[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 62 (Thursday, May 18, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE BIRTHDAY OF DICK DOUGHERTY ON MAY 9TH, 2000

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                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2000

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to take a moment to 
recognize the 80th birthday of Dick Dougherty, a man who has spent over 
50 years of his life involved in journalism in New York State. 
Currently, he is widely known by the people of Rochester, New York for 
his editorials in the Democrat and Chronicle, our hometown paper. I 
consider him to be a national treasure and without the dose of sanity 
and humor his column provides me five days a week I would be lost.
  According to his wife Pat, Dick's family was not certain about his 
future success after he flunked out of his first year of engineering 
school at Duke University. After this, he went on to serve in the 
military as a soldier on the European front during WWII. When he came 
home, his perseverance led him to complete a journalism degree at 
Syracuse University. On June 15, 1948 he began his 50 year career with 
his first journalism job at the Binghamton Press. After two years with 
the Binghamton paper Dick came to Rochester as a reporter for the 
morning Democrat and Chronicle and has remained in our city ever since. 
In 1975 he was assigned by the Times-Union, a Rochester afternoon paper 
until 1997, to report on a transcontinental bicycle trip. It was on 
this trip that he discovered his unique talent and love for reaching 
out and touching the lives of others with his words.
  At the age of 56 when most people are beginning to look forward to 
retirement Dick began his career as a columnist by writing an editorial 
three times a week for the Times-Union paper. This column now runs 
daily in the Democrat and Chronicle as Dick continues to captivate the 
people of Rochester with his unique point of view and perspective on 
life. Personally, I love to share his columns with my friends, family, 
colleagues and I have been known to send them to the President.
  It is my distinct privilege to recognize Dick Dougherty as a resident 
of my home district in Rochester, New York. I offer him my heartfelt 
congratulations on the celebration of his 80th birthday on May 9th, 
2000 and I invite my colleagues to do the same as we acknowledge this 
significant and important man.

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