[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 75 (Thursday, June 11, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S6259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO FRANKIE WELCH

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I wish to bring to the Senate's 
attention a milestone that has particular relevance to this body. Mrs. 
Frankie Welch, who is nationally recognized for her artistic and 
original scarf and tie designs, is celebrating 30 years of fashion 
design this month. Frankie was born in Georgia, but I am pleased to say 
she has strong ties to South Carolina, where she graduated with a 
degree from Furman University in Greenville. It was at Furman that she 
met her late husband, William Welch. One of their daughters chose to 
continue the family tradition and also received a Furman diploma.
  Frankie Welch has designed many memorable scarves and ties. In the 
1980s, she designed a patriotic scarf for the United States Senate. She 
has designed ties for Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald 
Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. Mrs. 
Welch also designed a gown for First Lady Betty Ford, which Mrs. Ford 
donated to the Smithsonian Institution's First Ladies Collection in 
1976. Frankie and Mrs. Ford remained good friends; last month, on the 
occasion of Betty Ford's 80th birthday, Frankie was one of the speakers 
at the Ford Museum in Grand Rapids.
  Frankie Welch is no ordinary fashion designer. She often employs her 
talents to produce patriotic garments, and her designs demonstrate an 
exemplary love of our country. She has produced original and widely 
admired fabric designs for such revered institutions as the St. Paul's 
Cathedral in London, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the White House, and 
the U.S. Capital. Frankie is also a philanthropist: she recently began 
the Frankie Welch Scholarship for outstanding students of fashion 
design.
  Mr. President, I think it appropriate to honor a woman who has so 
often turned her talents to patriotic themes and who has attained 
national and international accolades. It is with great pride that I 
thank Frankie Welch for honoring our country and congratulate her on 
thirty years of success.

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