[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE RALPH W. YARBOROUGH OF TEXAS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HENRY B. GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 4, 1997

  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, the recently concluded regular session of 
the 75th Texas Legislature adopted, and the Governor then signed, House 
Concurrent Resolution No. 318, in memory of the Honorable Ralph W. 
Yarborough, who represented the great State of Texas in the U.S. Senate 
from April 1957, when he was elected to fill an unexpired term, until 
he departed elective office in January of 1971.
  I am the only remaining member of the Texas delegation who had the 
privilege of serving with the late Senator Yarborough in the U.S. 
Congress, an honor which I had for more than 9 full years.
  As the dean of my State's delegation, and as one who deeply admired 
and respected the Honorable Ralph W. Yarborough, I would like to take 
the opportunity to pay tribute to this champion of the common citizen 
and outstanding public servant by having placed in the Record the full 
text if the Texas Legislature's House Concurrent Resolution No. 318, 
which is here attached:

                  House Concurrent Resolution No. 318

       Whereas, the passing of the Honorable Ralph Webster 
     Yarborough on January 27, 1996, at the age of 92, brought a 
     great loss to the family and many friends of this 
     distinguished native Texan and former member of the United 
     States Senate; and
       Whereas, he was born in 1903 in Chandler and attended Sam 
     Houston State College and the United States Military Academy 
     at West Point, New York; after teaching school for three 
     years, he enrolled in The University of Texas School of Law, 
     graduating from that institution with honors in 1927; and
       Whereas, a specialist in land law, he went on to become an 
     assistant attorney general and, in a landmark case, helped to 
     secure for the State's permanent school fund the interest 
     money on nearly 4,000,000 acres of land; he was a respected 
     jurist as well and served as a district judge in Austin 
     before becoming a presiding judge over 30 counties in Central 
     Texas; and
       Whereas, like many of his generation, Senator Yarborough 
     proudly served his country during World War II as a member of 
     the United States Army, and he rose through the ranks of the 
     military to become a lieutenant colonel; after the war ended, 
     he was named military governor of Japan's Honshu Province, 
     and his valor and meritorious service throughout his military 
     career earned him both the Bronze Star and the Battle Star; 
     and
       Whereas, in addition to his remarkable contributions in 
     these areas, Senator Yarborough will be well remembered for 
     his outstanding career in the United States Senate; he first 
     won election to that office in April of 1957 and went on to 
     serve his State, and nation with the utmost integrity and 
     distinction for 13 years; and
       Whereas, Senator Yarborough was inspired by the goals 
     advocated in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal 
     of the 1930's and 1940's; he truly envisioned himself as the 
     people's servant and was dedicated to restoring fairness, 
     justice, and economic opportunity for all Americans; indeed, 
     shortly before the November 22, 1963, assassination in 
     Dallas, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy said of the 
     prolific federal legislator: ``Ralph Yarborough speaks for 
     Texas in the United States Senate, and he also speaks for our 
     nation, and he speaks for progress for our people;'' and
       Whereas, a staunch advocate of equal rights, he earned 
     further distinction as the only Southern senator to vote for 
     the Civil Rights Act of 1964; he chaired the Labor and Public 
     Welfare Committee and sponsored or actively supported nearly 
     every piece of legislation in President Lyndon Johnson's 
     Great Society programs of the 1960's; and
       Whereas, Senator Yarborough's experience as a teacher 
     fostered his abiding commitment to public education; he was 
     instrumental in the creation of the country's first Bilingual 
     Education Act, and as the sponsor of a Cold War GI Bill, he 
     helped to extend education benefits to 5,000,000 veterans; 
     and
       Whereas, this illustrious statesman further enhanced the 
     quality of life of his fellow citizens through his work on 
     health care and social security legislation, and his 
     involvement extended to the area of natural resources as 
     well, for he helped to preserve the beauty of the South Texas 
     coast by authoring legislation establishing the Padre Island 
     National Seashore and many other national parks and preserves 
     in the state; and
       Whereas, firmly believing that every human being is best 
     viewed as an asset, rather than as a liability, this renowned 
     lawmaker's philosphy was quaintly summarized by his 
     frequently-expressed hope that ``. . . the jam be kept on the 
     lower shelf so the little people can reach it . . .''; and
       Whereas, Ralph Yarborough further contributed to the 
     political culture of our country by inspiring those who have 
     followed in his footsteps, and he has left behind a legacy of 
     outstanding achievements that will endure in the hearts and 
     minds of future generations for many years to come; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas, 
     Regular Session, 1997, hereby honor the memory of former 
     United States Senator Ralph Webster Yarborough and extend 
     sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his beloved 
     wife, Opal Warren Yarborough; to his brother, Donald V. 
     Yarborough; to his sisters, Nell Yarborough Mallet and 
     Margaret Yarborough Pickett; to this three grandchildren; and 
     to the many other friends and relatives of this eminent 
     public official; and, be it further
       Resolved, That an official copy of this resolution be 
     prepared for the members of his family and that when the 
     Texas House of Representatives and Senate adjourn this day, 
     they do so in memory of the Honorable Ralph Webster 
     Yarborough.

     

                          ____________________