[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 59 (Wednesday, May 4, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H3010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN ROBERT B. DUNCAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to comment on the 
passing of a dear friend and Oregon icon, former Congressman Robert 
Duncan, who died last week at age 90. Bob served his Nation with 
distinction beginning with his service during World War II in both the 
merchant marine and the U.S. Navy. After graduating from the University 
of Michigan Law School, he settled in Medford, Oregon, with his wife 
Marijane. He was a State legislator from that community. He served two 
terms as speaker for the first time in Oregon history.
  From there, he went to serve in Congress, representing the Fourth 
Congressional District in southwest Oregon until he was persuaded by 
President Lyndon Johnson to leave Congress to run for a vacated U.S. 
Senate seat against Governor Mark Hatfield. In a campaign that defined 
Oregon politics for over a decade, Bob lost narrowly to Mark Hatfield 
in, to say the very least, a heated campaign, focusing in large measure 
over the United States' involvement in the war in Vietnam, which he 
supported and Mark Hatfield opposed. A significant development was the 
endorsement of then-Democratic U.S. Senator Wayne Morris of Republican 
Hatfield, which many experts feel provided the narrow margin of victory 
for Hatfield. Later, Bob almost won the Democratic primary against 
Wayne Worse when he ran for reelection 2 years later sending shockwaves 
that reverberated for a decade.
  I first had the opportunity to work with Bob Duncan when I was 
directing a campaign to lower Oregon's voting age in 1969, and he was a 
zealous supporter of engaging young people in the political process.
  In 1974, Bob again made history by being the first Oregonian to 
represent 2 different districts in Congress as he was elected to the 
Third Congressional District, which I am now privileged to represent. 
He continued for another 6 years of distinguished service, serving on 
the Appropriations Committee.
  After leaving Congress in 1981, Bob returned to private practice as a 
lawyer in Portland and Washington, D.C., and later served on the 
Northwest Planning Power Council.
  Bob had many passions in his life but none more important than his 
family. He was married 48 years to Marijane until her death in 1989, 
and later, he married Kathy Boe and found many years of happiness. Bob 
had seven children who survive him: Nancy, Angus, David, Jamie, Laurie, 
Bonnie and Jeanne.
  He was by turns a stubborn political animal, generous of spirit, with 
a legacy for courage strengthened by his convictions. He was a man of 
great humor, intellect, and conviction. He was also thrifty to an 
extent that is legendary to family and friends and many of his 
constituents. Until the end of his life I would still get letters from 
him with a series of 3-cent stamps and the old congressional return 
address on the envelope scratched over. But he was very careful with 
the taxpayer money in his Appropriations Committee to an extent that 
sometimes drove even his supporters to distraction.
  He leaves a legacy for courage, passion for justice, and 
accomplishment of decades of service, particularly a decade in two very 
different congressional districts that were united in the admiration of 
this dedicated public servant. He will be missed, but fondly 
remembered.

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