[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 23, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S9824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO KENNETH N. DAYTON

  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to one of 
Minnesota's leading citizens who passed away last Saturday, a man who 
also happens to be my uncle, Kenneth N. Dayton.
  Kenneth Dayton was one of five brothers who returned from their 
service in World War II, and when their father died in 1950, took 
ownership and operating control of a single department store in 
Minneapolis which was then known as the Dayton Company. Ken was 
instrumental, along with my father, Bruce Dayton, in building that 
small family-owned business into what is now Target Corporation, the 
second largest retail company in America.
  Last year, Target Corporation owned and operated some 1,500 stores in 
48 States under the names Target, Marshall Fields, and Mervyn's. The 
week I took office in January 2001, the company announced that it was 
changing the name of its upper midwest Dayton's department stores to 
Marshall Fields. I have always suspected they did so because they were 
concerned I was going to generate so much bad publicity for the Dayton 
name that they better make that change while they could.
  Kenneth Dayton, however, added only stature and respect to our family 
name. He was a brilliant retailer who understood merchandise, 
marketing, and consumers. He served as president, chief executive 
officer, and chairman of the board during two decades of expansions and 
acquisitions in the 1960s and 1970s, which transformed the company into 
a publicly owned corporation and a national retailer.
  Early on, the five brothers established a practice of contributing 5 
percent of pretax profits to charitable organizations. It was one of 
their ways to give back to and enhance the communities where the stores 
were located.
  Kenneth Dayton became a national spokesman for this 5 percent club, 
and he persuaded many other leaders of American corporations to adopt 
the practice of contributing, if not 5 percent, at least some 
designated amount of their profits to worthwhile social causes.
  Ken and his wife of over 50 years, Judy Dayton, practiced what he 
preached. They have been two of Minnesota's leading philanthropists 
during the last half century, contributing, by their own account, over 
$100 million to charitable organizations. The Minneapolis symphony 
orchestra, a world class symphony orchestra, which performs in a world 
class orchestral hall, has been a principal beneficiary and great love 
of Ken and Judy Dayton. But hundreds of other organizations, large and 
small, engaged in all kinds of important work, have been also 
recipients of their wonderful sense of social responsibility.
  That wide variety of causes reflected Ken Dayton's wide breadth of 
interests. He had enormous enthusiasm for life, and he brought that 
enthusiasm to everything he did, along with a keen intellect and a 
world of life experience.
  Because of his stature as a civic leader in Minnesota and the 
importance of his many contributions to the city of Minneapolis, to the 
State of Minnesota, and to our country, I would be making this tribute 
to Kenneth N. Dayton were he not my uncle, but I am proud he was. He 
inspired, supported, and guided our family and so many others whose 
lives he touched. I am fortunate to have been one of those blessed by 
his life and his love.
  John Kennedy, as President in 1961, said for those to whom much is 
given, much is required. And when at some future date the high court of 
history sits in judgment of each of us, our success or failure will be 
measured by the answers to four questions: First, were we truly men of 
courage? Second, were we truly men of judgment? Third, were we truly 
men of integrity? Finally, were we truly men of dedication?
  By those four measures, Kenneth Dayton was a success--a great 
success. He was a great man and, more importantly, he was a good man.
  Well done, good and faithful servant. May you rest in peace.
  I yield the floor.




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