[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 17, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S961]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                            WALTER SHERIDAN

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise to say a few words about Walter 
Sheridan, a long-time Senate investigator and friend who passed away 
last Friday morning.
  Walter--he hated for anyone to call him ``Mr.'' Sheridan--first made 
his mark on the national scene in the mid-1950's. when he went to work 
on the Senate Permanent Investigations Subcommittee as an investigator 
for Chief Counsel Robert Kennedy in the subcommittee's probe of 
organized crime and labor racketeering. As Attorney General, Robert 
Kennedy took Walter with him to the Justice Department, where Walter 
headed the unit that successfully prosecuted Teamsters Union President 
James Hoffa. During those days, Walter attained a well-deserved 
reputation as a resourceful and tenacious investigator.
  I came to know and admire Walter Sheridan later in his career, when 
he came back to the Hill in the 1970's to work as chief investigator 
for my friend Senator Edward Kennedy, first on the Judiciary Committee 
and later on the Labor and Human Resources Committee. In these roles, 
Walter was the chief staffer on hearings that led to significant 
improvements in the operation of the Food and Drug Administration, the 
Mine Health and Safety Agency, and other Federal offices.
  When we were on opposite sides of issues, as our philosophies and 
politics often dictated, I found Walter to be a tough but honorable 
adversary. When our interests coincided, as they did on a number of 
oversight issues, I found him to be a strong and dependable ally. He 
was a man of integrity, foresight, and, always, good humor.
  My warmest sympathies go out to Mrs. Sheridan and the family. Walter 
Sheridan was a man, operating mostly behind the scenes, who made a 
difference in the performance of Government. His work will be carried 
on by a whole generation of investigators, on both sides of the aisle, 
who benefited from their association with Walter Sheridan. His 
professionalism set a high standard for public service for all of us to 
follow.


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