[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 12 (Tuesday, February 4, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E130-E131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          REMEMBERING JIM RICE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARTIN OLAV SABO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 4, 1997

  Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay tribute to the life of 
Jim Rice, a friend and fellow Minnesotan who so skillfully served his 
State and his community as a member of the Minnesota State Legislature 
for 26 years. Jim died unexpectedly in October at age 71. But it is not 
his death that I, his family, and his north Minneapolis community will 
remember most--rather it is his life and the colorful force of his 
personality.
  Jim Rice was often described as one of the last few characters to 
inhabit the Minnesota House. It's been said he could ``strip the bark 
off a debating opponent with verbal broadsides that used everything 
from Shakespeare to quotations of bar-stool philosophers on 
Minneapolis' north side.''
  I served with Jim in the Minnesota Legislature before coming to 
Congress, and I got to see him in action. He was not only a forceful 
orator on the House floor, but also a skilled legislator with a deep 
concern for working families, the poor, the arts, and the preservation 
of the rich history of north Minneapolis neighborhoods.
  Prior to serving in the legislature, Jim served as a Hennepin County 
Parks Commissioner, and before that as executive secretary to former 
Minnesota Gov. Karl Rolvaag. Earlier, he served in the infantry in 
World War II. Jim and his wife Jill made time to lovingly raise 8 
children, and later to spend time with their 11 grandchildren.
  I will close by including a letter Jim wrote to congratulate his 
grandson, John Conor Creber, for learning to read. It is a memento the 
family cherishes, and a vivid example of Jim's passion for learning. It 
shows the type of man Jim Rice was:

       Dear John Conor:
       When your pretty mama told Grandma Jilly that you had 
     learned to read the other night I wanted to get on the phone 
     right then to tell you how wonderful that news was to me. It 
     was so wonderful that I decided that writing to you would be 
     much better.
       With your hard work you have developed a gift or talent 
     that is greater than almost anything that will ever happen to 
     you. Your ability to read is better than any toy in the 
     world; it will never break. It is better than your sports 
     equipment; it will never wear out. It will never get lost or 
     go away from you; it will grow and grow all the days of your 
     life.
       It will be your best friend. It will help you to love other 
     people and they will love you. It will help you to help other 
     people and they will help you.
       It works like this; when you don't know something, you get 
     a book or a map or a pamphlet and you learn about it. You 
     don't ever have to be afraid or ashamed to say, ``I don't 
     know,'' because you will be able to read about it the first 
     chance you get.
       You will make more and better friends; everyone likes a 
     person who has read many books and articles because that 
     person is a delight with whom to be.
       Your reading will make you laugh and cry. It will make you 
     happy and sad. It will teach you about the whole world and 
     all the people in the world.
       You have always been one of the nicest boys I have ever 
     known. Now, you have the ability to give brightness to 
     everyone.

[[Page E131]]

       We are all very proud of you and thank you for your hard 
     work.
           With Love,
                                                          Grandpa.

  Mr. Speaker, Jim Rice will be missed, but not forgotten.

                          ____________________