[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 24, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S8116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO VALDON JOHNSON

   Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, Valdon Johnson is a retired 
Assistant Professor of English, now Emeritus Professor of English, from 
the University of Northern Iowa and currently is a regular volunteer in 
my Waterloo Regional office.
  Although Valdon's father died when Valdon was about 7, his mother had 
remarried about 5 years later. Valdon began his college career at Iowa 
State Teachers College, now the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in 
1950. His studies were suspended while he served in the Navy. He 
received his B.A. in English in 1958 and an M.A. in English in 1959. 
His first teaching position was with Webster City Junior College, now 
Iowa Central Community College. In 1962, Valdon received a Fulbright 
Award to teach English as a foreign language in Japan before returning 
to UNI in 1968, where for 26 years, he taught Linguistics and 
Humanities.
  Valdon's first day in my office was September 23, 1994, his next was 
November 6, 1995. During the in-between time of about 13.5 months he 
recovered from a stroke that left him unable to talk. Not withstanding 
the stroke, he volunteered one to two days per week since. Valdon 
continues his other interests, which include the Masons and in 
traveling to the United Kingdom about every year, music (piano & 
organ), calligraphy, stenotype theory, handwriting analysis and 
religious history.
  Although Valdon is unable to answer the phone, he does help with case 
work letter preparation, news paper clipping, filing and calligraphy. 
For over 7 years he has been a faithful, always on time volunteer and 
has been of invaluable assistance.
  Valdon will celebrate his 69th birthday on August 15. I want to use 
this occasion to say ``happy birthday'' Valdon. And to say thanks for 
all you have done for me and for the people of Iowa.

                          ____________________