[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 119 (Wednesday, September 10, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO THOMAS E. WALDROP

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 10, 1997

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it gives my colleagues, Mr. Davis 
of Virginia and Mr. Wolf, and me great pleasure to rise today and pay 
tribute to Mr. Thomas E. Waldrop, an outstanding member of the northern 
Virginia community. Tom is this year's Founder's Award winner from the 
Northern Virginia Community Foundation. The Founder's Award is given 
annually to an individual who has demonstrated civic and humanitarian 
responsibility, and personal participation and leadership in northern 
Virginia community civic bodies. In addition, the award is presented to 
an individual who is contributing to improve the quality of life in 
northern Virginia through leadership in one or more of the following 
five areas: The arts, education, health, youth, and civic improvement.
  Tom is an individual who has made a very strong positive impact on 
northern Virginia as well as the entire State of Virginia. He is a 
Virginia native who was born in Montpelier, VA on April 8, 1937. He 
received his higher education from Virginia schools. Tom received a 
bachelor's degree in economics from Randolph-Macon College and a 
master's degree in business from Virginia Commonwealth University. Tom 
also served his country, and he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 
1958 to 1960.
  Tom is currently the president and chief executive officer for Media 
General Cable which is headquartered in northern Virginia. He has 
served in that position since 1984. Since that time, Tom has directed 
the development of one of the Nation's largest and most sophisticated 
cable television systems. Tom's career with Media General Corp. began 
in 1967 when he started with Richmond Newspapers. He was quickly 
promoted and appointed the operations manager of Media General 
Financial Services at the beginning of 1968. Tom went on to serve as 
their vice president and as assistant general manager. After his 
success with the Financial Services division, Tom moved to Media 
General's Piedmont Publishing Co. where he worked as their business 
manager, and eventually became the general manager. He left Piedmont 
when he moved to Media General Cable in northern Virginia.
  Tom has shown boundless energy and has made it a priority to work in 
his community to improve the quality of life for all of us. He works 
with a wide range of organizations that have made northern Virginia the 
dynamic, vibrant area it is. Northern Virginia's diverse community has 
grown dramatically since the early 1980's. It has been successful in 
maintaining a community atmosphere with the work of people like Tom.
  Tom works closely with both the northern Virginia arts and business 
communities. He is in his fourth term as chairman of the board of 
directors of the Arts Council of Fairfax County. He also remains on the 
board of directors for the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, the 
Fairfax County Public School's Business Advisory, the Fairfax Symphony, 
the Northern Virginia Community College Education Fund, the Northern 
Virginia Technology Council, the Tower Club, and the Wolf Trap 
Foundation. In addition to all of these associations, Tom has 
previously served as the director of the American Heart Association's 
Fairfax Board and has chaired the development committee for ``Spotlight 
on the Arts'' in the city of Fairfax. He continues to demonstrate his 
willingness to lead the northern Virginia community in a wide range of 
areas.
  Tom is also associated with a number of other activities where he 
volunteers his time and services to further enhance our community. He 
continues to work with the Northern Virginia Business Roundtable, the 
Virginia Opera's Northern Virginia advisory committee, and the 
corporate advisory committee for the Women's Center of Northern 
Virginia. Tom also works with national organizations to improve the 
quality of our cable television nationwide including serving on the 
board of directors for the National Cable Television Association and C-
SPAN, the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network.
  Mr. Speaker, we know our colleagues join us in honoring and thanking 
Tom Waldrop for his achievements in working to improve northern 
Virginia for all of its residents. We appreciate all of his work in 
making northern Virginia one of the finest places to live and work. For 
those of us that know of Tom's commitment to northern Virginia, it is 
no surprise that the Northern Virginia Community Foundation has decided 
to award him their prestigious Founder's Award at a gala on October 24, 
1997. It is a well deserved award.

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