[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 108 (Friday, September 2, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1747-E1748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO THE LATE KANSAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN NORBERT DREILING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 2, 2005

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Norbert Dreiling, of Hays, Kansas, who died on August 1, 2005.
  Norbert Dreiling will long be remembered in Kansas as one of the 
fathers of the modem Kansas Democratic Party. As Representative Jerry 
Moran of Kansas said in his very generous tribute to Norbert Dreiling 
before the House on July 19, 2004, ``Through years of dedicated 
service, he breathed life into a struggling Democratic Party and 
established a lasting two-party system in Kansas.'' Under Chairman 
Dreiling's leadership, for the first time an incumbent Republican 
governor of Kansas was defeated by a Democratic challenger, Robert 
Docking, who was elected governor four times--the most terms ever 
served by a governor in Kansas. In addition to his extensive service to 
his community, State and nation, Norbert Dreiling also maintained a 
successful law practice and was instrumental in promoting the Volga-
German heritage of Hays and Ellis County, Kansas.
  Norbert Dreiling was born April 7, 1925, in Gorham, Kansas, and 
married Donna Jean Myerly in 1948. He was a member of St. Joseph 
Catholic Church, St. Joseph 3rd Degree Knights of Columbus and 4th 
Degree Bishop Cunningham Assembly Knights of Columbus, all of Hays. He 
was a graduate of St. Joseph Military Academy, Fort Hays State 
University and Washburn University Law School. He was senior partner in 
the law firm of Dreiling, Bieker and Hoffman, Hays. He was elected and 
served two terms as Ellis County Attorney, served as Kansas State 
Democratic Chairman from 1966 to 1974, and led several delegations to 
the National Democratic Conventions. He was a member of the Phi Alpha 
Delta law fraternity. He was involved in numerous non-political civic 
and educational activities. He was a charter member of Hays Kiwanis 
Club, a charter member of the Volga German Society of Hays, a Fort Hays 
State University Endowment Association Trustee and the Washburn Law 
School Board of Governors. He was a member of the Board of Directors of 
St. Anthony Hospital and Farmers State Bank, both of Hays. He helped 
establish and create St. Johns Rest Home of Victoria and Hays, serving 
on the board for many years. He was the recipient of the Distinguished 
Alumni Award from Fort Hays State University. He was honored by TMP-
Marian High School in Hays and was the first recipient of the St. 
Thomas More Friend For All Seasons Award. Survivors include his wife, 
Donna Jean Dreiling, of the home; two sons, Mark Dreiling, Denver, 
Colo., and Curt Dreiling, Estes Park, Colo.; two daughters, Jan 
Schuster, Bradenton, Fla., and Kathy Dreiling,

[[Page E1748]]

Colorado Springs, Colo; and 10 grandchildren, Kimberly McDaniels, Brian 
Schuster, Jeffrey Dreiling, Scott Schuster, Jackson Dreiling, Nicholas 
Dreiling, Krysta Dreiling, Sean Dreiling, Amy Schuster and Sam 
Talarico.

  Mr. Speaker, longtime Kansas Democratic Party activist Glenn Staab of 
Hays, posted a blog on the state party's website on the day of Norbert 
Dreiling's death that provides a fitting summary of the life and legacy 
of former Chairman Dreiling. I am reproducing it in the Record here in 
its entirety, followed by Topeka Capital Journal coverage of his death.

       Norbert Dreiling passed away today (8-1-05). Norbert was my 
     first political hero. He was very generous with his time when 
     it came to talking politics. I never visited him without 
     taking pen and paper. Some of those notes are over thirty 
     years old. Following is the column I wrote about Norbert that 
     appeared in the Hays Daily News on November 23, 2003.
       President John Kennedy was assassinated 40 years ago last 
     Saturday. It was my generation's ``moment in history.'' Every 
     generation has a, ``Where were you when . . .?''
       I consider JFK's assassination my first political 
     encounter. It is my first memory of a President, and the 
     tragedy as it unfolded was my first taste of national 
     politics. Since I'm always looking for an excuse to visit 
     with Norbert Dreiling, the infamous anniversary gave me a 
     reason to sit down and speak with him about his relationship 
     with President Kennedy.
       Norbert Dreiling was the Ellis County Democratic Chair when 
     a Senator from Massachusetts was considering a run for 
     President. He was Democrat, and he was Catholic. The Kennedy 
     people were looking for a ``bell-weather'' county to test the 
     waters. Norbert had already been working with the Kennedy 
     campaign for some period when our heavily Democratic, heavily 
     Catholic county was chosen as that county to host a banquet.
       The event was sold out and exceeded Kennedy staff's 
     expectations. Kennedy's announcement for President followed 
     soon after. Norbert became very familiar with the inner 
     circle of the Kennedy campaign, family and presidency. After 
     Kennedy was elected, Norbert paid a visit to the newly 
     elected President. Ted Sorensen, a member of the inner 
     council, spread a large map of the United States to show 
     Norbert the states and counties that had voted for JFK. 
     Sorensen said, ``Ellis County was regarded highly by those 
     who were active in this campaign.''
       Kennedy's visit was the first Presidential hopeful's visit 
     to Hays since Teddy Roosevelt in 1903. So, to date, three 
     Presidential hopefuls visited Hays in the 1900's and were 
     successful in their electoral bids: Roosevelt in '03; 
     Kennedy in '59; Al Gore in '88 who won in 2000, but was 
     not allowed to serve his term.
       Norbert was the Kansas Democratic State Chair as Robert 
     Docking was successful in four consecutive two-year terms for 
     Governor; which will never happen again, unless the state 
     constitution is changed. It was during this time that I 
     started reading Norbert Dreiling quotes and taking a real 
     interest in politics. I can remember thinking that I would 
     like to be that clever someday. I'm still waiting.
       I remember sitting in Norbert's office listening to his 
     campaign stories. No one could tell a story better than he. 
     He could mesmerize an audience with his speeches. Today, he 
     battles against Parkinson's. His speech is halted and almost 
     a whisper, but that hasn't hindered his opinions.
       His disdain of the current Bush administration is clear. He 
     detests the ``permissive binge'' of big corporations. He adds 
     that those who profess to support the constitution ``give 
     little credit to those who hold the country together.''
       When asked about present day politics, he said, ``The 
     politics of this era should reflect the greatness of this 
     country. There is much material wealth that could be 
     available to assure that good could be done--especially for 
     the poor and the disabled and here we are in another war. One 
     asks if we did learn anything from Vietnam? The Balkans?''
       To this day, Norbert is sought out for political advice. 
     Patrick Murray was hired as the Executive Director of the 
     Kansas Democratic Party last spring. The twenty-four-year-old 
     Maryland Democrat was given instructions by state officials 
     to visit with Norbert for his opinions and history of Kansas 
     politics. Murray said of his visit, ``You can't plan for the 
     future if you don't understand the past. The insight that Mr. 
     Dreiling gave me on state and national politics was beyond 
     measure.''
       I asked Norbert for examples of people that give him credit 
     for their political involvement. He said, ``A lot of people 
     say a lot of nice things.''
       When asked about family coming home for the holidays, he 
     related that all his kids were coming home. It was a chance 
     for us to agree on something besides politics. I told him to 
     say ``Hi'' to his daughter Kathy, relating to him that she is 
     still the best ``Dolly'' I've ever seen. He told me that 
     although her lead performance as a junior at Hays High School 
     in ``Hello Dolly'' was over two decades ago, people still 
     stop him and tell him the same thing I did.
       This Thanksgiving I am thankful for family and friends, but 
     I am also thankful for Norbert Dreiling and his influence in 
     my love of politics.
       Our community owes much to Norbert Dreiling. He has been 
     generous in countless ways. And one afternoon in November 
     1959, he brought a touch of Camelot to Hays.--Glenn Staab
                                  ____


               [The Topeka Capital-Journal, Aug. 3, 2005]

                            (By Chris Moon)

                     Docking Campaigner Dies at 80

       Norbert Dreiling, the western Kansas lawyer credited with 
     ``making it acceptable to be a Democrat in Kansas,'' died 
     Monday. He was 80.
       In the 1960s and 1970s, Dreiling led Democrat Robert 
     Docking to an unprecedented four straight general election 
     wins, earning admiration from Democrats and Republicans 
     alike.
       Topeka lawyer Larry Tenopir, a longtime Democratic Party 
     leader in Kansas, said Dreiling turned the fortunes of the 
     Kansas Democratic Party during the Docking years--``just by 
     making it acceptable to be a Democrat in Kansas.''
       ``Winning had a lot to do with that,'' he said.
       Dreiling started his law practice in Hays in 1949 and also 
     began volunteering as a Democratic precinct committeeman. 
     That eventually led him into the heart of statewide politics 
     in the late 1960s.
       But before and after that--his close colleagues chime in--
     Dreiling was a lawyer.
       ``Norb Dreiling was the best lawyer I ever met,'' said 
     Dennis Bieker, who has worked as a partner in Dreiling's Hays 
     law firm since 1966.
       He said Dreiling had a way of communicating the most 
     complex schemes in simple terms that jurors could 
     understand--a skill he transferred to the political realm 
     when he served as state party chairman from 1966 to 1974.
       ``He understood the basics of politics, which is 
     communication 101,'' said Tenopir, who was a leader of the 
     Young Democrats at the time.
       He recalled 6-inch-tall stickers used in a Docking 
     campaign, which read ``Docking Stands for You'' and showed 
     the governor standing up.
       In a speech last year before Congress, Republican U.S. Rep. 
     Jerry Moran--also from Dreiling's hometown of Hays--called 
     the Democratic activist ``the father of Democratic politics 
     in the state of Kansas.''
       Moran on Tuesday credited Dreiling for his work in the 
     community, helping the local hospital, Catholic school and 
     Fort Hays State University.
       ``He was the go-to guy for fundraising,'' Moran said. 
     ``He's the epitome of a small town community leader, a 
     lawyer, who wants to make a difference in his community.''