[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 137 (Monday, October 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H9351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IN MEMORY OF FORMER MEMBER D. FRENCH SLAUGHTER, JR.

  (Mr. BLILEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLILEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great sadness I announce the 
death of French Slaughter, Junior, our former colleague from Culpeper, 
Virginia. French represented the Seventh District with honor and 
integrity. I am proud to be one of his successors as the Representative 
from the Seventh District of Virginia.
  First and foremost, French was devoted to his constituents. French 
was a native of Culpeper and represented the Seventh District for 7 
years in Congress. Prior to his service in Congress, French was devoted 
to his country and his constituents.
  French served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and earned the 
Purple Heart and Bronze Star during the Battle of the Bulge. After the 
war, he earned both a Bachelor's Degree and a law degree from the 
University of Virginia.
  From 1958 to 1978 he served in the Virginia House of Delegates and 
championed legislation creating Virginia's community college system. He 
served on the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia and 
Germanna College.
  Elected to Congress in 1985, he constantly focused on constituent 
services. French was a great friend whom I could trust. I always knew I 
could rely on French for help during our service together in the House. 
French was and will always be a Virginia gentleman. My prayers are with 
his family.
  French Slaughter was a legislator devoted to his constituents. No 
request from his constituents was too small. It in an era when C-SPAN 
first projected our speeches nationwide, French preferred to stay out 
of the limelight and focus on constituent service.
  French heard the call of his nation during the perilous days of World 
War II. French was a student at Virginia Military Institute when he 
postponed his studies and joined the United States Army as an 
infantryman. While serving with the Army's 84th Division, French was 
wounded in action at the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. French was 
awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his actions that day.
  After the war, French returned to school and earned a bachelor degree 
and a law degree from the University of Virginia. During the late 50's, 
French won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. During his 20 
years of service, he often ran without opposition because of his 
faithfulness to constituent service. In 1966, he sponsored legislation 
to establish Virginia's Community College system. Upon his retirement 
from the House of Delegates, French was a member of the Board of 
Visitors of his alma mater from 1978 to 1982. French continued to find 
ways to stay active in the community because public service was his 
calling.
  Like a true Virginian, French had a deep appreciation for the history 
of his native soil, and a love for passing on that heritage. He served 
as a loyal board member and attorney for The Memorial Foundation of the 
Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc., a foundation that continues to 
convey the heritage of the first European settlement on the Rapidan 
River by German Calvinists and Lutherans beginning in 1714. As a 
Germanna Colonies board member, he was instrumental in persuading the 
Foundation to donate 100 acres of the original 1714 settlement to the 
Commonwealth in order to build Germanna Community College. French also 
served on the Germanna College's board from 1978 to 1985. I am proud to 
say the main building at Germanna College is named in his honor.
  French heard one more call to duty and served his constituents in 
Congress from 1985 to 1991. During his tenure in Congress, French 
served on the Judiciary, Small Business and Science Committees in 
Congress. Once again, French championed constituent service for the 
people of Manassas, Winchester, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, and 
most importantly, Culpeper during his service in Congress. French 
focused his legislative efforts on interests of interest to the 
elderly, particularly health care. French favored a balanced budget 
amendment while opposing tax increases. French's conservative agenda 
for smaller government served the people of the Virginia Seventh 
District well during his seven years in Congress.
  French was also very kind to keep me informed of the days events on 
the floor of the House of Representatives. French was a great friend 
with whom I could trust. He will be sorely missed by many. My prayers 
are with his family during this sad time.
  French is survived by his son, D. French Slaughter, III of 
Charlottesville; a daughter, Kathleen Slaughter Smith of Gilbert, 
Arizona; nine grandchildren; a brother, Johnson Slaughter of Houston; 
and a niece, Connie Slaughter Koenig, also of Houston.

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