[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
                   TRIBUTE TO SENATOR HARLAN MATHEWS

  Mr. SASSER. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to reflect on the 
contributions of my esteemed friend and colleague, Senator Harlan 
Mathews, who will be leaving the Senate at the end of the session.
  President Woodrow Wilson once said,

       There is no cause so sacred as the cause of a people. There 
     is no idea so uplifting as the cause of humanity.

  In a State rich in patriotism and duty, Harlan Mathews has been one 
of Tennessee's most dedicated public servants. He leaves behind him a 
legacy of service that challenges all who follow.
  Senator Mathews began his illustrious career in public service in 
1950 as a member of the planning staff of Governor Gordon Browning. And 
in 1954, he was named to the budget staff of Governor Frank Clement.
  Senator Mathews also served for 10 years as Commissioner of Finance 
under Governors Clement and Buford Ellington--the longest tenure of any 
commissioner of that department.
  Harlan Mathews kept breaking records, and in 1974, he was elected 
State Treasurer and served in that office for a record 13 years.
  Then in 1987, Harlan Mathews joined the staff of Governor McWherter 
as Deputy to the Governor, serving as Secretary of the Cabinet until 
his appointment to the Senate in January 1993.
  Like many of our best public servants, Harlan is a modest man--a man 
of the people who never forgot his Alabama and Tennessee roots.
  Senator Mathews brings a great spirit of humanity to the task of 
government. He brought to the Senate that tough compassion, tenacity 
and quiet strength that is characteristic of our great people.
  Through a keen mind and dint of hard work, Senator Mathews served 
well the people of Tennessee during his all too brief tenure in the 
United States Senate.
  I certainly could not have asked for a greater ally for deficit 
reduction than Senator Mathews. And he certainly can take a well 
deserved bow for his role in passing the largest deficit reduction 
package in history and for helping to fire up the engines of economic 
growth, creating tens of thousands of new jobs in Tennessee over the 
past 20 months.
  Senator Mathews and I did not always agree on the various issues 
brought before this great body. But our differences of opinion 
certainly ended when it came to Tennessee.
  There could be no greater advocate of Tennessee than Senator Mathews. 
There could no more dogged supporter of the Volunteer State, its people 
and its commerce than Senator Mathews.
  Senator Mathews and I worked closely to bring the first non-stop air 
route from Nashville to London. And we worked side-by-side to provide 
for the civilian use of the Millington Naval Air Station.
  Few people outside of this body know that Senator Mathews has the 
distinction of serving on three major Senate Committees: Energy and 
Natural Resources, Foreign Relations, and Commerce, Science and 
Transportation.
  He used his seat on those Committees as a voice for his fellow 
Tennesseans. Whether it was promoting foreign trade or R&D at Oak 
Ridge, preserving the Great Smoky Mountain National Park or helping our 
transportation industry maintain its competitive edge, Harlan Mathews 
was Tennessee's champion.
  Like all of my colleagues, I wish Senator Mathews and his wonderful 
wife Patsy all the best in their future plans.
  And I am sure Senator Mathews will be adding to the impressive list 
of accomplishments and contributions which I so briefly touched upon 
today.
  Mr. President, I am proud to have called Harlan Mathews 
``colleague.''

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