[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 20, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING ROBERT GILLETTE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 20, 1999

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Robert Gillette for his 
outstanding contribution to the community and his twelve years of 
public service as Commissioner of the Port of Houston Authority, an 
organization representing 26 cities in Harris County.
  Mr. Gillette retired this year, but his contributions to Harris 
County and the Port of Houston Authority will surely endure. From the 
day he was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Port of Houston, Mr. 
Gillette pledged to join his fellow commissioners in making the Port 
more competitive in difficult times for the maritime industry. Truly a 
man of his word, Mr. Gillette made good on that promise. For 6 terms 
without pay, he faithfully conducted his duties awarding contracts, 
acquiring property, setting port tariffs and directing operations with 
a keen eye toward keeping the Port of Houston viable and thriving.
  It was under Mr. Gillette's tenure as Commissioner that the project 
to deepen and widen the Houston Ship Channel was undertaken. Marking 
the largest expansion of the Ship Channel in decades, Mr. Gillette and 
his fellow commissioners were able to bring together the environmental 
and business communities to get the job done.
  Mr. Gillette graduated cum laude from the South Texas School of Law 
in 1941. He also served his country as an Army Air Corps aviation 
cadet. Before establishing a law practice, Gillette was assigned to the 
Judge Advocate Section at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.
  He left the service in 1946 as a first lieutenant and moved to 
Baytown to begin law practice with Reid, Strickland and Gillette. It 
was a partnership that spanned 41 years, with Mr. Gillette serving as 
managing partner for 30 years.
  In addition to his law practice, he was president of Bay Title 
Company and a director of Citizens Bank and Trust Company of Baytown 
for 25 years. Robert Gillette's professional affiliations include the 
Texas State Bar Association; Houston Bar Association; Baytown Bar 
Association and the Texas Bar Foundation.
  As a testament to the expertise that Mr. Gillette brought to bear in 
both his business and public dealings, in the late 1980s, U.S. Attorney 
General Edwin Meese appointed Gillette to the People to People Citizens 
Ambassador Program.
  Mr. Gillette also has an extensive record of community involvement. 
He was a member of the Board of Managers of City-County Hospital and 
has served as board member and president of the Baytown Area Water 
Authority since 1973. He and his wife, Suzzane, have three grown 
children.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my friend on his retirement and commend 
him on a job well done. As Port Commissioner, knowing that the fortunes 
of the Port influences the total employment picture of Harris County, 
Bob Gillette always strove to keep the Port a first-rate facility. We 
owe him a debt of gratitude for the work he has done addressing the 
concerns of our Port community, and thus the needs of all of Harris 
County.

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