[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 7 (Tuesday, February 5, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING ROSS BEACH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight following the 
141st anniversary of Kansas' entry into the Union to honor a great 
Kansan, Mr. Ross Beach. A business leader, philanthropist and lifelong 
Kansan, Mr. Beach was recognized on January 25 of this year as the 
Kansan of the Year. There is no one more deserving than Mr. Beach of 
this recognition.
  In his lifetime, Mr. Beach has changed the Kansas landscape, helping 
to make the State an even better place to live. A pioneer and leader in 
the oil and gas industry, banking, radio and television, his work has 
brought economic progress and jobs to our State of Kansas. In 
recognition of this success, Mr. Beach has been inducted into the 
Kansas Business Hall of Fame. Today he continues to influence Kansas as 
president of the Kansas Natural Gas Corporation and as chairman of the 
Douglas County Bank.
  In my hometown of Hays, where Mr. Beach resides, his generosity has 
made possible the creation of two of the community's most cherished 
assets, a world class performing arts center and museum of natural 
history. The philanthropic works of Mr. Beach and his talented and 
gracious wife, Marianna, extend far beyond our community of Hays, 
enhancing the lives of Kansans across our State through the Marianna 
Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University and the Beach 
Center on Disability at the University of Kansas. These are the gifts 
that Mr. Beach and Mrs. Beach have made known to our State. Many of his 
most important acts of generosity have been performed in anonymity.
  It is with this spirit of commitment to unity and State that Ross 
Beach has lived his life. Not long after graduating from Kansas State 
University, he served in World War II as a naval aviator. Since that 
time Mr. Beach has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to serve not 
only through his gifts but also with his time and talents, providing 
leadership to numerous organizations, including the Kansas 4-H and the 
Eisenhower Foundation. Mr. Beach has also chaired the Kansas Fish and 
Game Commission and served as president of the Kansas State Chamber of 
Commerce.
  Knowing Ross Beach as a businessman, it is clear to me why he has had 
such a successful career. Knowing him as a friend, it is no surprise 
that he has used his success to benefit his fellow Kansans. I commend 
Ross Beach for his many accomplishments, his philanthropy and his 
recent and most highly deserved recognition as Kansan of the Year.

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