[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 64 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S4951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN HONOR OF M.D. PORTMAN OF COLUMBUS, OH

 Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, I rise today in tribute to a great 
American, a great Ohioan, and a man who might truly be called ``Mr. 
Columbus''--Maury Portman.
  On May 20, Maury will retire as a Columbus City Councilman--and thus 
close a career that has spanned not only 42 years in Columbus city 
government, but also 3l years on Council and l2 of those as council 
President.
  I think it's fair to say that no single individual has done more to 
help Columbus grow from a mid-sized town in the l950's to the Nation's 
l6th largest city in the l990's than M.D. Portman. Indeed, virtually 
every major piece of progress Columbus has made over the past few 
decades has Maury's fingerprints on it. He wrote and sponsored the 
legislation creating the Columbus Department of Development, sponsored 
the legislation allocating city funds for the arts, sponsored the 
legislation creating the Municipal Airport Authority that runs Port 
Columbus, established various committees to curb racial tensions in the 
city, helped plan the outerbelt expressway around Columbus, worked to 
bring the Columbus City Center development to fruition and tirelessly 
lobbied me and my colleagues here in Washington to obtain Federal funds 
for a variety of neighborhood renewal projects.
  In short, it can accurately be said of Maury Portman that Columbus 
could not have held the last half of the 20th century without him.
  I think the editors at his hometown newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch 
put it well when they said: ``Portman has been able to function so 
effectively because he never had a personal agenda. His energies were 
directed not to what would help him get ahead, but what was in the best 
interest of the community.''
  Mr. President, Maury Portman is a one-of-a-kind original. He 
personifies all that is best about public service. And the city of 
Columbus will miss his leadership greatly.
  I feel fortunate to have known and worked with Maury--and I am proud 
to call him my friend. And now that his retirement is imminent, I know 
I speak for thousands upon thousands of people in central Ohio when I 
say: ``Thank you, Maury.'' Thank you for caring; thank you for always 
giving your best; thank you for always being there. We all wish you and 
your beautiful wife, Alice, good luck and Godspeed in whatever you 
decide to do next. And please know that just as you always remembered 
Columbus, Columbus will never forget you.

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