[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 148 (Friday, November 15, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2057-E2058]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF OHIO SENATOR RICHARD H. FINAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2002

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Senator Dick 
Finan, a dear friend and leader in my home state of Ohio. Because of 
term limits, Dick will be completing his final term in the Ohio Senate 
this year.
  Dick is a Cincinnati native. He graduated from the University of 
Dayton with a B.S. in Business Administration in 1954, and he earned 
his law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 
1959. From 1954 to 1956, Dick served our country in the U.S. Army. Last 
year, he was appointed as Ohio's Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the 
Army.
  Dick has been an outstanding public servant to the Cincinnati 
community and the people of Ohio. He was first elected as a Councilman 
of the Village of Evendale in 1963, and went on to serve as Mayor of 
Evendale from 1969 to 1973. He served in the Ohio House of 
Representatives from 1973 to 1978, and, since

[[Page E2058]]

1978, has served in the Ohio Senate. For the past 6 years Dick has been 
President of the Senate.
  During his 29 years in the Ohio General Assembly, Dick has been an 
outstanding leader. He has been involved with some very difficult 
issues that have faced Ohio, which include workers compensation, school 
funding, and crafting legislation to rescue Ohio's state-chartered 
savings and loan institutions. He also is primarily responsible for the 
renovation of Ohio's historic Statehouse, which restored the Capitol to 
its 1861 magnificence.
  Throughout his service, Dick has always stood firm on his principles, 
and he's earned the respect of Ohioans everywhere. His retirement from 
the Ohio Senate is a great loss to our state and the Cincinnati area, 
but I know he will continue to serve our local community, the State of 
Ohio and our country. I look forward to continuing to work with him.
  Although he will greatly miss his public service in the Ohio Senate, 
Dick is looking forward to having more time with his family. He and his 
wife, Joan, have been married for over 40 years and have 4 children and 
10 grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing Dick's 
outstanding service. All of us in Southwestern Ohio are grateful for 
his many contributions to our community, and we wish him the very best 
as he steps down from the Ohio Senate.

                          ____________________