[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 56 (Monday, March 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4655-S4656]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  TRIBUTE TO GOVERNOR MIKE O'CALLAGHAN

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, today, I rise as a matter of personal 
privilege to share with the Senate a Nevadan whose life is a role model 
for all Americans. This man, Mike O'Callaghan, has not only had an 
impact on me personally, but also the State of Nevada, our country, and 
many parts of the world. Mike O'Callaghan is a man of unbridled energy 
who has had an enviable and remarkable career as a war hero, an 
educator, a public servant, a distinguished State Governor, a newspaper 
editor and publisher, and a citizen of the world.
  I first met Mike O'Callaghan in 1956 when he began teaching U.S. 
Government classes at Basic High School in Henderson, NV. He had been 
decorated as a marine in the Korean conflict and was awarded 2 Purple 
Hearts, a Bronze Star with valor, and a Silver Star for heroism. 
Unfortunately, he had also lost a leg in battle, but he never used that 
injury as an excuse.
  I learned a lot about government from Mr. O'Callaghan, but I learned 
more about life. He was my boxing coach, my adviser, my mentor, and my 
friend. And he was largely responsible for helping me obtain 
scholarships and personally assisting me with money to go to college.
  This was not unusual, for Mr. O'Callaghan took an active interest in 
all of his students and pushed all of them to do their best. We stood 
in awe of him, we feared him, and we deeply respected him, and all of 
us students were better because of him.
  While I was away in college and law school, Mike continued working 
for 
[[Page S4656]] others as Las Vegas chief probation officer and as 
Nevada's first director of health and human services. He also worked in 
various capacities in the Federal service including being a program 
management director at Job Corps and also leading region 9 of the 
Office of Emergency Preparedness, the predecessor to the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency.
  In 1970, as a distinct underdog, he ran for Governor of Nevada and in 
one of the State's biggest upsets, he was elected chief executive of 
the State. That same year, I was fortunate to have been elected 
Lieutenant Governor. Once again, Mike O'Callaghan took me under his 
wing as my mentor and teacher. He guided the State through turbulent 
times and provided the kind of leadership that only one of his strength 
and determination could.
  After leaving the Governor's mansion, Mike O'Callaghan returned to 
the private sector but he never left public life. He
 became editor of the Las Vegas Sun, and as publisher of the Henderson 
Home News and the Boulder City News, Governor O'Callaghan has been a 
staunch advocate for working people, for families, and for the 
community. He upholds the great principle that ``The vital measure of a 
newspaper is not its size, but its spirit--that is, its responsibility 
to report the news fully, accurately and fairly.''

  In addition, Governor O'Callaghan has worked tirelessly to help those 
in underdeveloped countries to be more democratic and economically 
viable. He has served as a peace negotiator in Central America, 
monitored elections in Iraq, and facilitated distribution of food and 
humanitarian supplies all over the world. Whether it is working with 
Mosquito Indians in Nicaragua, refugees in Iraq, or impoverished 
residents of Mexico, Mike O'Callaghan has indeed proven himself to be a 
citizen of the world, and he has been revered everywhere he has 
traveled.
  But his best work in a foreign land has been his assistance to the 
people of Israel. From his role as a tank mechanic to his position of 
cabinet adviser, the people of Israel have always benefited from his 
involvement.
  I am proud to have Mike as my friend and he continues to be my 
teacher. He and his wife, Carolyn, and their five wonderful children 
have made Nevada a better place for all of us who live there. They have 
given much more than they will ever get in return. In fact, Mike 
O'Callaghan's most noteworthy contribution to me has been the example 
he has set as a father and grandfather.
  On April 2, 1995, Governor O'Callaghan will be honored by Hadassah 
for his unceasing efforts on behalf of others. I want the entire 
country to know of Mike's achievement and to join those of us in Nevada 
in paying tribute to this great leader.


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