[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 128 (Tuesday, November 14, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO GEORGE ``DOC'' GUNTHER AS HE RETIRES FROM THE CONNECTICUT 
                            GENERAL ASSEMBLY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 14, 2006

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the career 
of the Honorable George ``Doc'' Gunther, State Senator from 
Connecticut's 21st Senate Assembly District--an elected office which he 
has held for a stunning twenty terms--forty years! During his 
remarkable tenure, ``Doc'' has represented his constituents and the 
State of Connecticut with both integrity and dignity. Currently the 
longest serving member of the General Assembly, I have no doubt that 
his passionate, vocal advocacy will be missed by his colleagues as well 
as the staff--the General Assembly will not be the same without him.
  Throughout his legislative career, ``Doc'' has been an active 
advocate in many areas. He has served on the Public Health Committee 
since he was first elected and has spent more than thirty years as a 
member of the Regulation Review Committee. Growing up on the Long 
Island Sound, the environmental health of this natural jewel has always 
been a priority for ``Doc.'' He has authored several pieces of landmark 
legislation aimed at protecting the Sound and was instrumental in the 
establishment of the Bi-State Long Island Sound Marine Resources 
Committee of which he currently serves as State Chair. ``Doc'' also 
served for eleven years as the State Chair of the American Legislative 
Exchange Council, the largest bipartisan membership association of 
state legislators, and has spent more than twenty-six years as an 
active member and Connecticut's Legislative Commissioner for the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. His knowledge of the Long 
Island Sound, as an economic resource and fishery habitat, has been an 
invaluable tool in the fight to protect the Sound from 
industrialization and pollution.
  There are few in the Stratford community or in Hartford's Legislative 
Office Building that do not know ``Doc.'' He is unafraid to voice his 
opinion and has always fought hard for those issues which are important 
to him and his constituents. Stratford, Connecticut, the community 
which ``Doc'' has represented for the last four decades, is home to the 
American Shakespeare Festival Theater which, unfortunately, fell into 
disrepair in recent years. Knowing what this cultural and historic 
landmark meant to the Town of Stratford and its residents, ``Doc'' 
spearheaded the effort by the Stratford delegation to secure half a 
million dollars towards the efforts to restore the Theater to its 
original glory.
  ``Doc'' has also been a leader in the effort to create the 
Connecticut Air and Space Museum which is located at the former site of 
the Stratford Army Engine Plant. The museum is a tribute to the rich 
history of the Connecticut aviation industry--especially the 
contributions of the Vought F4U Corsair used during World War II. These 
are just two examples of the tenacity and leadership ``Doc'' has shown 
throughout his tenure in the General Assembly.
  Though we come from differing political backgrounds, I have been 
proud to work with ``Doc'' for so many years. He is a force to be 
reckoned with and has been an outstanding public servant. It is an 
honor for me to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to George 
``Doc'' Gunther, not only for his decades of dedicated service to 
public life, but for the many invaluable contributions he has made to 
the Town of Stratford and the State of Connecticut. His good work has 
left an indelible mark on our community and will benefit our state for 
generations to come. I wish him, his wife, Priscilla, his three 
children, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren the very 
best for many more years of health and happiness.

                          ____________________