[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 120 (Wednesday, September 29, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1727]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PAYING TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM GAYL BUCKLES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2004

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, it is with a sad heart that I rise to pay 
tribute to the passing of William Buckles, a great man from my 
district. Bill Buckles, an anthropologist from Pueblo, Colorado 
recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. I am honored 
today to bring his contributions to the attention of this body of 
Congress and this nation.
  Bill was born on May 25, 1931 in Parco, Wyoming. He joined the 
Marines in 1951, and after fighting in the Korean War, was discharged 
in 1954. Bill then attended the University of Colorado where he 
obtained his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in anthropology. 
After traveling to Egypt under the employment of the Smithsonian 
Institution, Bill returned to Pueblo, Colorado, and became the first 
full-time anthropology professor at Southern Colorado State College. He 
spent twenty-seven years as a professor at SCSC before retiring in 
1992.
  Bill will be remembered for his dedication in finding the original El 
Pueblo trading post. The trading post on the then Mexican-American 
border served as a meeting place for trappers and traders from all 
across North America before it was destroyed and forgotten in 1854. 
Bill began searching for the site in the early eighties and after 
finding the historical site, he helped insure that it was included as 
part of the El Pueblo Historical Museum. Bill also made great 
contributions the Fryingpan-Arkansas Water project, which provides safe 
drinking water to tens of thousands of residents in southwest Colorado.
  Mr. Speaker, Bill Buckles was a dedicated man that selflessly served 
his community and country, and I am honored to pay tribute to such a 
respected citizen. His lifetime of achievements is an incredible model 
for America's youth. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family 
during this time of bereavement.

                          ____________________