[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 19 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H696-H697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               A TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN GARNER E. SHRIVER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, today I come to the floor of the House both 
to commemorate and honor the life of a former Member of this 
distinguished body, Garner E. Shriver. Garner died this past Sunday, 
March 1, at age 85.
  Both my wife Vickie and I were deeply saddened when we learned of 
Garner's death. Over the past couple years, Garner had become a 
personal friend and someone whom I admired greatly. I speak for the 
entire Kansas delegation in Congress when I say our thoughts and 
prayers are with Garner's wife, Martha Jane, and their three children, 
Kay, David and Linda.
  Born on July 6, 1912, in Towanda, Kansas, Garner's family later moved 
to Wichita in 1925, where he attended public schools and graduated from 
East High School.
  Garner stayed in Wichita to receive his undergraduate degree from the 
University of Wichita, now Wichita State University, in 1934. Today his 
Congressional papers, amounting to over 180,000 items, are kept at the 
Wichita State Ablah Library.
  In 1940, Garner graduated from Washburn Law School in Topeka, Kansas. 
Garner put himself through both undergraduate and law school by working 
odd jobs, including serving as a doorman.
  In 1941 Garner married his wife of now 56 years, the former Martha 
Jane Currier. However, before Martha and Garner had a chance to begin 
raising a family, World War II pulled Garner away from home for 3 
years. He enlisted in the Navy, but after only 10 months he received a 
commission as Lieutenant, leaving the Navy after 3 years as an officer. 
During his tour in the Navy, Garner commanded a boat group in the 
Pacific by the end of the war.
  Not long after the war ended, Garner made his first attempt at 
elected office. His wife Martha Jane recently recounted the story in 
the Wichita Eagle of how Garner first got into politics. She noted that 
``he figured he didn't have anything to lose,'' so in 1946, Garner ran 
for the Kansas House of Representatives. She continued, ``When we went 
to bed that election night, we didn't know anything about elections. We 
woke up the next morning to find out he had won by 222 votes.''
  So began the long and distinguished career of a great Kansas 
politician. After serving only 2 terms in the Kansas House, Garner set 
his sights higher and was elected to the Kansas State Senate, where he 
served two terms.
  During his 12 years of service in the Kansas legislature, Garner 
championed many worthwhile causes, including education for handicapped 
and retarded children, getting and keeping reckless drivers off the 
highways, creating the State Park Authority, important flood control 
legislation, and setting up the 4-H livestock show.
  In 1960, Garner left State politics to run for Congress. Winning what 
was characterized as a very spirited race, Garner became the new 
representative of the 4th Congressional District. At that time the 
district included Sedgwick and 14 other counties and was considered to 
be heavily democratic.
  Garner went on to win 8 consecutive races before losing in a narrow 
defeat, 3,200 votes, in 1976, to former Congressman and now Secretary 
of Agriculture Dan Glickman.
  During his 16 years in Congress, Garner became an influential voice 
on significant issues of the day, including health and education 
benefits for our Nation's veterans, and landmark civil rights 
legislation. Garner served on the committee that drafted the the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964. His family is very proud of the fact that they have 
one of the pens LBJ used to sign the historic legislation into law.
  Elected in the same class as fellow Kansan Bob Dole, Garner quickly 
became a close friend and political confidant of Senator Dole. Upon 
learning of Garner's death, Senator Dole stated that ``Garner was one 
of my closest political friends when we served together in Congress. I, 
like many others, learned a lot from Garner, who was known as a quiet 
and effective legislator, and someone who kept his word. He was an 
exemplary husband and father.''
  While Garner worked on various issues of national concern during his 
time, Garner spent a lot of his time taking care of the direct needs 
and concerns of his constituents back in Kansas. As a senior member of 
the powerful House Appropriations Committee, Garner was in a unique 
position to protect the vital interests of both the 4th Congressional 
District and the State of Kansas.
  When Garner left Congress in 1977, he was ranking member of the 
Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee and the third ranking 
Republican on the full committee. In that important capacity, Garner 
was able to make sure Kansas was never overlooked during the Federal 
budget process.
  On a more personal level, I want to express my heartfelt thanks again 
to Garner for his advice and counsel upon my appointment to the 
Appropriations Committee after my reelection last year. Before my 
appointment last year, 20 years had passed since a Kansan had served on 
the important committee in either the House or Senate. Seeking to 
understand the first thing about the Appropriations Committee and how 
it operated, I was fortunate to be able to receive the sage counsel of 
Garner on the ins and outs of this committee.
  After leaving Congress in 1977, Garner returned home to Wichita, 
Kansas, where he resumed the practice of law and spent the rest of his 
life alongside his lovely and dedicated wife, Martha Jane. Today, it is 
only appropriate that we remember and celebrate the life and 
accomplishments of Garner E. Shriver.
  Garner Shriver will be missed, not only by his family, but by me and 
a lot of other Kansans, Kansans who considered him a friend, an 
American hero, who lived his life with courage, character and 
integrity.
  So long, Garner. May God bless your soul and your family.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the record a copy of a letter to Mrs. 
Martha Jane Shriver signed by the entire Kansas delegation.


                                                U.S. Congress,

                                    Washington, DC, March 2, 1998.
     Mrs. Martha Jane Shriver,
     Wichita, Kansas.
       Dear Mrs. Shriver: We were deeply saddened when we learned 
     of Garner's death yesterday morning. We want you and your 
     three children, Kay, David and Linda to know that our 
     thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. 
     We wish we could be with you this Wednesday for Garner's 
     funeral. However, Congress will be in session that day. 
     Representative Tiahrt has reserved time on the floor of the 
     House of Representatives for this Tuesday, March 3, to allow 
     us the opportunity to commemorate the distinguished life of 
     Garner.
       During the nearly 30 years of elected public office the 
     name of Garner Shriver became synonymous with Wichita and 
     south-central Kansas. Indeed, Monday's headline in the 
     Wichita Eagle obituary for Garner summed it up well: Garner 
     Shriver was a political giant. While most of us were too 
     young to remember back 50 years ago when Garner began his 
     political career, everyone can be proud of the many 
     accomplishments he achieved during the 12 years he served in 
     the Kansas Legislature and the 16 years he served in the 
     United States Congress.

[[Page H697]]

       Elected to Congress in 1960, Garner quickly became a close 
     friend and advisor to another famous Kansan--fellow classmate 
     Bob Dole. During his tenure in Congress, Garner became an 
     influential voice on significant issues of the day, including 
     health and education benefits for our nations veterans, and 
     the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Additionally, Garner effectively 
     combined his political prowess and position on the powerful 
     House Appropriations Committee to make sure Kansas was never 
     overlooked during the federal budget process. And while 
     championing the rights of the average taxpayer, Garner was 
     often heard complaining that members spent ``too much of 
     taxpayers' money on junketeering and increased staff.''
       In addition to being a loyal husband, Garner was a caring 
     and loving father, an honored public servant and a personal 
     friend to thousands of Kansans who, like us, will miss his 
     wit and personal charm. Finally, we wish to recognize, as was 
     noted in his obituary, that Garner viewed public service as a 
     mandate for living a Christian life. We pray that the Lord 
     gives us the same grace he provided Garner during his 
     distinguished public career.
       If there is anything we can do to help you during this 
     difficult time, please do not hesitate to call.
           Sincerely,
     Sam Brownback,
     Pat Roberts,
       U.S. Senate.
     Todd Tiahrt,
     Jerry Moran,
     Jim Ryun,
     Vince Snowbarger,
       Members of Congress.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in 
honoring the memory of former Kansas Congressman Garner Shriver who was 
sadly taken from us this week. Garner Shriver will always be remembered 
as one of Kansas' most effective and revered public servants.
  Garner served his country as an enlisted man and as an officer in the 
U.S. Navy during World War II. Upon his return, he served 12 years in 
the Kansas Legislature and was later elected to serve 8 consecutive 
terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  Here in the House of Representatives he quickly became known as a 
tireless advocate for our nation's veterans and as a thorough 
legislator who made sure Kansas was never overlooked in needed federal 
appropriations.
  A quiet, thoughtful man, Garner viewed his public service as a 
Christian duty. In the process, he achieved great legislative successes 
benefiting both our nation and his home state of Kansas.
  Garner Shriver was a skilled political leader who helped shape the 
attitudes of an entire generation of young Kansans. It is to his 
credit, that those of us who have gathered here today on the floor of 
the U.S. House of Representatives to pay tribute to him were among 
them.
  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Martha Jane, and their 
three children, Kay, David, and Linda. Garner Shriver has left a void 
that will surely be hard to fill.

                          ____________________