold this 
prestigious post since 1940. Bob served his country as Secretary until 
early 1981, when he was named president of Farmland World Trade.
  Bob's stewardship of the interests of the nearly 1,000 rural electric 
cooperatives, including the 55 which serve our home State, has been 
quite rightly heralded. Bob's legacy went beyond his impressive 
representation of the co-ops' interest before Congress. He successfully 
encouraged the electric cooperatives to broaden their agenda, and 
provide even more services for their communities.
  Because of Bob's keen interest in the rural agenda, thousands of 
well-paying rural jobs have been created by the member-owned electric 
cooperatives. Bob's 11-year tenure saw electric cooperatives provide 
rural television, because cable companies saw no profit in serving the 
backroads of rural America.
  He promoted programs at REA designed to provide better educational 
opportunities for rural young people and to improve health care for 
rural residents. And he successfully ensured that electric cooperatives 
were positioned to provide water and waste water projects to unserved 
areas of our country.
  Bob Bergland's efforts did more than keep the lights of rural America 
burning--he made our future brighter as well.
  Bob and Helen Bergland are going home. I ask my colleagues to join me 
in wishing all the best to this terrific couple--and expressing our 
thanks to a man who did so much to make our rural homes a better place 
to live.

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