[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 126 (Monday, September 15, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S11466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO GOVERNOR O'BANNON

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, it is my sad duty today to inform the 
Senate that the State of Indiana has lost its beloved Governor, Frank 
O'Bannon. He passed away on Saturday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital 
in Chicago, where he was being treated for a massive stroke suffered 
five days earlier. He was 73 years old.
  All of us in Indiana mourn the loss of this fine man, whose kind and 
gentle nature had won the hearts of so many Hoosiers over the years. 
Frank O'Bannon will always be remembered for the warmth and 
friendliness that were essential elements of his character. He was a 
true Hoosier.
  He and his wife, Judy, had been married 46 years and were part of a 
close-knit family that includes their three children and five 
grandchildren. Judy was at his side at the hospital when he passed 
away. I extend my deepest condolences to Judy, and I know she will draw 
strength and support from her family and many dear friends.
  I consider it a privilege to have known Frank O'Bannon. He grew up in 
Southern Indiana in the town of Corydon during the 1940s, where he 
experienced first-hand the special charm of that era captured so 
wonderfully in the movie Hoosiers. After graduating from Indiana 
University in 1952, he served in the Air Force, went to law school and 
then came home to settle down and work as a lawyer and publisher of 
weekly newspapers.
  He was first elected to the Indiana State Senate in 1970 and went on 
to serve 18 years there--much of it as the Democratic floor leader. He 
was Lieutenant Governor for 8 years before being elected Governor in 
1996 and then re-elected by a wide margin in 2000. He was an optimist 
by nature, a consensus builder and a man of absolute integrity. I 
always looked forward to my visits with him. I will miss him greatly.
  On Saturday, our Lieutenant Governor, Joe Kernan, was sworn in as 
Indiana's 48th Governor. He will serve the remainder of Governor 
O'Bannon's term, until January 2005.
  Frank O'Bannon's remains will be buried near other family members in 
a small cemetery in Corydon. He touched many people in his life. May he 
rest in peace.

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