[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 85 (Friday, June 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1161-E1162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PAUL A. THEIS DIES: COMBAT PILOT, AIDE TO PRESIDENT FORD, GOP STALWART, 
                     AUTHOR, JOURNALIST AND PATRIOT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SHERWOOD BOEHLERT

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 2004

  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise my colleagues of the 
death of Paul A. Theis. He was one of our stalwarts, having served for 
many years as Director of Public Relations for the Republican 
Congressional Campaign Committee. President Ford held him in such high 
regard that he tapped him to become his Executive Editor, heading up 
the highly important speechwriting operation in the White House. In 
addition, Paul served in the Agriculture Department as Deputy 
Undersecretary for Congressional and Public Affairs.
  Paul Theis was many things, but above all a patriot and a gentleman 
as his legion of friends can attest. I count myself among them as we 
grieve the passing of this man of many parts. He was a novelist and 
completed ``Devil in the House,'' a story based on the House of 
Representatives, just a few months before he died. He also coauthored 
``All About Politics,'' a non-fiction book published in 1972. Before 
that he served in the House as Administrative Assistant to the Hon. 
Oliver Bolton, Republican of Ohio. Earlier he had been a reporter for 
Newsweek magazine, covering the McCarthy hearings, and Army Times. 
During World War II he flew combat missions out of Italy as a B-17 
bomber pilot earning the Air Medal and six battle stars. As a member of 
the Air Force Reserve after the war, he ultimately attained the rank of 
Major. For his military service, Paul was interred with full honors on 
April 20, 2003 at Arlington National Cemetery.
  My condolences have been extended to his wife, Nancy, and his son, 
Mitchell, as they were by telephone by President Gerald R. Ford and 
President George W. Bush. He was a wonderful man and I was proud to 
have known him and to have been associated with him. I and countless 
others who knew him and loved him will sorely miss him. May he rest in 
peace.
  Mr. Speaker, I enclose herewith the text of the eulogy given by 
Paul's son, Mitchell, at his funeral mass, and the text of the 
obituaries from the Washington Times and the Washington Post.

                        Eulogy for Paul A. Theis

                         (By Mitchell A. Theis)

       Reverend Fathers, thank you for celebrating this beautiful 
     Mass of Christian Burial for my father, Paul Theis. Thank you 
     for being such good priests and for being such an important 
     part of our family's life.
       I thank all of you here who came to honor my dad by your 
     presence. My mother and I are deeply touched by your 
     outpouring of sympathy and words of love for my father.
       A couple of nights ago, mom and I were in the kitchen 
     remembering some of our happiest times together with my 
     father and some of his wonderful mannerisms and beliefs. We 
     couldn't stop laughing as we recalled how he believed that 
     three scoops of ice cream was ``healthy'' if you sprinkled 
     wheat germ over it. Or how he always managed to wear one of 
     his tattered old trench coats from his journalism days even 
     though mom bought him a cashmere coat from Neiman Marcus and 
     I got him one from Saks Fifth Avenue.
       We recalled, too, his old Rolodex that he started over 60 
     years ago. Here it is! It looks like an organizational system 
     used by a small business. It's so filled with cards that you 
     can barely turn it. Believe me, my dad has a card on you or 
     can locate a card that will help him find you within minutes.
       He started writing cards on his friends that he grew up 
     with back in the farming community of Carey, Ohio. His mom 
     and dad ran a melon and wheat farm. And after the Depression 
     they bought a furniture store.
       His next set of cards was of his friends, like George 
     Barsa, Frank Keenan and Bob Walsh; he had met them at Notre 
     Dame University. Dad always was a Notre Dame Man and has 
     stayed in touch with all of his college buddies. He just 
     attended his 55th alumni reunion.
       The next group of names that Dad wrote out for the Rolodex 
     were those of his B-17 crew from World War II. The members of 
     the crew were all barely 20 and they called Jerry Moran, the 
     crew chief, ``Pops'' because he was 26 years old. If you 
     heard Forrest Tolson tell their war stories, he'd have you 
     believe that it was their crew alone that won the war. 
     Believe me, Paul Theis, the old combat bomber pilot will be 
     watching the WWII Monument dedication on the Mall this coming 
     Memorial Day from a great vantage point! I salute the crew!
       After the War, dad finished his BA at Notre Dame and his BS 
     in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He 
     got a job as a journalist at the Army Times and then at 
     Newsweek covering the McCarthy hearings. These writing skills 
     helped him get a job on Capitol Hill working as an 
     Administrative Assistant for Congressman Oliver  Bolton. Gene 
     Cowen was the AA for Ollie's mother, Francis Bolton. They 
     were the only mother-son Congressional team.
       This was in the early 50's and many of you here recall the 
     simpler days of handshakes and civility. This was the time 
     that Sid Yudain started Roll Call and dad helped start the 
     Inner Circle, a group of Administrative Assistants that met 
     for background briefings with VIP's of the day. 
     Unfortunately/fortunately, dad's boss had a heart attack and 
     did not run for re-election, so he became the Public 
     Relations Director for the National Republican Congressional 
     Campaign Committee, writing speeches for congressmen and 
     women. This is where he added hundreds of cards to his 
     Rolodex. It was a perfect job for him and he stayed there for 
     16 years.
       It was during this time where he met the woman who would 
     sweet him off his feet. It was the end of him. His bachelor 
     days were over.
       It was following that blessed event that President Nixon 
     resigned and President Ford asked him to be his Executive 
     Editor--handling: Speechwriting, Messages, Correspondence and 
     Research. There dad worked closely with Bob Hartman, Bob 
     Orben, Milt Friedman, Jack Calkins and all the members of 
     President Ford's team. On Monday, former President Ford 
     called mom and me. We told him that we were certain a number 
     of his old friends and supporters would be here at the 
     funeral. He wanted everyone to know that he was here in 
     spirit. Dad was always honored to work for such a fine man.
       From the White House dad was appointed the Director of 
     Congressional Relations for the Secretary of Agriculture, 
     Jack Knebel. Dad and mom were to travel with Jack and his 
     wife, Zee, to a number of foreign countries for the USDA.
       Dad then moved on to the House Agriculture Committee where 
     he and Tom Adams wrote the Ag Bad Newsletter.
       In 1981, dad started Headliner Editorial Services and 
     worked for clients from his home office. Mom left school 
     teaching and was working at the White House so I grew up 
     coming home from school and being greeted by my father.
       He was always a master listener--calm, cool, collected and 
     funny. One of my favorite examples of his type of humor 
     occurred on the day that we had to put our dog, Badger, to 
     sleep. On the way back home from the vets, dad turned to mom 
     and me and said, ``What are we going to tell the cat?''
       Over the years, Mom and Dad, AKA ``The Cheerleader'' and 
     ``The Sage,'' created an extended family that supports and 
     sustains our world. Together, we affirm what is sacred, laugh 
     at life's absurdities and discuss and debate the hot topics 
     of our times. We are blessed beyond belief by such dear, dear 
     family friends.
       If you are a member of the Golden Owls, the select group in 
     the National Press Club

[[Page E1162]]

     who have been members for over 50 years, dad has a card on 
     you in his Rolodex.
       If you are a member of the old Capitol Hill Club or are ``a 
     regular'' there then dad has an address card on you.
       If you're a writer or staffer on the Bulletin for the 
     Cosmos Club, dad knows how to get in touch with you. The 
     Cosmos Club was a great joy to dad in these past few years. 
     He certainly enjoyed working with the club's members and 
     management.
       If you were a member of the Knights of Columbus from St. 
     Thomas Apostle, Dad knew where to find you. By the way, I 
     want to thank the brother Knights for coming today to be part 
     of Dad's funeral.
       If you belong to the Hill Investment Club, thanks for 
     making Dad think that he was a Big Investor.
       Dad was an active and involved member of the District of 
     Columbia Republican Committee for 25 years plus. He was 
     always eager to see the two party system work here in our 
     hometown.
       Dad knew all of his neighbors and was the first to help out 
     on any local project.
       To our parish, he was a stead presence.
       Simply put--Dad had your number! And I would guess that you 
     had his.
       He was a caring and loving husband, a real father in every 
     sense of the word, a quiet, fun-loving friends and neighbor, 
     a dedicated, loyal employee, a constant worker--he even 
     finished his novel, despite the fact that it took him years, 
     a devoted member of his Church and a true renaissance man!
       Mom and I will continue to use this clunky Rolodex, to call 
     you and to cherish your friendship.
       Today, there is a new card written in God's Heavenly 
     Rolodex. It can be found under the letter T. The name on it 
     is Paul A. Theis.
       The peace of Christ be with you Dad.
                                  ____


               [From the Washington Post, Mar. 29, 2004]

                    Paul A. Theis; White House Aide

       Paul A. Theis, 81, an author and former journalist who 
     worked in President Gerald R. Ford's administration as a 
     senior speechwriter and head of the White House editorial 
     department, died March 24 at Washington Hospital Center of 
     complications after heart valve surgery.
       Mr. Theis joined the White House staff as executive editor 
     shortly after Ford was sworn into office August 9, 1974. As 
     head of the editorial department, he oversaw speechwriting, 
     presidential messages, research and correspondence.
       In 1976, Ford named him deputy undersecretary of 
     agriculture for congressional and public affairs. Mr. Theis 
     left that job after Ford's defeat later that year and worked 
     about four years as a staff consultant to the House Committee 
     on Agriculture and on President-elect Ronald Reagan's 
     Agriculture Department transition team in 1980 and 1981.
       In 1981, he started Headliner Editorial Service, a 
     Washington-based firm offering editorial and speechwriting 
     services for business, government and political clients. He 
     headed the firm until his death.
       Mr. Theis, a Washington resident, was born in Fort Wayne, 
     Ind. He was a journalism graduate of the University of Notre 
     Dame and received a bachelor's degree from Georgetown 
     University's School of Foreign Service.
       During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces as a 
     B-17 Flying Fortress combat pilot in Italy. His military 
     decorations included the Air Medal.
       He also served in the Air Force Reserve, attaining the rank 
     of major.
       Mr. Theis worked for Newsweek and Army Times as a 
     Washington correspondent before serving as an executive 
     assistant to Rep. Oliver P. Bolton (R-Ohio) from 1955 to 
     1957. He served on the inaugural committees of Presidents 
     Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon.
       He was a member of the D.C. Republican Committee for more 
     than 20 years.
       He was co-editor of ``Who's Who in American Politics'' in 
     the late 1960s, co-wrote ``All About Politics'' (1972) and 
     wrote the novel ``Devil in the House'' (2004).
       His memberships included St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church 
     in Washington, the Knights of Columbus, National Press Club, 
     the Capitol Hill Club, the Cosmos Club and the Notre Dame and 
     Georgetown alumni associations.
       Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Nancy Theis, and 
     their son, Mitchell Theis, both of Washington.
                                  ____
                                  

               [From the Washington Times, Apr. 8, 2004]

              Paul A. Theis, 81, Journalist, GOP official

       Paul A. Theis, a former journalist and Republican Party 
     official who served in the Ford administration, died of 
     complications from heart surgery March 24 at the Washington 
     Hospital Center. He was 81.
       Born in Fort Wayne, Ind., Mr. Theis graduated from the 
     University of Notre Dame with a bachelor's degree in 
     journalism in 1948 and received a bachelor's degree from 
     Georgetown University's School of Foreign Services in 1949.
       He also attended American University's Graduate School of 
     Communication from 1949 to 1952.
       As a B-17 combat pilot in World War II, he served with the 
     15th Air Force in Italy, receiving the Air Medal and the 
     European Theater Ribbon with six battle stars. He held the 
     rank of major in the Air Force Reserve.
       A former Washington correspondent for Newsweek and other 
     publications, Mr. Theis served as public relations director 
     of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 1960 
     to 1974.
       He joined the White House staff in August 1974, shortly 
     after Gerald Ford was sworn in as president. Mr. Theis led 
     four divisions: speechwriting, presidential messages, 
     research and correspondence. He also was a member of the D.C. 
     Republican Committee for more than 20 years and a delegate to 
     the Republican National Convention in 1984, 1988 and 1992.
       His book ``Devil in the House,'' was published in January. 
     He also co-authored the 1972 book ``All About Politics'' with 
     William Steponkus.
       In January 1976, Mr. Theis was named by Mr. Ford as deputy 
     undersecretary of agriculture for congressional and public 
     affairs and served in that capacity during the remainder of 
     the Ford administration. He then joined the House Agriculture 
     Committee, where he served as a staff consultant from 1977 to 
     1981, and on President Reagan's Agriculture Department 
     transition team from 1980 to 1981.
       Mr. Theis in 1981 founded Headliner Editorial Service, a 
     District- based firm offering editorial and speechwriting 
     services for business, government and political clients. He 
     led the firm until his death.
       Mr. Theis was a member of the National Press Club for more 
     than 50 years, the Capitol Hill Club, the Cosmos Club, and 
     Notre Dame and Georgetown's alumni associations. He was a 
     member of Our Lady of Victory Council No. 11487 Knights of 
     Columbus and an active member of St. Thomas Apostle parish in 
     the District.
       He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Nancy; and a son, 
     Mitchell Theis of the District.

                          ____________________