[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 87 (Friday, July 1, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       HONORING CURTIS L. CARLSON

  Mr. DURENBERGER. While I regret that a commitment to the health-care-
giving communities in Moorhead and Duluth on July 7 makes it impossible 
for me to be with his family and friends on this day, I rise to salute 
in anticipation of their celebration the 80th anniversary of the birth 
of Curtis L. Carlson.
  In spirit, we will celebrate with him the anniversary of his birth 
into the journey of life; as a celebration of the journey itself with 
all its joys, victories and accomplishments.
  Mr. Carlson is yet another great figure in our society who began with 
little, yet accomplished so much. Curt Carlson rose from humble origins 
to seeping successes in family and business; achieving community and 
nationwide admiration.
  As a boy in Morningside, MN, Curt subcontracted paper routes to his 
younger brothers and neighborhood boys while managing the largest paper 
route in town. In 1938 he married Arleen, whom he met while attending 
the University of Minnesota, and with whom he recently celebrated their 
56th wedding anniversary. Working side-by-side with Arleen in the same 
year, he started the Gold Bond Stamp Co. in Minneapolis, signaling the 
beginnings of a brilliant entrepreneurial career based on the premise 
that incentive motivates high achievement.
  The $50 he borrowed to start his first company has since grown into a 
multinational corporation that this year will see $11 billion in global 
revenue. Curt's hospitality, marketing and travel companies and its 
franchises now employ 100,000 people worldwide, and he recently made an 
agreement that will form the largest travel company in the world.
  Curt has been called a ``passionate Minnesotan'' with a great love 
for our State and the people who live and work in it. The son of 
Swedish immigrants, his activities have ranged back to the homeland his 
parents shared with thousands of his fellow Minnesotans. He has been 
bestowed the Medal of Honor by the King of Sweden, is a member of the 
Swedish Roundtable and was once named ``Swedish American of the Year.''
  In Minnesota he involved himself with unsurpassed vigor and 
generosity. He was an original supporter of the Hubert H. Humphrey 
Institute and chaired the largest-ever private fund-raising campaign 
for the University of Minnesota. Founded in his name was the Carlson 
School of Management, with Curt has promised will soon be the top 
management school in the Nation.
  Some of his proudest accomplishments are embodied in his family, 
including two daughters, seven grandchildren and eight great-
grandchildren. His spectacular daughters, Barbara Carlson Gage and 
Marilyn Carlson Nelson, vice chair of Carlson Cos., have not only grown 
to play vital roles in the family business, but possess the same 
qualities that continue to guide Curt through his long and prosperous 
life.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

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