[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 82 (Thursday, June 10, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6881-S6882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO GOVERNOR JOHN McKEITHEN

 Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, last week Louisiana lost of one its 
most prominent sons. An era passed into history with the death of 
former Governor John McKeithen, who served his state with distinction 
as governor during the turbulent years of 1964 to 1972.

[[Page S6882]]

  When he died at the age of 81 in his hometown of Columbia, Louisiana, 
on the banks of the Ouachita River, John McKeithen left a legacy of 
accomplishment as governor that will likely not be matched in our 
lifetime. As one political leader observed last week, with John 
McKeithen's death ``we have witnessed the passing of a giant, both in 
physical stature and in character.''
  Indeed, McKeithen was not affectionately called ``Big John'' for 
nothing. Like most great leaders, he thought big and acted big.
  Louisiana was blessed with John McKeithen's strong, determined 
leadership at a time when a lesser man, with lesser convictions, might 
have exploited racial tensions for political gain.
  In fact, throughout the South, McKeithen had plenty of mentors had he 
wanted to follow such a course. But Governor McKeithen was decent 
enough, tolerant enough and principled enough to resist any urge for 
race baiting. In his own, unique way, to borrow a phrase from Robert 
Frost, he took the road less traveled and that made all the difference.
  John McKeithen's wise, moral leadership at a time of tremendous 
social and economic transformation in Louisiana stands as his greatest 
accomplishment in public life. Not only did he encourage the citizens 
of Louisiana to tolerate and observe the new civil rights laws passed 
by Congress in the mid-1960s, he worked proactively to bring black 
citizens into the mainstream of Louisiana's political and economic 
life.
  Hundreds of African-Americans will never forget the courageous way 
that National guardsmen under John McKeithen's command protected them 
from harm as they marched from Bogalusa to the State Capitol in the 
mid-1960s in support of civil rights. And generations of African-
American political leaders will always have John McKeithen to thank for 
the way he helped open door of opportunity to them and their 
predecessors.
  But racial harmony will not stand as Governor McKeithen's only 
legacy. All of Louisiana has ``Big John'' to thank for the way our 
state has become one of the world's top tourist destinations by virtue 
of the construction in the early 1970s of the Louisiana Superdome. To 
many--those who did not dream as big as ``Big John''--the idea of 
building the world's largest indoor arena seemed a folly, sure to fail. 
But like a modern-day Noah building his ark, McKeithen endured the 
taunts and jeers of his critics while he forged ahead--sure that his 
vision for the success of the Superdome was sound.
  And today, more than a quarter century later, the citizens of 
Louisiana, particularly those in New Orleans, are only beginning to 
understand the enormous economic benefits that Louisiana had reaped by 
virtue of the Superdome and the world-wide attention and notoriety it 
has brought to New Orleans.
  Even at that time, Louisiana's citizens recognized that there was 
something unique and very special about their governor. And so it was 
for that reason that they amended the state's Constitution to allow him 
to become the first man in the state's history to serve two consecutive 
terms in the Governor's Mansion.
  Senator Landrieu and I doubt that we will never see the likes of John 
McKeithen again--a big man, with a big heart, who dreamed big dreams 
and left an enormous legacy in his wake. We know that all our 
colleagues join us in expressing their deepest sympathy to his wife, 
Marjorie, his children and his grandchildren.

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