[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 126 (Tuesday, September 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JAY HENSLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES H. TAYLOR

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 25, 2001

  Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Jay Hensley, a 
newspaperman of old-school traditions who spent much of his career with 
the Asheville Citizen-Times, died Wednesday, September 5, at the age of 
75. Hensley was with the Citizen-Times from 1956 until 1997. He covered 
politics, courts and crime, local government and civil rights, took 
feature photos and editorialized on local, state and national issues.
  It is perhaps Hensley's political coverage that he will be best 
remembered for. Hensley covered every state legislative session from 
1967 until 1979 and was a familiar face around the state capital.
  ``Jay would ask that second and if necessary that third question to 
get to the heart of things,'' said former Gov. Bob Scott, who served 
from 1969-73. ``He asked the tough questions but was always fair. At 
that time, the capital press corps was a crusty bunch of guys. But when 
the day was done and they'd filed their stories, it was a professional 
job.''
  Former Citizen-Times executive editor Larry Pope described Hensley as 
``an encyclopedia on local and state politics,'' adding ``Jay probably 
knew more about politics than some of the people who held office.''
  Jay Hensley, once a three-pack-a-day smoker, chronicled his battle to 
quit smoking and his resulting respiratory problems in 1990 article 
titled ``A Smoker's Last Chance.''
  Jay Hensley was a World War II veteran, serving with the 32nd Special 
Seabees in the South Pacific and China. A Madison County native, he had 
a degree in journalism from Stetson University in DeLand, FL.
  I know all my colleagues join me in expressing our condolences to Jay 
Hensley's family members: Surviving are his former wife, June Murphy 
Hensley of Asheville; his son, Dick Hensley of Raleigh; his daughter, 
Teresa Hensley Wall of Asheville; grandsons, Jeremy Jay Oland and Ryan 
Lee Wyatt; his sisters, Pansy Watts of Asheville and Mary Sawyer of 
Cincinnati; and his brother, Jack Hensley of Greer, SC.

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