[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 140 (Thursday, October 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF BASS PRO SHOPS FOUNDER JOHNNY L. MORRIS, FOR HIS 
   LIFETIME CONSERVATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM THE TEDDY ROOSEVELT 
                        CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP

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                             HON. ROY BLUNT

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 2009

  Mr. BLUNT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who has become 
an icon to fishermen, an innovative retailer and perhaps the humblest 
guy you might ever meet. You may not immediately recognize the name 
Johnny Morris, but you probably know the company he started in 1972--
Bass Pro Shops. Johnny is also a dedicated conservationist who supports 
a host of national wildlife and habitat conservation efforts.
  National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Wild Turkey 
Federation, the Nature Conservancy, International Game Fish 
Association, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Quality 
Deer Management Association, Trout Unlimited, International Bowhunting 
Organization, The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, U.S. Fish & 
Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, Quail Unlimited, Federation of 
Fly Fisherman, and Safari Club International are among the 
organizations that Bass Pro Shops publicly supports.
  Johnny's ideal work is fishing. While fishing the Bassmaster 
professional circuit, he was always taking notes of what lures were 
catching fish, who made them and how to find them. Starting with hand-
tied lures and bait made from sowbellies and sold in jars, Johnny 
started his business in his father's store. Within two years he needed 
more room for his growing enterprise.
  In 1972 Bass Pro Shops--or Pro Bass as many of his regulars still 
call it--began issuing catalogs. Today those books are 700 pages of 
full color pictures of lures, worms, hooks, sinkers, reels, rods and 
everything an angler would ever need. There is a line of hunting 
equipment and clothing too.
  Among Johnny's successful ideas was selling fishing boats in 
packages-- boat, motor, trailer and trolling motor. It had never been 
tried before, but it's an industry standard now. That is just one of 
several reasons why he was named the National Retail Federation's 
Retail Innovator of the Year in 2008.
  Johnny Morris' vision has expanded from that small space in his dad's 
store to 56 megastores in the United States and Canada, a 1.7-million-
square-foot warehouse and headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, and 
jobs for 16,000 employees.
  If you want to know the real success of Morris' Bass Pro Shops, visit 
one of their stores. Complete with aquariums full of game fish or rare 
turtles, a Bass Pro Shops store is a visit that will satisfy your 
interest in everything outdoors. Equipment for most any sportsman's 
experience is available along with advice from people who have used it. 
Bass Pro Shops receives nearly 100 million customers, sightseers and 
visitors a year. The Springfield store is Missouri's number one visitor 
attraction, welcoming more than 4 million people through its doors last 
year.
  Johnny is a conservationist who enjoys the outdoors and preservation 
of America's scenic beauty found in its open spaces, wildlife and 
waters. Earlier this week, the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership 
honored Johnny Morris with its Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award 
for his dedication to conserving our national resources and ensuring 
the future of America's sporting traditions.
  This is an honor Johnny Morris has earned through a lifetime of work 
as a retailer and sportsman. Foremost, I think Johnny would like to be 
thought of simply as a pretty good fisherman.

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