[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H220-H221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JOHNNY CARSON

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Government Reform be discharged from further consideration 
of the resolution (H. Res. 40) honoring the career and philanthropic 
contributions of Johnny Carson, and ask for its immediate consideration 
in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                               H. Res. 40

       Whereas Johnny Carson was born as John William Carson on 
     October 23, 1925, in Corning, Iowa, to Homer ``Kit'' and Ruth 
     Carson;
       Whereas Johnny Carson moved with his family to Norfolk, 
     Nebraska, in 1933, served his country as a Navy ensign during 
     World War II, and received a bachelor of arts degree in radio 
     and speech in 1949 from the University of Nebraska;
       Whereas Johnny Carson became known as the ``King of Late 
     Night'' as he entertained millions of Americans from 1962 
     until 1992 as the host of ``The Tonight Show'';
       Whereas Johnny Carson won six Emmy Awards, was inducted 
     into the Television Hall of Fame in 1987, was awarded the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992, and received the 
     Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993;
       Whereas Johnny Carson continued to recognize his Midwestern 
     roots by generously donating millions of dollars to 
     communities and institutions in Nebraska and Iowa;
       Whereas the United States was saddened by the death of 
     Johnny Carson on January 23, 2005, at the age of 79: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors Johnny Carson for making us laugh and for his 
     many philanthropic contributions; and
       (2) expresses its deepest sympathy and condolences to his 
     family.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. I will not take that much time.
  I want to rise in support of House Resolution 40 that honors the life 
and career of Johnny Carson. Mr. Speaker, the former Tonight Show host 
passed away on Sunday after 13 years of retirement at the age of 79. 
His show delighted viewers every weeknight for three decades during an 
incomparable late-night run from October of 1962 until May of 1992.
  Much has been said in recent days about Johnny Carson, and rightfully 
so. Carson's career was extremely decorated. He was a six-time Emmy 
Award winner and a member of the Television Hall of Fame. Carson was 
also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992, and he received 
the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.
  But, undoubtedly, Johnny Carson's greatest accomplishment was in 
making millions of people laugh at the end of days that were not always 
that funny. The Tonight Show aired during a period that included some 
of the most sobering events in American history: the Civil Rights 
Movement; the Vietnam War; the Watergate saga; the assassinations of 
President Kennedy, Senator Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., to name a 
few. Johnny Carson's grace through his 30 years was as important to his 
longevity as was his sense of humor.
  Since his Tonight Show in 1992, Americans everywhere have longed for 
his return. His personal life was always intensely private; so we have 
seen or heard little of him over the last 13 years. With his passing on 
Sunday, we know we will never see Johnny Carson. And as David 
Letterman, whose own program followed the Tonight Show each night for 
10 years, said this week, ``We will not see the like of him again,'' 
either.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), our new colleague.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday America lost a brilliant 
entertainer, a gifted comedian, and a generous philanthropist. Johnny 
Carson, who passed away at the age of 79, lived much of his life in 
California, but he never forgot his Nebraska roots. Johnny Carson was 
born in Corning, Iowa, but at the age of 8, he and his family moved to 
Norfolk, Nebraska, a community which continues to embrace him.
  Johnny Carson graduated from Norfolk High School in 1943, and, by the 
way, Mr. Speaker, that is where he happened not to make the cheerleader 
squad three times. He then served his country as an ensign in the Navy 
during World War II. He attended the University of Nebraska and 
graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in radio and speech in 1949.
  Although much attention has been paid in recent days to the impact 
that Johnny Carson had on television, I would like to focus on his 
generosity, which took on many forms. The list of his financial 
contributions to communities and institutions is very impressive. It 
seemed that whenever a project in the Norfolk area was short of funds, 
Johnny Carson came to the rescue. But he did it in his trademark modest 
and unassuming style, and, in fact, many of his donations were made 
anonymously.
  Over the years he developed an impressive philanthropic legacy. He 
gave $2.27 million for the Cancer Radiation Center in Norfolk, $1 
million for the Lifelong Learning Center at Northeast Community 
College, $600,000 to the Norfolk Public Schools for the Johnny Carson 
Theater, and $500,000 for the Norfolk Library Foundation. He gave to 
numerous other projects both in Nebraska and Iowa.
  Johnny Carson also did not forget his alma mater. Last year he 
donated $5.3 million to renovate and expand the Temple Building, which 
houses the University of Nebraska-Lincoln theater department. He also 
provided funding for four merit-based scholarships and donated millions 
of dollars toward the

[[Page H221]]

construction of the Lied Center for the Performing Arts at the 
University.
  In 1988, he explained his generosity by saying, ``I have always felt 
that if you're lucky enough in this life to accumulate enough funds to 
live better than you have the right to, then you have a moral 
obligation to pay back to the community or to the country or to the 
place that brought you up.''
  Nebraska was truly fortunate that it was the place that brought him 
up. We as a Nation were fortunate to have a man that made so many 
people laugh. Johnny Carson's generosity to the State will continue to 
provide benefits for future generations. And for those who remember, 
his personality will live on in our hearts.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).
  Mr. KING of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
this time.
  And without deference to the origins of the Speaker or to the other 
gentleman from Nebraska, I rise today to reclaim Johnny Carson as a 
loyal Iowan and a favorite son of the great State of Iowa, who migrated 
to the West across the Missouri River and made his home over on the 
Nebraska side. Iowa has much to be proud about, and Johnny Carson is 
one of those rare gems that will certainly be missed.
  Johnny was born as John William Carson on October 23, 1925, in 
Corning, Iowa, down in mighty Adams County to a Homer, ``Kit,'' and his 
mother Ruth Carson. A few years later he attended kindergarten in Red 
Oak, Iowa. He has not forgotten his roots at Red Oak either.
  No comic has been able to duplicate the comfortable format that 
Carson emitted to his audiences nightly. As Harold Meyerson puts it, he 
was the ``country boy who had become the urban hipster.'' In Corning, 
Iowa, everyone knows everyone, and Johnny brought that same small town 
feeling to Americans who watched him every evening.
  And although he moved to Nebraska, Carson never forgot his Iowa 
roots. His generosity through the John W. Carson Foundation will be 
long remembered in Iowa. One such example is his support for providing 
classroom and rehearsal space at the Performing Arts and Education 
Association of Southwest Iowa, which is located at Red Oak. He 
understood what it was like to grow up in rural Iowa, and he understood 
rural America. And those people down in that region had not had access 
to performance amenities until Johnny made his contribution.
  So in keeping with the spirit of the person whom everyone in America 
loved, he really did not just belong to Iowa or just belong to 
Nebraska, but Johnny Carson belonged to America. And he would be quite 
pleased if I took this opportunity to also reclaim Secretary of 
Agriculture Mike Johanns as an Iowan and also reclaim Roger Craig, 
great running back from Davenport, Iowa, who slid his way through 
Lincoln and went on to win three Super Bowl rings in San Francisco. 
There are others. And I appreciate the life of Johnny Carson and the 
spirit that he brought to this great country.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Fortenberry) for composing this resolution, and I thank my colleagues 
for their comments.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 40, a 
resolution honoring the career and philanthropic contribution of Johnny 
Carson. I want to thank Congressman Fortenberry for joining me in 
introducing this timely resolution, and I appreciate the opportunity to 
join my colleagues in honoring an American legend.
  Mr. Carson, known to millions around the world simply as ``Johnny,'' 
was not only the king of late-night comedy, but a true American icon 
whose wit and social commentary help defined generations of American 
entertainment and popular culture. During his 30-year reign of late 
night, he commanded the loyalty of millions of television viewers. He 
did this not just by being a gifted comedian, but by being everyone's 
favorite next-door neighbor, who always knew how to put his audiences 
at ease. His jokes on politics were always sharp and perceptive, but 
never below the belt. His monologues reflected the pulse of our Nation. 
He is and always will be the fabric of American society.
  Johnny brought heartland values with him to show business, and he 
departed a class act. After he finished his final show in 1992, he 
never returned for guest appearances or prime-time specials. Instead, 
Johnny demonstrated his well known sincerity by letting his remarkable 
achievements speak for themselves.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to pay tribute to this 
great American icon, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this 
resolution.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is 
ordered on the resolution.
  There was no objection.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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