[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 10 (Tuesday, February 8, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S482-S483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE LATE SENATOR CARL T. CURTIS

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, we begin the new session of the 106th 
Congress on a sad note, marking the passing of a good friend and former 
colleague, Senator Carl T. Curtis of Nebraska, who died recently at the 
age of 94.
  For those of you who are new to the Senate, Carl was a great man who 
rendered a valuable service to his state and our nation throughout his 
career. First elected to the United States House of Representatives in 
1938 and the United States Senate in 1954, Carl holds the record for 
being the Nebraskan to serve the longest in the United States Congress. 
In total, he spent almost forty-one-years on Capitol Hill before 
retiring from the Senate in 1979.
  During his tenure as a Federal legislator, he earned a well deserved 
reputation for fiscal conservatism, limited government, and was known 
as a champion of farmers and agricultural issues. He was party loyalist 
and a true conservative who never sacrificed personal convictions for 
the sake of public opinion. Among other issues, he was steadfast in his 
backing of President Nixon and our fight against communism in Southeast 
Asia even though these were highly unpopular positions at that time. An 
indication of his commitment to the conservative cause was the close 
alliance between he and Barry Goldwater, as a matter of fact, Carl 
managed the floor during the 1964 Republican Presidential Convention in 
San Francisco when Senator Goldwater was seeking the nomination of the 
party. Perhaps most importantly, Carl was known for his commitment to 
his constituents, nothing was more important to him than helping the 
people of Nebraska. Such dedication to helping others is truly the 
hallmark of an individual devoted to public service.
  During the course of our time in the Senate together, I came to know 
Carl quite well as we had much in common, as a matter of fact, he and I 
both entered the Senate in 1954 and that was not the least of our 
similarities. Beyond being like-minded on so many issues, we were 
essentially contemporaries, having grown-up on farms, read for the law 
instead of going to law school, and prefering to be out meeting with 
our constituents. It was always a pleasure to work with Carl on any 
number of issues and I valued his alliance as a Senator and his 
friendship as an individual. It was a high honor to be asked to serve 
as an honorary pall bearer by the Curtis family, though I hate to say 
``goodbye'' to my old friend.
  Carl Curtis was the embodiment of a public-minded citizen who 
dedicated

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his life to making a difference. From his stint as Kearney County 
Attorney to his role as an elder statesman, Carl Curtis always sought 
to build a community, state, and nation that were better for all its 
citizens. He set an exemplary example for integrity, diligence, and 
conviction, and others would do well to follow the high standards to 
which he held himself. My sympathies go out to his widow, Mildred, his 
son Carl T. Curtis, Jr., his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. All 
can be proud of this fine man who we are all better for having known.

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