[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 126 (Friday, September 19, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN RECOGNITION OF HARRY BELL

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of 
Harry Bell, a man well known to the people of South Carolina. We salute 
him as he retires in December as president of the South Carolina Farm 
Bureau Federation.
  Harry Bell is known throughout the State as a successful farmer. With 
his son, William, he operates a productive, 1,450 acre farm in Saluda 
County, on which he raises cattle and plants soybeans, cotton, small 
grains, and strawberries. But Harry Bell's activities extend far beyond 
farming. He also is a savvy and successful businessman, with a long 
career in banking and insurance.
  In fact, he began his business career as a bank clerk, currently 
serves on the local board of First Citizens' Bank, and has been 
president of the Palmetto Casualty Insurance Co. and director of the 
Ridge Banking Co.
  But it is for his work with South Carolina farmers that Harry Bell is 
best known. He has served as president of the South Carolina Farm 
Bureau since 1971; in that time, he helped South Carolina farmers 
weather droughts, high interest rates, and the increasingly 
overwhelming competition of large-scale commercial farms. During his 
tenure as president, Harry helped preserve the State's heritage of 
family-owned farms, while at the same time assisting farmers to 
mechanize and modernize their operations. It is partly as a result of 
his efforts that agriculture remains a key component of South 
Carolina's economy.
  Harry Bell's involvement with agriculture has not been confined to 
the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation. He also was president of the 
Saluda County Farm Bureau Federation for 4 years, and was vice 
president of the American Farm Bureau Federation from 1986-94. From 
1967-85, he was the farm representative on the South Carolina Water 
Resources Commission.
  Fortunately for us, Harry Bell has employed his prodigious talents 
and energies not just in the service of the farming community, but of 
the whole community. He must have filled his every waking moment with 
public service of one kind or another.
  He is active in his church, Johnston Presbyterian, having served as 
an elder and former deacon. He responded to another kind of call when 
his country summoned him to fight, serving on active duty in the U.S. 
Air Force from 1945-47 and from 1951-53. Additionally, he served in the 
Air Force Reserves until 1974, when he retired with the rank of 
lieutenant colonel.
  Harry Bell exemplifies the ideal of public service. His career has 
combined devotion to God, country, and community. Thanks to his 
stewardship, South Carolina farmers can look forward to many future 
harvests. It has been my good fortune to work with Harry Bell for over 
20 years on important issues affecting the farmers and economy of our 
State. We in South Carolina are proud to call him our own, and I am 
honored to salute him today.

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