[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 60 (Friday, May 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO GEORGE W. JENKINS, JR.

 Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, my colleague, Senator Connie Mack, 
and I join in a special tribute to one of the great business leaders of 
this century and a pioneer entrepreneur in food retailing: Mr. George 
W. Jenkins, Jr.
  After a full and rewarding life, George Jenkins died peacefully in 
his sleep in Lakeland, FL, on April 8, 1996. He was 88.
  Today, we salute the memory of this outstanding person, who 
personified the economic expansion of Florida in the 20th Century and 
the commitment to excellence in commerce.
  On the eve of the Great Depression, George Jenkins invested funds he 
had been saving to buy a car in the first Publix grocery store. That 
was 1930. Since then, Publix has evolved into one of the largest 
supermarket operations in the Nation, with more than 500 stores in 
Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, and annual sales exceeding $9 
billion.
  Publix employees affectionately referred to their founder as ``Mr. 
George.'' Consumer Reports, in 1993, rated Publix tops in America in 
customer service.
  In most endeavors, the positive assessment of one's peers is perhaps 
the highest accolade. To say that George Jenkins' peers respected him 
would amount to understatement; they revered him as a genius in food 
retailing.
  George Jenkins will long be remembered for his business leadership, 
but also for his generosity and love of family. His philanthropy for 
United Way, the Boy Scouts of America, and other beneficiaries touched 
countless lives.
  Florida is a better place and America is a stronger nation because 
George Jenkins shared his special talents and his giving spirit through 
much of this century.

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