[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 116 (Monday, September 10, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING WILLIAM RALPH ``BILL'' ROUTON OF HOPE, ARKANSAS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. MIKE ROSS

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 10, 2001

  Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize the life and achievements 
of a man who was not only a personal friend, but a friend to his entire 
community and a respected civic leader in southwest Arkansas, Mr. 
William Ralph ``Bill'' Routon.
  Bill passed away on August 26 at age 77 following a lengthy battle 
with heart and bone marrow related illnesses. He was a lifelong 
resident of Hope, Arkansas, where he was also a lifelong member of the 
Methodist church.
  During World War II, Bill served his country for three years with the 
U.S. Army Air Corps in England. Following his service, he returned to 
Arkansas to attend college at Henderson College and the University of 
Arkansas and then came home to take over the family farm and timber 
business.
  As a resident and community leader in Hope, Bill served on the Hope 
School Board for 16 years during the crucial time in the 1960s and 
1970s when the Hope schools were being integrated. He was also a member 
of the board of the School of Hope, a school for developmentally 
challenged children. For 40 years, he served on the board of the 
Citizens National Bank, where he would visit each day and greet 
customers. In 1993, he was appointed by Governor Jim Guy Tucker to the 
state's Red River Commission, which promotes the economic viability of 
the southwest Arkansas region along the Red River.
  At the First United Methodist Church in Hope, Bill was chairman of 
several boards and committees and was a leader in the Century Bible 
Class. In addition, he was a member of the board of Rose Hill Cemetery 
and an active member of local chapters of the Masons and the Shriners 
as well as a 50-year member of the Yellow Creek Hunting Club of McNab, 
Arkansas.
  Bill could usually be spotted in his trademark khaki pants and 
diamond stickpin that he wore in place of a necktie. He was a friend to 
many in Hope and throughout Arkansas, including the late Virginia 
Clinton Kelley, mother of former President Bill Clinton. To those who 
knew him, he was regarded as a stalwart in the community, a true 
southern gentleman dedicated to his family and his fellow citizens. His 
passing is a great loss not only to his family and friends, but to the 
City of Hope and all the people of southwest Arkansas.
  I am grateful for his friendship and his devotion to serving others, 
and I honor him for his lifetime of accomplishments. My thoughts and 
prayers are with his wife, Bonnie, his children and his loved ones.

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