[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 29, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E105-E106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING HOUSTON MAYOR LOUIE WELCH

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2008

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, the city of Houston recently lost a Texas 
Gentleman and great civic leader. Former Houston Mayor Louie Welch died 
on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008 after a long battle with cancer. He was 89 
years old. Mayor Welch's contributions to Houston government will 
impact generations of city residents that now enjoy a better quality of 
life and greater economic opportunity.
  Louie Welch was born on Dec. 9, 1918 in the west Texas town of 
Lockney. Welch was an industrious boy who performed many tasks to earn 
money such as sell magazines, deliver milk and sell popcorn for a 
nickel a bag. In high school, he participated in debate and was elected 
president of his senior class. These activities were an early sign of 
his life-long interest in politics.
  Welch attended Abilene Christian University and graduated in 1940 
with a history degree. While in college, he met his future wife, Iola 
Faye Cure and they were married on Dec. 17, 1940. They later had five 
children. After Iola Faye died, Louie married Helen.
  After graduating from college, his political career began in 1949 as 
a Houston city councilman. He served four terms as council member. With 
a tough political resolve, he ran for Houston mayor four times before 
finally becoming successful. Welch served as mayor of Houston from 1964 
to 1973.
  His mother's religious influence left a permanent impression with 
Welch who, in addition to graduating from a Christian university, was a 
member of Garden Oaks Church of Christ for more than 35 years and 
frequently quoted from the Bible throughout his life. I had the 
opportunity to serve on the Board of Trustees at Abilene Christian 
University with the Mayor.
  Mayor Welch will be remembered for a rich legacy of vital 
construction projects that he helped oversee to completion which 
improved city services and prepared for future growth in Houston. These 
projects included construction of Bush Intercontinental Airport, Lake 
Conroe and Lake Livingston reservoirs which provided much needed water 
supplies for Houston's rapidly growing residential and commercial 
areas. Welch's other projects involved closing down inefficient sewer 
treatment plants, starting the cleanup of the Houston Ship Channel and 
bayou beautification.
  His leadership abilities also extended into national positions with 
Welch serving as vice president of the National League of Cities from 
1970 to 1973 and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 1972 
to 1973.
  Mayor Welch was a man who loved Houston tremendously. He joked that 
he didn't tell his sons that they were born in that ``northern'' city 
of Dallas until they were much older to protect them from the horrible 
truth for as long as possible.
  He was known for his witty observations on Texas politics and 
himself. He once said, ``When I was elected mayor I spent the better 
part of my first term weeding out the political appointees I had 
inherited from my predecessor. Virtually all of my second term, I spent 
weeding out my own political appointees.''
  Welch even served a brief stint as guest weatherman for the local TV 
channel ABC 13. When weatherman Ed Brandon gave the forecast for the 
chance of rain one day, Mayor Welch was hiding above him in the studio 
on a ladder and dumped a bucket of water on Brandon's head. He told the 
very surprised weatherman, ``You never get that right. Let's face it: 
it's always 50 percent. Either it's going to rain or it's not going to 
rain.''
  Following his years as mayor, Welch went to work for the Houston 
Chamber of Commerce, which later became the Greater Houston 
Partnership, and served as president of the organization for 12 years.
  I met the Mayor when I was a teenager. I showed up at the Garden Oaks 
Church of Christ one Wednesday night seeking out a local girl. The 
Mayor cornered me and wanted to know who I was and my intentions. I was 
quite intimidated by the 5'6" Mayor, but after the interrogation, I was 
approved to speak to the girl--(but she still turned me down for a 
date).
  Years later, I went to see the Mayor, then President of the Houston 
Chamber, because I had decided to run as a Republican for State 
District Judge in Houston. Being a political nobody and novice I needed 
sound political advice from an expert. The Mayor told me no Republican 
had been elected to a state judgeship in Hous`ton since Reconstruction. 
So, he recommended instead that I run for the non-partisan position of 
City Council, because Houstonians preferred ``nobodies'' over 
Republicans. I did overcome the handicap of being a Republican and for 
years appreciated his wise political counsel when I served as a judge.
  When I taught an Adult Sunday School Class at Bammel Church of 
Christ, Louie and

[[Page E106]]

his wife Helen would always sit on the front row of the class. The 
Mayor would interrupt my lesson at some critical point and make a 
humorous comment about the lesson that would sidetrack our discussion. 
Louie Welch knew the Good Book as well as the Apostle Paul, but he was 
much funnier. We shall miss Louie Welch.
  His son Gary Welch recently told the Houston Chronicle, ``I would 
like for him to be remembered as a mayor who cared deeply about the 
city of Houston and each and every person who lived in the city of 
Houston.''
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________