[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO DON WILSON

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge and honor the 
work of my good friend, Don Wilson, who will be retiring after 22 years 
of service to the people of Nevada in the House of Representatives and 
the United States Senate.
  Don was born in Carl Junction, MO, in 1939. His father, like my own, 
was a miner, and the search for work led the Wilson family to move 
around the West for much of Don's early years. The Wilsons spent time 
in Oklahoma, South Dakota, Idaho, New Mexico and Washington State and 
finally settled in Henderson, NV in June 1952.
  I first met Don at Basic High School in Henderson in 1957, and we 
quickly became friends. He and I both played on the football and 
baseball teams together, but Don was the star. He set many records, 
some of which stand to this day, and he led our high school teams to 
several championships. One year, he even batted over .500. With that 
type of talent, it is hardly surprising that Don earned a full athletic 
scholarship at Arizona State University in Tempe, where he graduated 
with a degree in marketing in 1961.
  After graduation, Don worked for a few months for IBM Corporation. He 
was drafted, however, in 1962 and served his country honorably for 2 
years in the Army. He worked in the Clark County Juvenile Justice 
System for over 15 years, trying to make a difference in the lives of 
troubled young Nevadans. During his time at the Juvenile Court, he 
served in various leadership positions, including director of the 
Spring Mountain Youth Camp.
  Since then, Don has worked hard on behalf of Nevada on my staff--both 
in the House of Representatives and in the United States Senate. He 
filled many roles in my office over the years--legislative assistant, 
business manager, and currently deputy regional manager for my Las 
Vegas office--but, first and foremost, he has remained my trusted 
friend.
  Abraham Lincoln once said, ``The better part of one's life consists 
of his friendships.'' Don Wilson has been my friend for the better part 
of my life, and I thank him for this friendship and look forward to our 
continued relationship in the years to come.

                          ____________________