[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 64 (Tuesday, May 19, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H3372-H3373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO SENATOR JENNINGS RANDOLPH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 4 minutes.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to rise today with 
my good friends and colleagues, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. 
Rahall) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Wise) in tribute to a 
fine gentleman and faithful advocate of the people of West Virginia.
  I am speaking, of course, of Senator Jennings Randolph, whose 
lifetime of distinguished service came to an end just 11 days ago. We 
all mourn his passing, and certainly we send our deepest sympathies to 
his family. Our thoughts are with them in these difficult days. While 
recovering from such a loss is a painful process, we hope they find 
comfort in the legacy he leaves behind, for it truly is a remarkable 
one.
  On the day after Senator Randolph's death, newspapers across the 
State recounted his inspiring story, the story of a young journalist 
who was elected to Congress as a New Deal Democrat and would become the 
last member of the storied class that served in the first 100 days of 
FDR's presidency. He was thrust into the House during an extraordinary 
time in our Nation's history, a time of despair, sorrow, and suffering, 
and he was a part of the extraordinary solution, the package of reforms 
that revised our Nation, bringing sustenance, opportunity, and hope to 
millions.
  Jennings Randolph never lost that passion for helping those who 
needed help the most, especially the poor and disabled. The young New 
Deal Democrat would become a mature hand in the great society, never 
wavering in his

[[Page H3373]]

belief that government can and should play an active role in solving 
people's problems, and he worked mightily to better his home State of 
West Virginia.
  Senator Randolph was a champion of the interstate highway system, the 
Appalachian Regional Commission, local airports, and countless 
infrastructure projects that brought the basics to our people. That is 
how he thought of himself, once saying, ``I essentially am a West 
Virginia senator. I'm not what you'd call a national Senator or 
international Senator.''
  It is true that Jennings Randolph was an effective, tireless advocate 
of West Virginia. But if my colleagues think that he did not have an 
influence on this Nation, they would be badly mistaken. After all, it 
was Jennings Randolph who authored the constitutional amendment that 
gave 18-year-olds the right to vote. And in so many other areas, his 
work and support was crucial to policies that advantaged citizens from 
coast to coast. Throughout his service in the House and then in the 
Senate, he was a model of courtesy, of grace and professionalism.
  As the Senate historian said so well, ``Very few senatorial careers 
were as full as his. He always struck me,'' the historian, ``as the 
image of a Senator's Senator, a teacher within the institution who 
would take young Senators beneath his wing and lecture them, sometimes 
gently and sometimes not so gently, about the importance of 
etiquette.''

                              {time}  1100

  Mr. Speaker, with Jennings Randolph passing, the people of West 
Virginia have lost a great friend and representative. We salute his 
lasting record of achievement and honor his memory as a passionate, 
dedicated public servant.

                          ____________________