[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1227-E1228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO J. PAUL RUSSELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LARRY KISSELL

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 2009

  Mr. KISSELL. Madam Speaker there was a time in our communities across 
the Eighth District that in addition to our own family and our church 
family, many of us were also part of the same work family. We marked 
time by the whistle blowing to change shifts and met our friends at the 
gate as we were coming and going. Even if you worked for a different 
mill than others we all shared a common experience. After 27 years in 
the textile industry, I

[[Page E1228]]

have a very large work family and a man I considered the father of that 
family passed away April 19.
  J. Paul Russell was a visionary, not only in the textile industry but 
as a community leader as well. With Mr. Russell's passing, Montgomery 
County has lost a true legend and one of its most impassioned leaders.
  Mr. Russell had a personal interest in all his employees. He treated 
all people with respect. He knew the names of their children and 
grandchildren. I worked closely with his son Charles during my time at 
the mill, and Charles treated people the same way. It is why people 
chose to work at the Mills for 20 or 30 years.
  It was this type of determination and commitment that helped our 
communities prosper, and that we miss so much now that so much of the 
textile industry is gone.
  Mr. Russell was part of the ``Greatest Generation'' and he had that 
entrepreneurial spirit. The textile industry was just one of his many 
contributions to our community. He was instrumental in bringing the 
county airport to Star and the hospital to Troy.
  During those years, so many of us here in Montgomery County relied on 
the Russell family for our livelihood. For a period of many years, the 
Mill employed 800 people from our community. But it wasn't just jobs 
that the Russell family provided, it was community leadership. They 
didn't just live in our communities--they were our county 
commissioners, Boy Scout leaders, served on town board--much of which 
Mr. Russell did himself.
  There were and are Mr. Russell's in every community across our 
District. We all know how our communities have been affected by the 
loss of the textile industry. It was not only the loss of jobs which we 
still struggle to replace, but it was the loss of leadership as well. 
These families provided so much leadership in our community, and it was 
all gone so quickly.
  One of the things I will always remember about J. Paul Russell was 
his spirit. He was an amazing person, one that attacked life with 
gusto, not just in his work but when he was having fun as well. He 
lived his life to the fullest.
  This is a chance for me to honor, not only Mr. Russell and his family 
for their contributions, but to all of those people who make a 
difference in our community.
  Those special people are scattered throughout our District. They 
spend their time doing things they know will better their community and 
make a difference in the lives of the people around them. It is the 
best legacy we can hope to leave. It is the legacy that J. Paul Russell 
has left. Mr. Russell will dearly be missed by his family, friends, and 
community, and his contributions made to our community.

                          ____________________