[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1493]]
                  TRIBUTE TO SENATOR ALFRED E. ALQUIST

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 30, 1998

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Senator Alfred E. 
Alquist, a distinguished former member of the California State 
Legislature and committed community leader, on the happy occasion of 
his ninetieth birthday. Senator Alquist served in the California 
Legislature for thirty-four years, representing his constituents in 
both the State Assembly and the State Senate.
  Senator Alquist embodies the best of public service. Born August 2, 
1908 in Memphis, Tennessee, he graduated from Southwestern University 
in Memphis and began serving our country as a navigation and 
meteorology instructor for the U.S. Army's Air-Sea Emergency Rescue 
Service during World War II.
  Senator Alquist took an active role in politics as a participant in 
local and national Democratic Party affairs when he moved to California 
in 1947. His career in the California Legislature began in 1962 with 
his election to the State Assembly, where he served two terms. In 1966, 
he won a seat in the State Senate and was re-elected every time 
thereafter for the next two decades, a testament to his outstanding 
ability to represent the diverse needs and interests of his 
constituents.
  Senator Alquist quickly earned a reputation for championing countless 
efforts to guarantee public safety and welfare for the people of 
California. The State Legislature passed more than forty earthquake 
safety bills penned by Senator Alquist during his terms of office, 
among them the measure which created the Seismic Safety Commission. He 
worked tirelessly to improve deadly highway conditions in his district 
and was instrumental in passing legislation to establish the Santa 
Clara County Transportation District in 1972.
  As Chairman of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, he 
led the effort to promote conservation and the use of alternative 
energy sources. While holding the Chairmanship, he co-authored 
legislation to establish the California State Energy Commission. Not 
only did the Senator successfully ensure that environmental concerns 
were considered, but he also fought to improve California's education 
system, in one instance holding out as the lone vote against a tax 
rebate because he felt that the funds were sorely needed for schools. 
He also chaired the Senate Finance Committee, the Joint Legislative 
Budget Committee, and, after the Senate split the Senate Financing 
Committee into two separate committees, the Budget and Fiscal Review 
Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, Senator Alquist's life is instructive to everyone who 
knows him. Because of his vision, his compassion, and his superior 
leadership, remarkable contributions have been made to our community 
and our country throughout his ninety years of life.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this noble 
man and wishing him the happiest of birthdays as he celebrates his 
ninetieth.

                          ____________________