[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE TOM BEVILL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 6, 2005

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, the Fourth District of Alabama, and indeed 
the entire state, recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to 
honor him and pay tribute to his memory.
  Congressman Tom Bevill was a devoted family man and dedicated public 
servant throughout his entire life, and has the distinction of being 
the longest-serving congressman ever to come from Alabama. I am certain 
many in this chamber recall with great fondness and vividness their 
memories of working closely with this tireless advocate for the needs 
of his constituents and his state.
  Born on March 27, 1921, and a native of Walker County, Alabama, 
Congressman Bevill spent his childhood in the mining community of 
Townley, witnessing the ravages of the Great Depression on his family, 
his friends, and his neighbors. He was a 1943 graduate of the 
University of Alabama School of Commerce and Business Administration. 
Within a short time following his graduation, he joined the United 
States Army and rose to the rank of captain, leading one of the units 
which went ashore in France on June 6, 1944. Ultimately, Congressman 
Bevill retired from the U.S. Army Reserves with the rank of lieutenant 
colonel. In 1948, he completed his legal studies at the University of 
Alabama School of Law and embarked on an 18-year career practicing law 
in Jasper, Alabama.
  All told, Congressman Bevill spent 38 years in public office. Elected 
to the Alabama State House of Representatives in 1958, he served for 
eight years before embarking on a campaign which would ultimately lead 
to his winning the seat for the Seventh (later Fourth) Congressional 
District at the end of 1966. He would go on to serve 15 terms in this 
chamber and become one of the most effective and well-respected 
advocates for the state of Alabama ever to serve in the United States 
Congress.
  Congressman Bevill became such an effective representative for his 
district and for the state--and became such an influential member of 
the House of Representatives that he was often referred to as 
``Alabama's third senator.'' Indeed, the work he accomplished during 
his three decades in this chamber, particularly as a member of the full 
Committee on Appropriations and, for nine terms, as chairman of the 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, had 
important and long-lasting effects on the economic growth of the state 
of Alabama.
  To this day, signs of his influence and successful efforts on behalf 
of his district and his state can be found throughout Alabama, and his 
name has been attached to some of the most important public centers 
anywhere in the state. These include the Tom Bevill Chair of Law at the 
University of Alabama, the Tom Bevill Energy, Mineral, and Material 
Science Research Building, also at the University of Alabama, and the 
Tom Bevill Center for Advanced Manufacturing Technology at Gadsden.

  In addition to his long and successful career in the House of 
Representatives, Congressman Bevill received numerous awards and 
citations in recognition of his distinguished career. Along with 
honorary doctorates he received from Livingston University, the 
University of North Alabama, and Troy State University, he was inducted 
into both the Alabama Academy of Honor and the Alabama Senior Citizens 
Hall of Fame.
  Perhaps more than any other two projects, Congressman Bevill should 
be remembered for his work on two of the most significant 
transportation projects in Alabama history: the Memphis-to-Birmingham 
highway known as ``Corridor X,'' and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. 
``Corridor X,'' when completed, will provide a vital link between the 
two cities in Alabama and Tennessee and will provide tremendous 
benefits and incentive for further economic development in north 
Alabama. The Waterway has already provided incalculable benefits for 
Alabama's economy and has resulted in thousands of jobs for men and 
women throughout our state.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a 
dedicated public servant and long-time advocate for the state of 
Alabama, a man whose significant impact and dedication to the needs and 
interests of his constituents will be felt for many years to come. 
Congressman Bevill, who was preceded in death in 2001 by his beloved 
wife of 58 years, Lou, will be deeply missed by his family--his 
daughters, Susan Bevill Livingston and Patricia Bevill Warren, his son, 
Don Bevill, his six grandchildren, and his three great-grandchildren--
as well as the countless friends he leaves behind. Our thoughts and 
prayers are with them all at this difficult time.

                          ____________________