[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 56 (Monday, April 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4362-S4363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WALTER MONTGOMERY: THE PASSING OF A LEGEND

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
pay tribute to a man who set the example for excellence and 
competitiveness in the textile industry. Walter Montgomery, Sr., was 
the godfather of textiles in South Carolina. He is the reason that we 
have an outstanding textile industry today. Anyone who came into 
contact with Mr. Walter could tell you that he was a real legend--and 
not only as a force in the Nation's textile industry. An outstanding 
figure in the field of community service, he helped countless numbers 
of people in his native Spartanburg County during his 95 years.
  Walter Montgomery was born in Spartanburg in 1900. He began working 
at Spartan Mills, founded by his grandfather, Captain John H. 
Montgomery, in 1922. In 1929, after the death of his father, Walter 
Montgomery became president. He passed on the title to his son in 1972, 
and took his place as the chairman of Spartan Mills. In this capacity, 
he was one of the Nation's top textile executives and led the industry 
toward modernization.
  Mr. Walter, as he was known affectionately, was a firm believer in 
the value of associations and institutes. He served as the president or 
chairman of just about every textile group there was, from the South 
Carolina Textile Manufacturers Association to what is now called the 
American Textile Manufacturing Institute. In 1989, Montgomery was named 
``Textile Leader of the Year'' by Textile World Magazine. It selected 
him not so much for his impressive management skills within his own 
company, but for his unselfish leadership of the industry as a whole.
  Talk to anyone about Walter Montgomery and they will tell you about 
his outstanding leadership. Through his tireless efforts in the 
industry and the boundless energy he dedicated to the community, Mr. 
Walter earned the respect of everyone. Working with organizations such 
as the Spartanburg County Foundation, United Way, Junior Achievement, 
and Wofford College, he created a bridge between business

[[Page S4363]]

and humanitarianism. He was also an active member of the Episcopal 
Church of the Advent, and once served as scoutmaster of the church's 
Boy Scout troop.
  If it sounds unusual for one of the Nation's top textile executives 
to have this active an extracurricular schedule, it is. Walter 
Montgomery was an extraordinary man. He had a sincere love for the 
textile industry, and he passed on his enthusiasm to all the workers 
and executives he knew. He believed in education, and contributed time 
and money to the establishment and maintenance of educational 
institutions. Among his beneficiaries were Wofford College, Converse 
College, the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg and what is now 
the Spartanburg Methodist College, which his father had been 
instrumental in forming.
  I will miss his vigor, drive, and wise advice. He was an example to 
me of how one can balance work and charity. Peatsy joins me in sending 
our condolences to his family along with our gratitude for the many 
lives he touched in South Carolina.

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