[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 30 (Monday, February 25, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S1117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING VADA SHEID

 Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate the life 
and accomplishments of a great Arkansan, Mrs. Vada Webb Sheid. Mrs. 
Sheid was a civil servant; she was an entrepreneur; she was an 
inspiration. After a long battle with Alzheimer's, Vada Sheid passed 
away on February 11, 2008, at the age of 91. She will be sorely missed.
  Born and raised in rural Arkansas near Calico Rock in the north 
central part of the State, she became known as one of the Twin Lakes 
area's biggest movers and shakers. She came from a rare breed of 
politicians, one marked with sincere intentions and a sense of duty. 
Starting as the Izard County Welfare Director at the young age of 19, 
her public service career stretched across five decades. Her love of 
public service, the area, and the people of her area was apparent in 
her work.
  She understood the needs of her constituents and committed her time 
and efforts to addressing them. From the time she was first elected in 
1966, she set out to replace the ferry system on Norfork Lake by 
building bridges across it. After nearly 20 years of unwavering 
pursuit, the Norfork Lake bridges were constructed, an act credited as 
her crowning achievement.
  Education was another cornerstone of her tenure. As a supporter of 
the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, Mrs. Sheid donated her papers 
to the University of Arkansas Special Collections in 1989 so that they 
may be shared and studied for generations to come. North Central 
Arkansas did not have much to offer as a means of college education 
prior to the work of Vada. During her tenure, she introduced a measure 
that established the North Arkansas Community College in Harrison and 
was a key factor to the creation of the Arkansas State University at 
Mountain Home.
  Vada and my father, David Pryor, were dear friends and had a close 
relationship during their many years of public service in Arkansas. I 
had the privilege of serving with her in the Arkansas House of 
Representatives. She had this calming influence about her that led her 
to become a mentor to many of us. Given her reputation, she was trusted 
as a sounding board across the State on key issues and new ideas. There 
is not really a story I could tell about Vada Sheid to encompass the 
person she was. Her story was filled with a lifetime of integrity and a 
steadfast passion for public service.
  Her accomplishments and passion for public service continue to be an 
inspiration to me. I recognize the value and impact of her work in 
Arkansas, and during my time in the Senate, I have worked to secure 
Federal funding for the Vada Sheid Community Center on the Arkansas 
State University at Mountain Home campus. With the groundbreaking set 
for April 11, I am committed, now more than ever, to working with 
stakeholders to complete this project as a tribute to Mrs. Sheid.
  Arkansas has a rich heritage of powerful, groundbreaking women. Vada 
Sheid's accomplishments place her in the ranks of historic greats like 
Hattie Caraway, Judge Elsijane Trimble Roy, my dear colleague, Senator 
Blanche Lambert Lincoln, and my grandmother, Susie Newton Pryor. This 
woman rose above the times and crossed milestones in so many of her 
endeavors. She was the first woman to be elected in her own right to 
the Arkansas Senate, and the first woman to serve in both Chambers of 
the Arkansas General Assembly.
  My heart goes out to her family, friends, and Arkansans alike as we 
mourn this loss. Vada left Arkansas and the world a better place than 
when she found it and her legacy will continue to live on for 
generations to come.

                          ____________________