[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 73 (Friday, May 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E954]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E954]]
                        TRIBUTE TO TONY RANDALL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great sadness to mourn the 
loss of award-winning actor and passionate social activist Tony Randall 
who passed away Monday night, May 17th. Though most remembered for his 
comedic role as Felix Unger in the T.V. series ``The Odd Couple,'' Mr. 
Randall was a truly versatile performer with a career on stage and 
screen spanning over sixty years.
  After serving four years in the army during World War II, where he 
rose to the rank of Lieutenant, Mr. Randall made many radio and theater 
appearances, garnering numerous accolades from critics. By the early 
1950s, Mr. Randall made the shift to television, with his Emmy-
nominated role of schoolteacher Harvey Weskit in ``Mr. Peepers.'' Soon 
after, he added movies to his resume, with principal roles in films 
like the Doris Day-Rock Hudson comedy ``Pillow Talk,'' earning the 
title from Life magazine of ``the finest . . . comedian the movies have 
found in decades.'' He crowned his career with his Emmy-award winning 
role as the worrywart Felix Unger in the Odd Couple, a role that 
brought him a legion of fans.
  However, Tony Randall will be remembered as more than just an actor. 
He was also a devoted social activist who for 30 years held the 
position of National Chairman of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation, an 
organization dedicated to finding a cure for the terrible neuromuscular 
disease, Myasthenia. Whether it was his vociferous anti-smoking 
lobbying, his anti-Apartheid campaign, or his attempt to save the old 
Metropolitan Opera house, Mr. Randall worked with passion and zeal. Mr. 
Randall brought this same passion to the National Actors Theater, which 
he founded in 1991, dedicated to bringing classic works to the public 
for reasonable prices.
  His tireless devotion to his craft and to social justice should be an 
example to us all. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Mr. 
Randall's wife and two children. For years he has touched millions of 
Americans. He will be sorely missed.

                          ____________________