[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 4, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E723]]


                 IN RECOGNITION OF WILLIAM DILLS McKEE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. E. CLAY SHAW JR.

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 4, 2004

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, this past week, Cashiers, North Carolina, lost 
an institution. With a memory that stretched across decades and 
generations, William McKee who served as Cashiers' resident historian 
and gatekeeper, slipped away from earth, just days short of his 90th 
birthday.
  I first met Bill as a guest of his family's famous hotel; the High 
Hampton, Inn. As was his way, Bill turned guests quickly into friends. 
My wife Emilie and I were no exception and soon after our meeting, 
developed a personal friendship with Bill. When I mentioned to Bill 
that I might be interested in buying a lot in Cashiers for a family 
summer home, Bill quickly did a thorough background check to determine 
my merit as a potential resident. By the time I returned. Bill knew 
more about me than many members of my family. It seems I was 
acceptable.
  It appeared no one was exempt from his scrutiny. In one of my 
favorite stories about Bill, years later when my brother-in-law wanted 
to purchase property in the area, Bill rang me up and asked, ``Clay, 
you want him in here?''.
  Beyond watching over the area like a shepherd to his flock, Bill 
entrenched himself in the enrichment of his community. He was a trustee 
of the Cherokee Historical Society, and instrumental in the 
establishment and flourishing success of the Cherokee Historical 
Museum. He also served as a trustee and officer of the Highlands 
Biological Association, as well as Chairman of the Jackson County 
Morehead Scholarship Foundation. He was also a member of the Biltmore 
Forest Country Club, a former member of the Pen and Plate Club, and the 
Zeb Vance Debating Society.
  If the measure of a man is his ability to affect the lives of others, 
few among us measure up to William McKee. The life he led touched so 
many others. Indeed, we will feel the ripples of his influence 
throughout this community well into the future.
  As we remember Bill, let us remember the warmth he radiated and his 
gift for hospitality that made each of us feel right at home in his 
beloved home of Cashiers, North Carolina.

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