[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 11 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S394]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO ARTHUR GEORGE GASTON

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, thousands of people in Alabama and all 
over the country were deeply saddened by the death of Dr. Arthur George 
Gaston on January 19, 1996. He was one of the most successful 
businessmen of our time, as well as a generous philanthropist and civic 
leader who never forgot his humble beginnings.
  When I think of A.G. Gaston, many different facets of his life come 
to mind. Of course, his longevity, his business success, his compassion 
for the less fortunate, his lifelong battle for civil  rights,  and  
his  many  tangible contributions to his community, State, and Nation 
are things that stand out.
  But I am also reminded that Dr. Gaston was born on the Fourth of July 
in 1892. He shared his birthday with our Republic, and in many 
significant and profound ways, he and the Nation grew up and matured 
together during those more than 100 years of his lifetime. It was so 
fitting that he was born on the Fourth of July, the founding of our 
country, for he was truly the American dream personified.
  During his long and unusually productive life, Dr. Gaston helped 
countless young people obtain an education, supported numerous causes, 
including the civil rights movement, and inspired several generations 
to achieve great things through hard work, perseverance, and a 
commitment to lifelong learning. He served his church and his people 
with passionate dedication, energy, and wisdom.
  Just a few short years ago, as he celebrated the anniversary of his 
100th birthday, Dr. Gaston remarked, ``The Lord has seen fit to let me 
live to this age for a purpose and it is my hope that I have served him 
and my people as he wanted me to. I have lived a long life. I have 
received many blessings.''
  A.G. Gaston's life did indeed have purpose and meaning, so much so 
that it is difficult to capture them in words. Those who knew him, 
either directly or indirectly, knew what that purpose and meaning were 
by the example he set and by the tremendous contributions he made to 
those around him. He was a remarkable role model--a quintessential 
American success story. There is no doubt that he used his many gifts 
and blessings and served his fellow man in the way the Lord intended. 
In so doing, he became one of God's most generous gifts to us.
  Dr. Gaston will be greatly missed, but his legacy is one that will 
never fade. I ask unanimous consent that a Birmingham News editorial on 
his life and work be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From the Birmingham News, Jan. 21, 1996]

                          Arthur George Gaston


             His death is a monumental loss for Birmingham

       He was as much an icon of Birmingham as is Vulcan, and the 
     legend of A.G. Gaston was larger than life, as well.
       And like Birmingham's man of steel, it was easy to think 
     Gaston would be around forever.
       Friday morning, however, A.G. Gaston died in Medical Center 
     East at the age of 103, a monumental loss for the Birmingham 
     community.
       Born on the Fourth of July in 1892, the grandson of slaves 
     served in the Army with distinction during World War I, then 
     took a job working in a dry cleaning plant for $5 a week.
       At a time when black entrepreneurs were almost unheard of, 
     Gaston began a burial insurance business for black people 
     that mushroomed into an empire which eventually included real 
     estate, radio stations, funeral homes and a motel.
       During the 1960s, Gaston, because of his stature in the 
     community, became a key figure in tense negotiations between 
     black and white leaders as Martin Luther King's campaign in 
     Birmingham brought worldwide attention.
       Gaston actually worked behind the scenes to get King out of 
     town, until he saw firehoses tumble a little girl down the 
     street.
       Many will remember Gaston for his business acumen and how 
     he developed other black business people; for his rules for 
     success that sound almost quaint but still apply in today's 
     world (``Save a part of all you earn. Money doesn't spoil. It 
     keeps.''); for his role in Birmingham's civil rights 
     struggles; for virtually giving away his empire to employees 
     in the 1980s; for his work with the city's Boys' Clubs of 
     America.
       Perhaps the best way to remember Gaston, though, is the way 
     former Mayor David Vann recalled him Friday.
       Gaston's greatest attribute, Vann said, was that ``he 
     proved a person in a very suppressed minority, with little 
     formal education, could lead a very successful life and 
     proved to our society that a good person can set important 
     standards for the society in which he lives.''
       He will be missed.

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