[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 10 (Thursday, January 30, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S907-S908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RETIREMENTS OF ARTHUR CURRAN, DONN LARSON, AND RICHARD GIBBONS

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Resolution 36 
presented earlier today by myself and Senator Daschle.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 36) relative to the retirements of 
     Arthur Curran, Donn Larson, and Richard Gibbons.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, when the First Congress convened in 1789, 
one of the more pressing problems for the Senate was its inability to 
keep a majority of Members in the Capitol long enough to establish a 
quorum, organize, and begin the business of Government. In response, 
the Senate established the Office of Doorkeeper. As the first officer 
of the Senate, the Doorkeeper's primary responsibilities were to keep 
Senators in and, as proceedings were held in closed session for the 
first 6 years, keep everyone else out.
  In 1795, the Senate began holding open sessions which required the 
opening of public galleries. And, once again, it fell to the 
Doorkeepers to maintain decorum and enforce the rules of the Senate.
  Mr. President, as I speak here today, and every day that the Senate 
is in session, there are more than a score of Doorkeepers, both on the 
floor of the Senate and dutifully standing post in the galleries. The 
Senate is grateful for the dedication and service of the ranks of the 
members of the Office of the Doorkeeper. In particular, I want to 
commend the service of three individuals who have given a cumulative 
service of nearly 70 years to the U.S. Senate.
  On behalf of the Senate I want to thank Messrs. Richard Gibbons, 
Arthur Curran, and Donn Larson. Regrettably, I am informed that each 
will retire at the end of this month.
  Arthur Patrick Curran has faithfully served the U.S. Senate as a 
Doorkeeper for the past 21 years. Initially appointed by Vice President 
Nelson

[[Page S908]]

Rockefeller in 1975, 6 years later he was promoted to Superintendent of 
Doorkeepers and has served in that capacity until his retirement in 
January 1997. In addition to his normal post at the Senate Chamber, Mr. 
Curran has performed his duties in numerous high profile Senate 
hearings, joint sessions, and Presidential inaugurations.
  Mr. Curran, a native of Washington, DC, has strong links to New 
England and a keen interest in politics. In fact with his tall stature, 
bow tie, and stately appearance, he is often confused for being a 
Senator. On several occasions, as visitors have left the gallery, they 
have congratulated him for his fine speech.
  Donn Larson, Deputy Superintendent of Doorkeepers, is also retiring 
after many years of dedicated service to the U.S. Senate. Donn started 
his career with the Senate under an appointment from Senator Milton 
Young (R-ND) in 1959. From 1961 to 1968, he worked in the Republican 
Cloakroom, assisting the Secretary to the Minority.
  From 1969 to 1977, Donn worked in the Federal Government. He served 
with the State Department Inspector General for Foreign Assistance, as 
well as with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. In 1977, 
Donn returned to the U.S. Senate, and in 1981 assumed the position of 
Deputy Superintendent of Doorkeepers.
  Richard Gibbons began service with the office of Doorkeeper in the 
94th Congress--1977. For a number of years, he served as the press 
liaison for the Doorkeeper's Office. During the 103d Congress, Richard 
was assigned to work solely on the Senate floor, assisting Members of 
the Senate.
  Each of us have known these men over the years for their tireless 
efforts in maintaining decorum of the Chamber and galleries and 
assisting Members on the floor of the Senate. Countless letters of 
appreciation have been written by our constituents thanking these men 
for there kindness and courtesies.
  On the occasion of their retirement from Federal service, I want to 
extend the very best wishes of the U.S. Senate and a grateful Nation.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, this resolution commends the service of 
three very important Senate staff members, members who have served this 
institution exceedingly well, in some cases for many years, even 
decades. I want to add my own commendation and congratulations to these 
three very distinguished members of our Senate family.
  Arthur Curran has been the Superintendent of Senate Doorkeepers for a 
long time. He was appointed by the Vice President in 1975, at that time 
Vice President Rockefeller, and has served as our Superintendent of 
Doorkeepers since 1981.
  Those duties involving his particular position are extraordinarily 
consequential and far-reaching. He is responsible for joint sessions of 
Congress. He is also responsible for high-profile Senate hearings, and 
all of the inaugurations, including the one just completed last week.
  He is a native of Washington, DC, and spent many summers in Maine as 
he was growing up. But over the time that I have had the good fortune 
to know him, Arthur has also proved to me to be a real connoisseur of 
good restaurants and has given me a lot of good tips over the years as 
to restaurants that I should try.
  But far more important than his knowledge of good restaurants in the 
area, Arthur Curran has an institutional knowledge and respect that 
will be impossible to replace.
  Arthur Curran leaves tomorrow with our good wishes, with our thanks, 
with our profuse respect. We thank him for a job well done. We 
encourage him to enjoy all of his new endeavors. And we thank those 
members of his family who have sacrificed, along with Arthur, that he 
might do the kind of job that he has now for more than 20 years.
  Donn Larson is the Deputy Supervisor of Doorkeepers. He, too, was 
appointed decades ago. He was first appointed by Senator Milton Young 
in 1959. He worked in the Republican Cloakroom from 1961 to 1968; and 
from 1969 to 1977 worked for the State Department and the Department of 
Health, Education, and Welfare.
  He returned to the U.S. Senate in 1977, and has been the Deputy 
Supervisor of the Doorkeepers, also, since 1981.
  Donn Larson, like Arthur Curran, knows this institution. He has 
watched Senators come and go. He has watched the progress of democracy 
and heard all of the noise of democracy each day with all of its 
volume. His civility, his cooperation, his extraordinary demeanor is 
something that we will miss, beginning on Monday.
  We again congratulate and commend Donn Larson for an extraordinary 
contribution to his country and for a remarkable career here in the 
U.S. Senate.
  Richard Gibbons--somebody we all know because he is right here on the 
floor--is a floor attendant. He began working for the Senate 
doorkeepers in 1977. For many years he worked as press liaison outside 
the President's room just off the Senate floor. And during the 103d 
Congress, Richard was moved out to the floor where he has helped 
Senators and staff and everybody else who has come through with 
whatever needs they might have. He has helped to keep order in the 
Chamber, and he has done an extraordinarily effective job.
  Richard Gibbons, too, deserves our thanks and deserves the respect 
that he has now earned on both sides of the aisle. We commend him. We 
thank him. We wish him well in all of his future endeavors as well.
  As I mentioned a moment ago, men and women who come to work with us 
in the Senate Chamber make an immense sacrifice, oftentimes in terms of 
the income they could acquire at jobs outside of Capitol Hill, in time 
spent here when they could be spending it with their families. We thank 
their families for the support that they have given them. We thank them 
for their understanding. We thank them for allowing us the opportunity 
and good fortune to work with them with the frequency and with the 
success that we have.
  So on this day it is with some sadness that we note the departure of 
Arthur Curran, Donn Larson, and Richard Gibbons. But with great 
enthusiasm, we wish them well as they take on new roles and new 
responsibilities and certainly many more opportunities in their lives 
ahead.
  I know this resolution will pass overwhelmingly, as it should, 
because Republicans and Democrats owe these three individuals a very 
deep sense of gratitude.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the resolution 
appear at this point in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 36), with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 36

       Relative to the retirements of Arthur Curran, Donn Larson 
     and Richard Gibbons;
       Whereas Arthur Curran, Donn Larson and Richard Gibbons will 
     retire from the Senate on January 31, 1997;
       Whereas Arthur Curran was appointed as a Senate doorkeeper 
     in 1975 by Vice President Rockefeller;
       Whereas Arthur Curran rose to the post of superintendent of 
     doorkeepers and has dutifully served in that post for the 
     last 15 years;
       Whereas Donn Larson first began his Senate career under an 
     appointment from Senator Milton Young in 1959;
       Whereas Donn Larson served in the Republican cloakroom from 
     1961 to 1968, leaving to work in the Federal Government until 
     his return to the Senate in 1977, where he has served as 
     Deputy Supervisor of the doorkeepers since 1981;
       Whereas Richard Gibbons has served as a Senate doorkeeper 
     since 1977, acting as press liaison outside the President's 
     room just off the Senate floor;
       Whereas since the 103rd Congress Richard Gibbons has served 
     in the Senate Chamber and has diligently assisted both 
     Senators and staff alike in a myriad of tasks in addition to 
     his role of helping to maintain order in the Chamber;
       Whereas each of these three gentlemen has faithfully served 
     the Senate and they have carried out their duties with 
     efficiency and good nature;
       Now therefore be it resolved that the Senate extends its 
     thanks to Arthur Curran, Donn Larson, and Richard Gibbons for 
     their many years of dedicated service and wishes them well in 
     their future aspirations.
       The secretary of the Senate shall transmit a copy of this 
     resolution to Arthur Curran, Donn Larson, and Richard 
     Gibbons.
     
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