[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 26, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E81]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN MEMORY OF H.G. DULANEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 26, 2010

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, last year the fourth district of 
Texas and our Nation lost a distinguished gentleman and historian from 
Ector, Texas. H.G. Dulaney passed away on July 4th, 2009 at the age of 
91. The great H.G., a legendary presence aide in his own right, was a 
longtime aide to the late Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn and served 
for many years as Director of the Sam Rayburn Library in Bonham.
  H.G. Dulaney, son of Horace Greeley and Lucy Dulaney, was born in 
Fannin County on May 11, 1918 and lived there all of his life, except 
for a few years in Washington working for Speaker Rayburn. He graduated 
from Ector High School and attended Draughon's Business College in 
Dallas. He married Rita Redman on September 9, 1941 in Colbert, 
Oklahoma, and they had two children, Loretta and Mike. H.G. served in 
the Army Air Force from 1942-1945 during WWII, spending 18 months in 
the India-Burma theater. Following his release from the service he 
returned to Fannin County where he briefly worked for Bonham Abstract 
Company and the Farmers Home Administration Department of Agriculture.
  In 1951, 33-year-old H.G. Dulaney was persuaded by a local attorney, 
Buster Cole, to go to Washington to work for Speaker Rayburn. H.G. 
enjoyed telling the story of his first trip to Washington, D.C. with 
his shoes squeaking with every step he took and his many remembrances 
of ``Mr. Sam,'' probably the most powerful man who ever led the U.S. 
House of Representatives. H.G. spent several years as a Congressional 
Aide to Speaker Rayburn, taking dictation and writing letters, among 
many other tasks. Mr. Sam ultimately became like a father to him.
  In 1956, Mr. Sam appointed H.G. to take care of his personal business 
at the library. While the library construction was being completed, 
H.G. studied at the Library of Congress and the National Archives to 
prepare himself for his new job. He took special courses in accounting 
and library science at Southeastern University in Washington, D.C., and 
after he took over as Library Director in 1957, he continued his 
studies at East Texas State University.
  H.G. Dulaney is a name that is synonymous with the Sam Rayburn 
Library. He was actively involved in preparations for the Library from 
its inception through construction and opening in 1957, and served as 
the Director of the Library until 2002, including its transfer into The 
University of Texas at Austin in 1990. Following his retirement, he was 
the Director Emeritus and Consultant at The Sam Rayburn Library. During 
his years at the Rayburn Library he served as Co-Editor of 
``Impressions of Mr. Sam--A Cartoon Profile'' (1987) and ``Speak, Mr. 
Speaker'' (1978) and was the Editor of the Sam Rayburn Newsletter 
(1957-2002). Throughout more than half a century of operation, H.G. 
nurtured the Library and shared his wealth of knowledge and insights 
about Speaker Rayburn with visitors and students from all over the 
country.
  H.G. was a member of Ector United Methodist Church, Ector Masonic 
Lodge, Dodd City Lions Club, The Texas Historical Commission, and the 
Fannin County Historical Commission. He also served a number of years 
on the Ector Carson Cemetery Board and The Public Housing Authority 
Board. In 1980, H.G. received the Good Government Award from the Zeta 
Gamma chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science National Honor 
Society, and he was also named Bonham Citizen of the Year in 1997, 
among many other awards he received over his lifetime. In September 
2002, in honor of his official retirement from the Sam Rayburn Library 
and Museum, the Fannin County Commissioner's Court and the City of 
Bonham signed a proclamation declaring H.G. Dulaney Day. In addition, 
the main exhibit gallery of the Rayburn Museum was renamed in his 
honor, commemorated with the permanent installation of his portrait. In 
2005, H.G. was doubly honored by the Friends of Sam Rayburn. He was 
given the Inaugural Public Service Award and the award was named in his 
honor--the H.G. Dulaney Friends of Sam Rayburn Award for Public 
Service. The same year, the Sam Rayburn Foundation established a 
scholarship in his name.
  H.G. is survived by a son, Mike, and his wife Marla Dulaney and five 
grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Horace Greeley 
and Lucy Dulaney, his wife Rita Redman Dulaney and daughter, Loretta 
Dulaney Chapman.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in memory and in honor 
of this great American and historian who dedicated his life to 
preserving the history of this institution. He will be truly missed.

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