[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 11, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      TRIBUTE TO THOMAS H. WATKINS

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, all of us probably have had, if we were 
lucky, a few talented people who have inspired us or guided us in the 
early part of our careers and whose influence helped make us what we 
are today. One of those special people in my life was Thomas H. 
Watkins, the managing partner of the law firm I joined in Jackson, MS 
when I graduated from law school.
  He died on May 1, at 83 years of age. Because of a stroke he had 
suffered in 1978, the same year I was elected to the Senate, he had 
been unable to speak or practice law for the last 16 years of his life.
  He was a brilliant lawyer with impeccably good judgment. He was 
respected by all who know him. In our State his advice and counsel were 
sought by local and State government officials and a large number of 
business and individual clients.
  It was my very good fortune to have had the opportunity of working in 
his firm for 7 years, from 1965 until my election to the U.S. House of 
Representatives in 1972.
  I learned so much from him. He set a wonderful example, and I admired 
him tremendously. He was the epitome of dependability, integrity, and 
propriety.
  At his funeral on May 3, two of the partners in the firm, William F. 
Goodman, Jr., and Paul H. Stephenson III gave heart warming and 
insightful eulogies which described so well the life and legacy of my 
departed friend and mentor. I ask unanimous consent that their remarks 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the eulogies were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             Eulogy By William F. Goodman, Jr., May 3, 1994

     Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul,
     May keep the path, but he'll not reach the goal.

     While he who walks in love may wander far,
     But God will bring him where the blessed are.

       All of us are marked by those who preceded us. Thomas Henry 
     Watkins was no exception. I venture to say his faith, his 
     character, his ability, his versatility, his commitment to 
     hard work, his achievements and accomplishments were 
     motivated by the tradition of his family. Although he was a 
     city boy, his was the first generation not to have been 
     reared in the country--dating back to 1802 when Asa Watkins 
     settled in Jefferson County near Rodney and next to the land 
     of Willis McDonald. Asa married Willis McDonald's daughter, 
     Sarah. Their son, Tom's great grandfather, Dr. William H. 
     Watkins, became a Methodist preacher serving throughout the 
     Conference and ultimately in Natchez. Tom's grandfather, for 
     whom he was named, went to the civil war at age 14, 
     accompanied by a black friend, farmed until his untimely 
     death at age 46 and left eight children, among them teachers, 
     a missionary, physicians and lawyers. I suspect that Tom 
     always wanted to be a lawyer because his father, Will 
     Watkins, and his uncle, Vaughan Watkins, enjoyed almost 
     unparalleled success at the Jackson bar during the first half 
     of this century.
       Tom grew up in the beautiful house on North State Street, 
     where the Watkins Medical Building now stands. He loved the 
     woods, and a favorite spot was the forest across the street--
     the vast areas between what are now Euclid and Gillespie 
     streets. Tom's love of the woodlands never faded. The same 
     was true of his love for animals. I never knew of Tom not 
     having a pet. According to writings of my mother, one of his 
     three sisters, Tom's first act of rebellion directed toward 
     his own mother concerned the issue of whether Tom's dog could 
     sleep indoors or outdoors. Tom's summation: ``Dogs is good as 
     peoples.''
       My grandfather, Tom's father, used to say that Tom as a 
     youth only walked as a last resort. He rode whenever 
     possible, be it a pony, a mule, a goat, finally a 
     convertible. Yet that same young man won a track medal for 
     Carolina in Madison Square Garden. His father believed in 
     education and sent him off to McCauley and then to Chapel 
     Hill. Imagine his pride when Tom returned with a Phi Beta 
     Kappa Key.
       Yes, Tom was marked by those who preceded him, most 
     directly by parents who not only proclaimed faith in God but 
     lived that faith. The home of Margaret and Will Watkins 
     provided an atmosphere of generosity--generosity with their 
     possessions, with their counsel, with their compassion, with 
     their sense of humor (which, incidentally, was priceless).
       In turn, Tom left his own distinct marks. Let me mention 
     just three.
       1. He left his mark on the law. Tom was true to his 
     heritage. Blessed with keen perception, the gift of logic and 
     the highest ideals, he achieved a reputation nationwide for 
     outstanding ability and courtroom success. Some people are 
     natural athletes--some are natural musicians. Tom Watkins was 
     a natural lawyer. Leaders in business came to him, often when 
     the ox was in the ditch. Instinctively, he would separate the 
     wheat from the chaff, go to the heart of the matter, and 
     craft a solution. He was never a politician, but his opinion 
     carried real weight in the halls of government. It was never 
     unusual to see among spectators in the courtroom young 
     lawyers watching Tom Watkins to see how it was done. A man's 
     competitors can be his harshest critics, but Tom was admired 
     throughout the profession as being genuinely a ``lawyer's 
     lawyer.'' His name became synonymous with the best. Today, as 
     we say farewell, we say ``Thank you, Tom, for that legacy of 
     excellence.''
       2. He left his mark on his family. Each one here, I 
     suspect, has felt his influence in one or more ways, and each 
     of you is here to both bid farewell and to say ``thank you.'' 
     Aunt Emily, now the last of the five siblings, if I may 
     personalize, is saying ``thank you'' for a brother of whom 
     she has always been justly proud. Norma, M.E. and Sydney, and 
     the grandchildren, have received the most significant legacy 
     of all--that of a good and respected name--all of you are 
     saying ``thank you'' for a life that has always made it 
     perfectly natural to heed the Biblical admonition: ``Honor 
     thy Father. . . .''
       3. Finally, if you will allow it, he left his mark on me. 
     He was not only my uncle; he was my mentor, my partner, my 
     friend. He afforded me a special place in his life. He didn't 
     wet nurse anybody. He turned me loose to sink or swim. He was 
     tough (there were times when you stayed out of the way)--but 
     he was there in moments of triumph or disaster. Saturday 
     mornings were special--a time for me to ask, to learn, and 
     often a time to relax and to laugh. Saturday afternoons were 
     sacred and off limits; that was his time to be with his 
     friends and avid bridge players. Sunday afternoons would find 
     him in the library--#2 pencil--yellow pad--doing his own 
     research--preparing what was always a concise, logical search 
     to achieve the goal of the client consistent with common 
     sense, with legal precedent and indeed with moral standards. 
     He was never interested in being the most expensive lawyer in 
     town--just the best. he was consistently unselfish. He 
     underpaid himself. He overpaid me. He never asked me to work 
     any harder than he worked. He experienced genuine vicarious 
     satisfaction any time I was successful, or lucky.
       He had a ``Field of Dreams'' concept of the true lawyer. 
     ``Work on whatever you have and don't worry about what you 
     don't have. Something else will come along if you do a good 
     job.'' The idea of advertising and slick marketing would have 
     offended him. The people who trash lawyers never had the 
     chance to know Tom Watkins.
       His stroke in 1978 (Easter Day) was such a loss. That 
     tragedy silenced the voice of the best trial advocate I have 
     ever known. But still he was there. His presence continued to 
     project for me authority, power, knowledge, affection, love. 
     The look in his eye said ``I'm counting on you.'' We 
     continued to silently share the common thread that began so 
     long ago--our lifelong commitment to carry on the tradition 
     which his father and my grandfather began some 99 years ago.
       Did Tennyson really mean it?

     Sunset and evening star,
     And one clear call for me!
     And may there be no
     moaning of the bar,
     When I put out to sea.

     Twilight and evening bell,
     And after that the dark!
     And may there be no
     sadness of farewell
     When I embark

       This morning Edwina said to me. ``Try not to be too sad. 
     Today Tom is talking up a storm.''
                                  ____


             Eulogy by Paul H. Stephenson III, May 3, 1994

       May I share with you this morning some thoughts about Tom 
     Watkins from one of perhaps another generation, thoughts 
     about Mr. Watkins as a senior partner and the legacy he 
     leaves--those whom he led and the many who follow thereafter.
       My thoughts return to the mid 1970s, to Mr. Watkins, age 
     65, 66, 67 years young at work, at his desk every morning at 
     7:15 A.M. I, being barely one-third his age, was, naturally, 
     some might say, there before 7:00 A.M. I might add that there 
     are a number of others here this morning who were likewise 
     there before 7:00 A.M. Were we intimidated? No, all of you 
     who know Mr. Watkins would understand that he never gave a 
     directive concerning what time we were to be at work; he 
     never even suggested a time. Quite simply, it was just that 
     the discipline, the energy being dedicated to the legal 
     practice by such a distinguished gentleman at the top of his 
     profession could not go unnoticed by us as young lawyers.
       One of the signature features of Mr. Watkins was how he 
     assigned work to young people. Very simply; very directly. He 
     merely would tear a corner from a yellow legal sheet, clip 
     this small piece of paper to the file with this note: 
     ``Please acknowledge and handle. THW.'' Not let's discuss; no 
     invitation that said come see me; certainly no suggestions 
     about how we should proceed. Now, you may rest comfortably 
     that these were not landmark cases, but they were important 
     to us as young lawyers. Moreover, they were important to Mr. 
     Watkins, for every client matter was important to him. We 
     soon appreciated Mr. Watkins' conviction that young law 
     school graduates become lawyers, not vicariously, but by 
     first independently being the ones to apply their own 
     analytical and reasoning abilities to the legal problem at 
     hand, by assuming genuine responsibility personally, by being 
     real decision-makers.
       Perhaps nothing better typifies the esteem in which Mr. 
     Watkins was held, or the doors he opened for those privileged 
     to be associated with him, than the frequent refrain we 
     commonly heard from around the state. Young lawyers, and 
     sometimes even older lawyers, are not totally comfortable in 
     the presence of judges. Young lawyers may sometimes even be 
     ill at ease in the presence of older lawyers. Yet, as we 
     traveled the state and entered unfamiliar judicial 
     surroundings, the introductions would often go something like 
     this: ``Good morning, Your Honor, my name is Paul Stephenson; 
     I work for Watkins & Eager.'' Then, time after time, from 
     judge after judge, from respected lawyer after respected 
     lawyer would come this spontaneous reply: ``You work for Tom 
     Watkins.'' ``Yes, sir, I do.'' ``What a lawyer, a lawyer's 
     lawyer, what a gentleman.'' While not necessarily overtly 
     stated, the message was always clear: young man, you can do 
     no better than to set your goals by Tom Watkins' star.
       And certainly we did strive to follow his example. We would 
     scour the office for deposition transcripts, trial 
     transcripts reflecting Mr. Watkins' witness examinations. I 
     can remember studying those transcripts, even concluding--no 
     doubt out of utter naivety or some might say foolish 
     optimism--that I would have thought of those brilliant 
     questions he asked, that I can ask those same brilliant 
     questions. But soon sober judgment would make me realize, or 
     worse yet actual experience would confirm the realization, 
     that as you yourself would conclude, it was not just the 
     question that Mr. Watkins asked, but when he asked it; how he 
     asked it; the witness control he maintained; and the sheer 
     power of his presence that marked his brilliance.
       I must say that many times I have thought about what it 
     would have been like had Mr. Watkins not suffered his 
     disabling stroke in 1978. If he had remained in that corner 
     office--if we could have continued to work for him, to learn 
     from him, to sense the stability of his presence, to feel the 
     warmth of his smile; if we could have simply continued to 
     enjoy his company. But that was not to be.
       Of course, many of us have indelibly sketched in our minds 
     pictures of the joyful countenance, the endearing 
     expressions, the radiating warmth that Mr. Watkins remarkably 
     displayed from his wheelchair throughout his disability.
       Yet there is another scene, a very real sense in which Mr. 
     Watkins' presence and his influence remained with us after 
     his stroke and will so continue after his death. Our firm is 
     blessed today with substantial clientele from many decades 
     previous who first placed their confidence and trust in Tom 
     Watkins. Moreover, over the years I have watched others in 
     the firm, particularly Bill Goodman, share, promote, instill 
     and model those core philosophies of Mr. Watkins, not just 
     about the law practice, not just about law firms, but also 
     about people. Of course times have changed; certainly the law 
     practice has dramatically changed over these past 15 to 20 
     years; and our organization has necessarily adapted. But the 
     traits which mark the person of Tom Watkins--an unwavering 
     commitment to excellence, an insistence on professionalism, 
     fair expectations of others, mutually respectful 
     relationships not dependent on age or status of position, a 
     generous spirit--are clearly timeless in value. We will 
     always treasure them.
       May I say a thank you to the family. May I express publicly 
     not just on my individual behalf but on behalf of all who 
     have been associated with Watkins & Eager the warmest in 
     appreciation. Thank you for sharing your father, your 
     grandfather, your brother, your uncle, with us.
       Thanks be to God for the example, the leadership, the 
     friendship, the legacy and indeed for the life of Tom 
     Watkins.

                          ____________________