[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 13, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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                       IN HONOR OF PAUL WINCHELL

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                          HON. JERROLD NADLER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 2005

  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and 
accomplishments of Paul Winchell, who passed away on Friday, June 24th.
  Paul was born in Manhattan's Lower East Side on December 21, 1922. He 
studied ventriloquism from an early age, overcoming speech impediments 
and a difficult family life. He would go on to become one of the great 
pioneers of early television, bringing a smile to every household with 
his ventriloquism act on the Paul Winchell-Jerry Maloney show in the 
1950's.
  To younger generations, Paul was best known as the voice of Tigger, 
the loveable tiger from Walt Disney's adaptation of ``Winnie the 
Pooh.'' He also played numerous roles on children's programs such as 
the Jetsons, the Smurfs, the Brady Bunch, and the Beverly Hillbillies. 
But Paul was much more than an entertainer--he was also an innovative 
thinker and inventor with thirty patents.
  At the age of 35, Paul decided to return to school at Columbia 
University, where he studied premed and went on to work on projects for 
the American Red Cross and the Leukemia Society. In 1963 he joined 
forces with Doctor Henry Heimlich, and together they developed and 
patented the first early artificial heart. Rather than sit on his 
accomplishment, however, he donated the heart to the University of 
Utah, where it served as the prototype for Dr. Robert Jarvik's first 
successful heart implant in 1982.
  Paul Winchell lived a life of unparalleled diversity. Whether making 
children smile or improving lives through innovation, he dedicated his 
talents to the betterment of his surroundings, and I request that we 
honor him for a life well lived.

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