[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 31 (Friday, March 9, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2135-S2136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       JAMES A. RHODES, A GIFTED POLITICAL SERVANT AND STATESMAN

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 56, submitted 
earlier by Senator Voinovich and myself.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will state the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 56) honoring the memory of James A. 
     Rhodes as a gifted political servant and statesman.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to one of 
Ohio's greatest and most dedicated public servants, a former four-term 
Ohio Governor, James A. Rhodes, who passed away on March 4 of this year 
at the age of 91.
  Though Jim Rhodes will be deeply missed, he will always, always, be 
remembered. My friend and colleague from Ohio, Senator Voinovich, and I 
have introduced a resolution to honor the memory of Governor Rhodes as 
a gifted political servant and statesman.
  I thank my colleague from Ohio for his work in crafting this 
resolution. I know Senator Voinovich shares my admiration and deep 
respect for Governor Rhodes. In fact, both Senator Voinovich and I 
traveled back to Ohio this past week to attend the final ceremony for 
Governor Rhodes in the rotunda of the State Capitol of Ohio.
  Governor Rhodes was one of a kind--a one-of-a-kind leader, 
politician, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and 
friend. No one--no one--loved Ohio more than Gov. Jim Rhodes.
  No one was more dedicated to making Ohio bigger, better, stronger, 
and safer. Jim Rhodes was a visionary. And though a lot of politicians 
have big visions, Governor Rhodes was different. He turned those 
visions into reality. That is what set him apart. That is what made him 
one of Ohio's most influential political figures of the 20th century. 
That is what made him a legend.

[[Page S2136]]

  Whether it is buildings, roads, airports, parks, vocational schools, 
community colleges, or universities, most physical infrastructure in 
Ohio today is attributable directly to Gov. Jim Rhodes. The simple fact 
is that you can't drive anywhere in Ohio without driving on or driving 
past something that Jim Rhodes built--something with which he had a 
role to play. Without question, he will continue to touch lives every 
day in many, many ways.

  Most people don't realize that when Ohio first elected James Rhodes 
as Governor, it was his 13th political race. It was because of this, 
because of the vastness of his experience, that he was able to govern 
so effectively for all of us in Ohio.
  It is often said that the greatness of a man can be measured by the 
extent and the breadth of his interests and then how he acts on those 
interests to turn them into reality. By that test, Governor Rhodes was 
indeed a great man. His interests were Ohio's interests and, because of 
that, he was passionate in promoting Ohio's economy, its tourism, its 
natural resources, its schools, and its universities.
  While that was such an important part of his legacy, we must remember 
that Governor Rhodes was also equally passionate in his concern for 
people--for all the people of the State of Ohio. No matter where he 
went in Ohio, everyone always thought Governor Rhodes was from where 
they were from. Though he was born in Jackson County and went to high 
school in Springfield and was mayor of Columbus, for us, he was from 
Greene County, and he was from Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Marietta, 
and every other township, village, and city in our great State.
  He was one of us. He was one of us not just because he got so much 
done for the State; he was one of us because he knew people, understood 
them, and he liked them. And people liked him back. That is what made 
Governor Rhodes a great leader and a great man.
  I will always remember Governor Rhodes for his personal generosity. 
He was generous with his time, energy, and especially, with his 
political advice. Back in 1980, when I ran for the State senate in the 
old 10th Senatorial District, Governor Rhodes came down and campaigned 
for me on four separate occasions. That was just the start. He 
continued to support me throughout the last 20 years, even campaigning 
for me in Jackson County, his home county, this past October, just a 
few days before the election.
  The people of Jackson County were happy to see him one more time.
  I admired Governor Rhodes, and I respected him. I especially 
respected his strong and enduring love for his wonderful family. That 
was such a large part of who Jim Rhodes was. He cherished the time he 
spent at home with his family, often advising others to go home. If you 
asked him for political advice, he would say: My advice is go home--and 
he did that.
  He was married to his beautiful wife Helen for 46 years and every 
time I saw the Governor, whether at an Ohio State football game, or at 
his beloved State fair, he had one or more of his grandchildren or 
great grandchildren with him. He loved his family dearly, and it 
showed.
  As Chesterton once said:

       Great men take up great space even when they are gone.

  To be sure, Governor Rhodes will continue to take up great space on 
this Earth, not just in buildings and roads, airports and parks, but in 
the lives he touched and the lives he changed. He will continue to live 
on for the great work he has done for Ohio and will also continue to 
live on through his family.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today with my distinguished 
colleague, the senior Senator from Ohio, to introduce a resolution 
mourning the passage and honoring the life of former governor of Ohio, 
James A. Rhodes. Governor Rhodes passed away last Sunday at the age of 
91.
  Governor Rhodes began his career in public service in 1937, when he 
was elected to a term on the Columbus board of education. Two years 
later, he was elected Columbus city auditor and in 1943, he was elected 
Mayor of Columbus. In 1952, he successfully ran for State Auditor and 
in 1962, he ran for Governor of Ohio and won. He ultimately served the 
citizens of Ohio for four terms as governor.
  As my interest in politics began to spark, Governor Rhodes' public 
service inspired me to also pursue a life of service to the people of 
Ohio. He was my mentor and without his example and counsel I could 
never have become governor of Ohio. In fact, I would not have had a 
career in government had it not been for Jim Rhodes' sweeping re-
election victory in 1966. He had very long coattails, because he 
carried an unknown 30-year-old named George Voinovich to victory in an 
Ohio House district that was 6 to 1 democrat-to-republican. He 
furthered my career along when in 1978, he turned to me--a relatively 
unknown County Commissioner from Cuyahoga County--and asked me to be 
his running mate as Lieutenant Governor. Since then, Jim Rhodes and I 
grew close and my time with him over the years was some of the most 
meaningful of any person I have associated with in government.
  Mr. President, they broke the mold after James A. Rhodes entered the 
political arena. There never will be another like the Governor, and he 
will go down in Ohio history not only because of the 16 years he served 
as governor, but more importantly, because of the positive impact he 
had on the quality of life of Ohio's citizens and the direction of our 
State.
  He was a good, God-fearing man who looked on his service in 
government as an opportunity to give witness to the Second Great 
Commandment--love of fellow man. He never forgot his roots in the coal 
fields of southeastern Ohio. He wrapped his arms around all Ohioans. He 
was inclusive and reached out to everyone, regardless of stature in 
life, economic status, religion or color of skin.
  Because of his humble beginnings, he understood the importance of 
providing an education to every man, woman and child in Ohio, whether 
it was a public education or a non-public education. He initiated the 
Ohio Auxiliary Services program, and because of his efforts, today, 
there is no state in the nation that does as much for non-public 
schools as Ohio. He brought Ohio's higher education system into the 
20th century. His goal of having higher education within the grasp of 
every Ohioan--that is, no more than 30 minutes away--changed the face 
of higher education forever, and enabled millions of Ohioans to get the 
education so essential to their economic well-being.
  His mantras--``jobs and progress'' and ``profit is not a dirty word 
in Ohio''--will never be forgotten by any politician who wants to be 
successful in Ohio. There are thousands of Ohioans working today 
because of the businesses the Governor brought into this state.
  Jim Rhodes had his priorities in order, and his number one priority 
was his family. Jim Rhodes will always be a role model to me because of 
the way he treasured his family and encourage me and all who knew him 
to take care of their families. Jim's wife Helen, his daughters and 
their husbands, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren were 
paramount in his life. He always had a special twinkle in his eye when 
he talked about this family.
  Mr. President, Governor James A. Rhodes spoke to the basic needs and 
yearnings of the people of Ohio; he loved Ohio, and Ohio loved him. We 
may have lost him in body, but he will always be with us in spirit. 
Ohio will never forget Jim Rhodes.
  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the resolution be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 56) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  (The text of the resolution is located in today's Record under 
``Submitted Resolutions.'')

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