[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SENATOR DAVID PRYOR

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, when I learned that Senator David Pryor 
was not planning on seeking reelection this year, I realized that few 
Members of this body have meant so much to the Nation while at the same 
time serving the people of their State.
  Back in 1951, at the age of 16, young David Pryor served as a page 
here in the Senate. Looking back, he summed it up this way: ``It was 
the first time I'd seen Washington, the first time I'd seen the 
Capitol, the first time I'd seen the Senate, and the first time I'd 
been in a taxicab.''
  Times have changed since 1951. Most of the faces that David Pryor saw 
during that initial visit are long gone. Some of the problems facing 
the Nation have been solved. New ones have arisen. But, since his 
election by the people of Arkansas in 1978, the same year I was first 
elected, Senator David Pryor has worked for this Nation's betterment. 
He is perhaps best known for his excellent work on behalf of the 
Nation's elderly citizens through the Senate Aging Committee, which he 
chaired for several years.
  The State of Arkansas has benefitted immeasurably from his service. 
Alongside men like Senators J. William Fulbright and Dale Bumpers, 
Senator Pryor has been an outstanding standard bearer of the legacy and 
tradition of those who have served Arkansas in the Senate.
  ``Smart as heck'' was how he described Senator Fulbright in 1951. It 
will be no surprise to read similar comments written by those pages who 
have encountered Senator Pryor during their service. He is also a true 
gentleman, and always treats others with respect and courtesy, traits 
that are all-too-often missing in today's harsh political climate.
  He is a man with deep ties to his State. He started his own newspaper 
in his home town after graduating from the University of Arkansas. He 
spent years as a country lawyer, serving everyone who walked in the 
door. In fact, as a lawyer, he participated in the famous coon case--an 
ownership dispute over a dog in which the judge allowed the dog to 
choose its own owner.
  The Senate itself has benefitted from the efforts of David Pryor. He 
has worked to maintain its dignity and unique style of debate and 
policymaking. He has served in the Senate for nearly 18 years. We came 
here together, and will leave together.
  Senator Pryor has made many contributions to both his constituents 
and his colleagues. We will wish him well as he leaves to enter a new 
phase of his life.

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