[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 113 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                     TRIBUTE TO THOMAS L. CHARLTON

 Mr. BURRIS. Mr. President, as a longtime public servant, I 
have always had the utmost regard for individuals who dedicate 
themselves to a greater cause.
  Among these, educators stand out in my mind as especially worthy of 
thanks and recognition.
  I often say that educators have an eternal impact on our country's 
youth.
  From primary school through graduate school, these dedicated men and 
women are charged with shaping the next generation of Americans.
  They provide our Nation's young people with the inspiration to 
achieve, and the tools to succeed in a global marketplace.
  So today, I honor one such educator, Professor Thomas L. Charlton--a 
brilliant scholar, a remarkable advocate for the values of higher 
learning, and an avid student of history in his own right.
  Professor Charlton began his career in 1962, at San Antonio College, 
where he taught as many as five classes at one time.
  He developed a passion for teaching that would guide him for the rest 
of his career. After he earned his Ph.D. in 1969 at the University of 
Texas at Austin, he became a professor of history at Baylor University.
  At Baylor, he founded the Institute for Oral History. And over the 
next quarter century, he presided over its ascension as one of the top 
oral history research centers in the country.
  He pushed for excellence at every turn, and he dedicated himself to 
the preservation of our rich past.
  In 1981, Dr. Charlton authored a landmark academic text on the oral 
history of Texas, entitled ``Oral History for Texans.''
  The following year, he became founding president of the Texas Oral 
History Association and saw his national reputation grow by leaps and 
bounds.
  But for all the acclaim and success that he enjoyed, those who know 
Professor Charlton will be quick to point out that he is never happier 
than when he is out in the field with a group of his graduate students.
  He has never lost the passion for teaching that he discovered in the 
early days of his career--a passion which has guided him to this day.
  In the last two decades, Professor Charlton served the Baylor 
community as vice provost for research, and later as director of the 
Texas Collection library.
  And after nearly half a century of dedicated service at the college 
level, he announced his retirement earlier this year.
  Mr. President, today I honor the tremendous contributions Thomas 
Charlton has made during his remarkable career.
  I celebrate the achievements that have marked his tenure and the 
lives he touched at every step along the way.
  But even as we wish him a happy retirement and recognize the 
indelible mark he has left on Baylor University, I cannot help but 
reflect that, among his students, his peers, and all who share his 
dedication, he will be sorely missed.
  I yield the floor.

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