[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 97 (Thursday, June 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7066-S7067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING H.A. ``RED'' BOUCHER

 Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, as our colleagues know, this 
year marks the 50th anniversary of Alaska's admission to statehood. 
Earlier this year I had the privilege to speak at a number of events to 
kickoff the 50th anniversary celebration. I marveled at the fact that 
so many of Alaska's statesmen and stateswomen--the people who led 
Alaska from a frontier territory to a modern and vibrant state--are 
still with us today. The founding fathers and mothers of so many of our 
States are just names in a history book. In contrast, the founding 
fathers and mothers of Alaska are not remote historical figures, but 
our friends and neighbors. Alaska's history is very much a living 
history. That is a source of great pride to me and to all Alaskans.
  Yet every year, it seems, we lose another piece of Alaska's living 
history as those who played a significant role in the statehood fight 
and the early growth of our 49th State pass on. Today it is my sad duty 
to acknowledge the loss of Red Boucher, the first elected lieutenant 
governor of Alaska. Red died last Friday at the age of 88. This Friday 
the people of Alaska will celebrate Red's life at a memorial service in 
Anchorage
  Everyone who knew Red knew of his persuasive gifts. Born in Nashua, 
NH, he grew up in St. Vincent's Orphanage in Fall River, MA, where he 
was placed at age 9 after his father's death in 1930. Seven years later 
Red, who was barely 16 years old, talked his way into the U.S. Navy. He 
served for 20 years, including all of World War II. After he left the 
service he ended up in Fairbanks, where in 1958 he established one of 
Interior Alaska's first sporting goods stores. But sports was only one 
of his passions. Politics was clearly another.
  Following service on the Fairbanks city council and as mayor of the 
city of Fairbanks, Red served as lieutenant governor of Alaska under 
Governor Bill Egan from 1970 to 1974.
  After his term as lieutenant governor, Red did not disappear from 
public service. During his nationwide travels from 1976 to 1980 at the 
behest of the Citizens for Management of Alaska's Lands, Red met with 
hundreds of newspaper editorial boards, winning acclaim for his strong 
reasoned arguments for why the Arctic Coastal Plain should be left open 
to oil and gas development if an environmental impact statement proved 
it could be developed without environmental harm. Many credited Red's 
efforts as the reason that ANWR's coastal plain was not locked up as 
wilderness when ANILCA was enacted in 1980. He returned to Juneau in 
1985 representing an Anchorage district in the Alaska House of 
Representatives. And in 1991 Red was elected to the Anchorage Assembly.
  In the minds of many Alaskans these significant contributions are 
relatively minor. They would regard Red's creation of the Alaska 
Goldpanners, Fairbanks' summer baseball team, as his most enduring 
accomplishment. He managed the team from 1960 to 1969. During the 1964 
and 1965 seasons Red managed a young pitcher named Seaver, Tom Seaver.
  The alumni list of the Alaska Goldpanners reads like a ``who's who'' 
of Major League Baseball. In fact, nearly 200 Goldpanner alumni have 
gone on to play in the majors. Then there was Dan Pastorini who pursued 
a career in football as quarterback for the Houston Oilers, Oakland 
Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles.
  The Alaska Goldpanners continue to delight Alaskans and visitors from 
around the world each summer at Growden Memorial Field. At the time of 
his death, Red was the director of external affairs for the team.
  Two days after Red's passing, at 10:30 P.M. on the evening of Sunday, 
June 21, his beloved Goldpanners took the field against the Lake Erie 
Monarchs. It was Fairbanks' 104th annual Midnight Sun Game, game played 
each year to commemorate the Summer Solstice. That game ended in the 
wee morning hours of Monday, June 22, with a 6-3 victory for the 
``Panners.'' Red's still watching out for them.
  In his later years Red championed bringing modern telecommunications 
and computing technologies to the remotest parts of Alaska. He hosted a 
statewide cable television show called ``Alaska On Line.'' I was proud 
to be Red's guest on more than one occasion. We discussed ANWR and the 
need to construct a pipeline to transport Alaska's abundant natural gas 
supplies to market.
  The formula for ``Alaska On Line'' was simple: Invite interesting 
guests and let them tell their stories. These shows are virtual oral 
histories of Alaska. In fact, many of the tapes have already been 
acquired by the University of Alaska Anchorage Consortium Library for 
use by historians and scholars.
  Red Boucher lived every day to the fullest enriching the lives of his 
fellow Alaskans in innumerable ways. I join with Red's family and all 
Alaskans in mourning the loss of this exemplary Alaskan.

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