[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 150 (Friday, October 29, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S13547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN MEMORY OF R. DUFFY WALL
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, this has not been a good week--losing a
friend and colleague; Payne Stewart, and, yes, another friend here in
this town who had a government relations job.
We often hear the word ``lobbyist'' put in a negative tone, but this
was a man who built a reputation of integrity and honesty in government
relations.
This week, cancer claimed R. Duffy Wall. He died at his home on the
Eastern Shore. He was friend and mentor.
You know what we would be without the folks who work in different
areas of American life who represent that way of life to the Congress
of the United States. We are not all wise. We do not know everything
about everything. We need help. Duffy Wall was such a person--honest,
straight shooter, a friend, dead at age 57, far too young. We will not
get to use his services and wisdom anymore either.
I could talk longer about these friends. This has been a bad week,
especially losing our Senator and losing a person very close to us.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the notes on Mr. Wall and
his obituary be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Washington, DC, October 25, 1999.
Following a long battle against lung cancer, R. Duffy Wall,
57, died yesterday at his home on the Eastern Shore--his wife
Sharon was by his side. `Duffy' as he was known by his many
friends was a native of Louisiana who came to Washington in
the 1970's and spent his entire career in the public policy
arena. Known for his humor and ability to advise and
``cajole'' Members of Congress and clients on the intricacies
of legislation, he was highly respected and admired by the
powerful and the not-so-powerful alike.
In 1982, Mr. Wall founded R. Duffy Wall & associates
providing lobbying and government relations services to a
broad range of corporate clients. Under Mr. Wall's
leadership, the firm grew into one of the Capital's most
admired and successful lobbying operations attracting some of
America's most prestigious companies and associations as
clients. In 1998, the company was acquired by Fleishman-
Hillard, an international communications company
headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Bill Brewster, the former Congressman from Oklahoma, who
assumed the leadership of the company in 1998 and became CEO
in 1999, said of Mr. Wall, ``Duffy was a friend, advisor, and
mentor to all of us for many years. He will be missed very
much by everyone in the government relations and political
community, and he will always remain the faithful voice of
encouragement to hunters in the field.''
An avid sportsman, Mr. Wall was as comfortable staling
woodland paths and fencerows in pursuit of game and fowl as
he was walking the halls of Congress.
In accordance with Duffy's wishes, the funeral will be
limited to his family and there will be no memorial service.
Those who wish to remember him are encouraged to send
contributions in lieu of flowers to:
MD Anderson Cancer Center, Foundation of America, R. Duffy
Wall Lung Cancer Program, Cancer Research Prgm., P.O. Box
297153, Houston, TX 77297; or Cancer Research, R. Duffy Wall
Lung, 1600 Duke Street, Suite 110, Alexandria, VA 22314.
He is survived by his wife Sharon Borg Wall; a daughter,
Catherine Wall Montgomery; a son, Howard Wall; his mother
Juanita F. Wall; two brothers and three grandchildren.
____________________