[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 29 (Monday, February 24, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2592-S2593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    TRIBUTE TO WINTON ``RED'' BLOUNT

 Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
dear friend, a beloved family man, a successful business man, and a 
treasure to the State of Alabama. Winton `Red' Blount, a native of 
Union Springs, AL passed on October 24, 2002. He was one of those 
people who everyone should emulate, because he took advantage of 
everything life had to offer--having a loving family, running a 
successful business, standing up for justice during the Civil Rights 
movement, enjoying the arts,

[[Page S2593]]

and pursuing civil service. It is my hope, that in this tribute, I can 
draw a bit of a picture to describe the kind of life that Red Blount 
lived.
  During the 1960s civil rights movements, the State of Alabama was 
home to some tumultuous times. When Governor George Wallace blocked 
integration into the University of Alabama, Red Blount calmly and 
constructively worked with U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy and 
Governor Wallace to keep the peace and allow African-American students 
into the University. Blount, at that time, served as a member of the 
University's Board of Trustees, and, more importantly, served as a 
voice of reason during a time when reasonable voices were few and far 
between.
  As a businessman, Blount was straight-forward, hard working, and 
honest in his practices. He founded Blount Brothers and quickly 
developed a reputation for delivering products on time and without 
unexpected costs. Blount's company can be credited with building the 
launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL, which 
sent the first space flight to the moon. Blount Brothers also built the 
Nation's first ballistic missile site, the New Orleans Superdome, and 
international projects including King Saud University, near Riyadh, 
Saudi Arabia.
  Since I can remember, Red was a dedicated civil servant and a devoted 
member of the Republican Party. Known as Mr. Republican, he wanted to 
make a difference in Alabama and across the Nation. In 1960, Red headed 
up then-Vice President Richard Nixon's unsuccessful bid for the 
presidency as his southeastern campaign chairman. In 1968, Red became 
president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and then he went on to serve 
as President Richard Nixon's Postmaster General. In this capacity, he 
advocated for and implemented massive reform, making the postal service 
less political and more efficient. Red even threw his hat into the ring 
for a bid to the U.S. Senate in 1972. Unfortunately, he lost, but there 
is no question that he would've made a great Senator.
  Among Red Blount's many business and political achievements, having a 
family was his most important accomplishment. His five children are 
grown and successful in their own right, and there is no question that 
Blount instilled a strong work ethic into them and fostered their 
ability to succeed in whatever they chose to do. Blount's family 
expanded when he married his second wife, Carolyn Self Varner Blount, 
and he became step father to her two children. They enjoyed gathering 
at the holidays with all the children and grandchildren in the extended 
Blount family.
  One of the things that Alabamians will remember most about Red Blount 
was his love of the arts. In 1982, Red discovered that the Alabama 
Shakespeare Festival, of which his wife, Carolyn served on the board, 
was very much in debt. He was able to assist them with their financial 
difficulties by building a theater on the 250-acre grounds behind his 
home. This became Montgomery's Blount Cultural Park, and the theater 
was named for his wife.
  The theater grew with the support of State grants, but mostly because 
of the investment that Red and Carolyn made in it. They made nearly $15 
million in donations of art work, which encouraged the Montgomery 
Museum of Fine Arts, which was looking to change locations, to move to 
the park grounds. The park continued to grow with gardens and an 
amphitheater, and Blount expanded the land by buying more acres. He 
made contributions totaling $21.5 million to the Alabama Shakespeare 
Festival, which remains the single-largest gift ever given to a 
regional theater in the country.
  Blount's philanthropic heart turned Montgomery into a leading 
cultural center. Had Red and Carolyn not made the financial and 
creative investment, the theater, museum, and park would not be what it 
is today. They helped to create a priceless treasure for the area, 
encouraging the young and old to experience the arts.
  There aren't too many people in the world who loved life as much as 
Red did. He was the kind of person we all want to be, and the State of 
Alabama is a better place for having Red Blount as part of our history. 
We are all grateful to Red and his family for giving so much of 
themselves, and allowing Red to leave us with a wonderful legacy we 
will never forget.

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