[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 63 (Thursday, May 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   J.P. ``JAY'' HUMPHREYS, 1923-1993

  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, it is my regret to announce the death of a 
man of principle and integrity, a man who dedicated his life to the 
preservation of freedom.
  Jay Humphreys died on October 6, 1993, in Joplin, MO, where he had 
lived for 38 years. He was 70.
  He was a man who lived his life according to his principles--all of 
which sprung from his cornerstone belief in the God-given right to 
freedom.
  Jay Humphreys was born September 13, 1923, in Raymond, KS.
  He graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor of science 
in business administration.
  In 1956, he joined TAMKO Asphalt Products, Inc. He served as the 
company's president from 1960 until his death. During his tenure as 
president, he turned TAMKO from a small local business into a national 
concern with seven manufacturing plants, providing jobs for over 1,000 
employees.
  Throughout his life, Jay Humphreys took to heart Thomas Paine's 
admonition that ``those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom 
must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.''
  As a businessman, Jay Humphreys promoted freedom by becoming a 
pioneer in the movement to make the workplace consistent with the 
values of a free society.
  In his role as employer, he stood up for the liberty and integrity of 
his employees, never forcing them to join or support a union, Jay 
Humphreys believed that the decision whether to support or join a union 
ought to rest with each individual.
  It was because of his commitment to employee freedom that in 1981 he 
was elected to the board of trustees of the National Right to Work 
Legal Defense Foundation. He served on the board until his death.
  In his lifetime, Jay Humphreys played many roles: father, husband, 
community leader, employer, businessman. But in all parts of his life, 
he was first and foremost a champion for freedom. For all this, he 
shall be remembered and missed.

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