[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 13 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S1038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO W. PROCTOR JONES

 Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
Senate institution, Proctor Jones. His hard work and exceptional 
service have left a lasting mark on the Senate, and he will be sorely 
missed.
  I have known and worked with Proctor Jones since I began my service 
in the Senate. After having served with one of the giants of the 
Senate--Senator Richard Russell--Proctor Jones has gone on to become a 
giant in his own right. His vast knowledge of appropriations has made 
him an invaluable asset to the committee. Since he began in 1960, his 
only time away from the Senate came in 1966, when he left Senator 
Russell's staff to serve in the Marine Corps. Apart from this brief 
hiatus, Proctor has been a part of the day-to-day operations of the 
Senate, and it will not be the same without him.
  A native of Twin City, GA, Proctor came to work as Senator Russell's 
right-hand-man immediately after graduation from the University of 
Georgia. As he rose through the ranks on the Hill, Proctor found time 
to further his education at the George Washington University. In 
essence, he never stopped being a student, particularly of the Senate 
and its appropriations process.
  In 1971, when he joined the Committee on Appropriations, Proctor 
quickly became a part of the staff leadership. Under every Democratic 
chairman since 1973, he has been the staff director for the 
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and, under Chairmen 
McClellan and Stennis, Proctor was deputy staff director of the full 
committee. Serving under some of the most distinguished chairmen of 
this venerable committee--Senators Russell, Ellender, McClellan, 
Magnuson, Stennis, Byrd, and Hatfield--Proctor distinguished himself as 
a genius of compromise and an expert on the budget.
  While the Senate has changed and evolved during Proctor's long 
tenure, he never lost his fervor for his job. Tireless is an adjective 
often used to describe public servants, but Proctor epitomizes this 
description. His seemingly endless supply of energy and love for the 
Senate made him a constant presence even at the latest of the late-
night sessions. This veteran of the Senate has been intimately involved 
with the annual appropriations bills, as well as handling innumerable 
continuing resolutions, supplemental appropriations, and rescissions 
bills, and other measures relating to the appropriations process. Those 
of us who devote time to the task of appropriation know how grueling it 
can be. Through it all, Proctor Jones devoted himself completely, using 
his vast expertise in the service of his country.
  In addition to his Senate work, Proctor is an active member of his 
church and community. He is also the proud father of two daughters, 
Heather and Lisa. It is my pleasure to speak today in tribute to 
Proctor Jones, and I wish him every happiness in his 
retirement.

                          ____________________