[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 142 (Wednesday, September 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H8811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN HONOR OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN JAMIE WHITTEN

  (Mr. WICKER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WICKER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, America laid to rest one of our 
finest statesmen. Jamie Whitten, a dear friend and colleague to many 
Members of this House, was remembered in funeral services in 
Charleston, MS.
  Congressman Jamie Whitten served a record 53 years and 2 months in 
this body, rising to become the long-time dean of the House, and 
chairman of the Appropriations Committee. However, he never forgot his 
roots in rural America, serving ably as the chairman of the Agriculture 
Appropriations Subcommittee and becoming what many referred to as the 
permanent Secretary of Agriculture.
  I knew Jamie Whitten for 28 years, since I served as his page in 
1967. Mr. Whitten quietly earned the reputation for always being a 
gentleman during an era when many public figures gained attention by 
being flamboyant and divisive. Winston Churchill said that singleness 
of purpose and simplicity of conduct are powerful attributes of public 
servants. These were the qualities of Mr. Whitten.
  Mr. Whitten was never concerned with seeking the recognition he 
deserved. Perhaps there will be no monuments erected in his name, but 
today, across America, there are many quiet legacies he leaves behind.
  As one Mississippi newspaper stated yesterday,

       Jamie Whitten started his public service career when some 
     Mississippians still had eye-witness memories of the Civil 
     War and only dreamed of one day having electricity in their 
     homes. Today, farms across America are the breadbasket for 
     the world and schoolchildren in rural America can routinely 
     communicate from their homes via computers with people 
     halfway around the world.

  These are the silent monuments to a man who dedicated his life to 
this House and to this country. For that, his beloved State of 
Mississippi and his country will be forever grateful.


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