[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 125 (Friday, September 18, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         TRIBUTE TO MR. TOM GOODMAN THRASHER OF HUNTSVILLE, AL

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                    HON. ROBERT E. (BUD) CRAMER, JR.

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 18, 1998

  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place in the Congressional 
Record a tribute to Mr. Tom Goodman Thrasher of Huntsville, Alabama, 
for his devotion to the advancement of our community and the well-being 
of our citizens.
  Mr. Thrasher is the co-recipient of this year's James Record 
Humanitarian Award presented by the Arthritis Foundation. In his work 
for economic, social, and cultural development, Mr. Thrasher has indeed 
embodied the virtues of a humanitarian.
  Born and raised in Alabama, Mr. Thrasher served our nation in the 
Army during the Second World War. After he returned stateside and 
received his discharge as a Lieutenant Colonel, he opened Thrasher Oil 
Company in Huntsville under a Shell Company franchise. He has been 
engaged in the business since its formation, with the exception of his 
call to active duty at Redstone Arsenal during the Korean War.
  Mr. Thrasher's community involvement spans an amazing range of civic 
organizations and important causes. He has served as president of the 
Huntsville City School Board, chairman of the Industrial Development 
Board of Huntsville, and director of the Huntsville-Madison County 
Chamber of Commerce, just to name a few. He is the recipient of the 
highest honor that the Army can give a civilian--the Distinguished 
Citizen Service Medal. He has also received an honorary Doctorate in 
Humanities from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, as well as 
Huntsville's Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award.
  Mr. Thrasher's outstanding contributions to the military are not 
limited to his service on active duty. As an original member and vice 
chairman of the Army Community Relations Committee, he has played a 
critical role in making Huntsville's defense community the pride of our 
state and our nation.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I pay tribute to Mr. 
Thrasher on the occasion of his receiving the Arthritis Foundation's 
Humanitarian Award, and I thank him for the leadership and vision that 
has helped make us the prosperous region we are today.

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