[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 108 (Tuesday, July 19, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4672-S4673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              REMEMBERING CONGRESSMAN ROBERT F. ELLSWORTH

  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, today I commemorate the life of Robert F. 
Ellsworth--a dear friend and mentor to myself, loving husband to his 
wife Eleanor, and leader to many. In his service throughout his life as 
a lawyer, officer, Congressman, Presidential aide, and Ambassador, Bob 
met challenges as opportunities and transformed ideas into reality. His 
memorial service was held at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac on 
Saturday, June 11. Along with my own statement, I ask that the 
following statements from that day be printed in the Record.

                   Statement From Senator Pat Roberts

       It is both an honor and a privilege to offer just a few 
     brief thoughts as we friends celebrate the unique and special 
     life of our friend Bob Ellsworth.
       Many people would define happiness in many different ways. 
     However, a good definition of happiness would be Eleanor in 
     that she brought so much happiness into Bob's life and, for 
     that matter, to everyone privileged to meet and know her. 
     Eleanor, our prayers and thoughts are with you. I really 
     don't think anyone can capture or fully describe Bob 
     Ellsworth, but here is my take:
       First, he was a friend of the Roberts family dating back to 
     my Dad and such a loyal friend. Second, throughout his 
     wonderful and most notable career, Bob was just plain nice; a 
     true gentleman. The late congressman Bill Emerson of 
     Missouri, who worked as a staffer for Congressman Bob 
     Ellsworth, said he was the best and most unique boss he ever 
     had. Bill often said, ``Bob Ellsworth would come around and 
     ask us if we were happy with our jobs. I first thought I was 
     going to be fired but soon realized he really cared about his 
     staff and wanted them to feel useful and if they thought they 
     were making a difference.'' As a Senator, I try to follow his 
     example with my staff today. But, seriously, who does that 
     today?
       Third, he was not only my friend but mentor as well. He 
     made wonderful things happen for me and gave me so many 
     opportunities: serving on the German-American International 
     Exchange just as the wall came down and putting up with a 
     freshman Senator and later on the Commission on America's 
     National Interests with the Who's Who of America's foreign 
     and national security policy makers. This time, with Bob's 
     help, I think I actually made a difference. And, he was a 
     mentor and advisor to so many and like so many of his stature 
     and knowledge, he seldom offered advice and counsel without 
     first being asked. Bob Dole and I asked a lot and I know Bob 
     regrets deeply he cannot be in attendance.
       I affectionately called Bob Ellsworth the Phantom with the 
     light bulbs. He would always call, drop in suddenly, like the 
     Phantom and then give me a rapid fire summary of what others 
     of like mind were thinking and what he thought. During his 
     dissertation and wonderful visit, light bulbs would go off in 
     my head always with the thought, ``Why didn't I think of 
     that?''
       I really think Bob Ellsworth was a genius who somehow let 
     you believe you really came up with his latest insight. Being 
     an over the top Kansas State University enthusiast, genius 
     may be the proper description but we mere Kansas State 
     graduates simply said he was ``pretty damn smart.''
       I will miss my friend and mentor as will so many. We shall 
     not see the likes of Bob Ellsworth again. I thank the Dear 
     Lord for allowing me to know, learn from and truly enjoy Bob 
     Ellsworth during this space and time.
                                  ____


          Statement From Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger

       As we grow older, life becomes more and more lonely as the 
     pillars on which we counted disappear one by one. Bob was one 
     of those patriots who sustained our country and gave meaning 
     to our personal life. Over the decades of our acquaintance, 
     he always stood for principles I respect and was committed to 
     concepts of service that have made our country great.
       He will be missed but long remembered.
                                  ____


       Statement From Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

       Bob Ellsworth led a life dedicated to service. From his 
     time as a Naval officer in World War II and in the Korean 
     War, to his service in the Congress and as U.S. ambassador to 
     NATO, to his tour in the Pentagon as an Assistant Secretary 
     and later Deputy Secretary, Bob did not drift from his love 
     of country and sense of duty. Never one to give in to 
     pessimism or mistrust, he radiated warmth and solid, common 
     sense. Our paths first crossed in the early 1960s, a time 
     when warmth and common sense were not always in ample supply. 
     We came to know each other in the U.S. Congress, when 
     differences over civil rights, riots over political 
     assassinations, and rancor over the Vietnam War peaked across 
     the country. His was always a steadying hand. A serious 
     legislator, he believed that his job in representing his 
     constituents consisted of the often unglamorous work of 
     working on legislation in committee rooms and at late nights 
     behind his office desk. Bob wasn't a man short on courage. He 
     helped a small group of upstart Republicans turn out the 
     incumbent House leadership in 1964 and elect Gerald Ford as 
     Minority Leader.
       It's been said by Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 
     that ``hastiness and superficiality'' are distinguishing 
     features of the 20th century, and that nowhere are they on 
     more display than in the press and in politics. But Bob 
     Ellsworth was the antidote to hastiness and superficiality. 
     What he lacked in flash, he made up in substance. As the 
     senior official in charge of Defense Department intelligence 
     operations, Bob manned

[[Page S4673]]

     the ramparts against white-hot Congressional committee 
     investigations that often seemed to be excoriating the 
     intelligence community rather than helping to fix it. He 
     responded to partisanship with collegiality and to bluster 
     with thought. Joyce and I regret that we cannot be with Bob's 
     family and his many friends to mourn, to remember, and to 
     most of all, to celebrate a life lived to its fullest. Our 
     thoughts and prayers are with Eleanor, Ann and William. May 
     God bless Bob Ellsworth, his loving family, and the country 
     he served so ably.
                                  ____


          Statement by Former Senators Bob and Elizabeth Dole

       Dear Friends of Bob Ellsworth,
       Longstanding commitments in Kansas prevent us from being 
     physically present as you celebrate Bob Ellsworth's life and 
     legacy. But we are very much with you in spirit and in our 
     prayers. We share not only the grief felt by Bob's family and 
     friends--but also their gratitude for all he accomplished in 
     84 remarkable years. Along the way Bob earned many titles of 
     distinction. Yet no resume, however impressive, can do 
     justice to the character of this man. Exactly fifty years 
     have passed since the two Bobs--Ellsworth and Dole--first 
     arrived in Washington. We came from opposite ends of Kansas, 
     and not just geographically. But from the start we were 
     kindred spirits. Bob loved his country second only to his 
     family. He made politics a noble calling. His example of 
     personal civility and respect for his colleagues has much to 
     teach today's public servants as they strive to be patriots 
     ahead of partisans. Nor will either of us ever forget the day 
     in December, 1975, when Bob served as best man at our 
     wedding. The title might well have been coined for him, and 
     not in a ceremonial capacity alone. For the odds were great 
     that, whatever setting Bob graced by his presence, he was the 
     best man there.
       It is customary to address public officials, and 
     particularly members of Congress, as ``Honorable.'' No man we 
     know did more to deserve that label than Bob Ellsworth. Much 
     as we will miss him, we will be forever thankful that our 
     lives were so entwined with, and enriched by, the life we 
     celebrate today.
                                  ____


          Statement From the Center for the National Interest

       The Center for the National Interest and The National 
     Interest lost a leader and a dear friend with the death of 
     Bob Ellsworth on Monday, May 9.
       Center Honorary Chairman and former Secretary of State 
     Henry Kissinger, a close colleague for many years, described 
     Ellsworth as ``a great public servant and a valued friend.'' 
     Bob was a key member of the Center's board from its inception 
     and had been Vice Chairman since 2008. He was also President 
     of The National Interest, Inc. and a long-time member of the 
     magazine Advisory Council.
       Bob was among the small group who advised Richard Nixon on 
     the creation of the Center in the early 1990s. Nixon relied 
     heavily on Bob's advice over the years, both in and out of 
     government--he knew, as he put it, that Bob was one of the 
     rare individuals in Washington who would tell him what he 
     needed to hear, not what he wanted to hear.
       As a true gentleman, Bob Ellsworth always delivered his 
     candid views with grace and tact, to Nixon and to others. 
     Though very independent-minded--demonstrated in his 
     opposition to the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, and his 
     endorsement of Barack Obama after a lifelong career as a 
     leading Republican--Bob's personal charm and openness ensured 
     that he was widely respected and admired, even by those with 
     different perspectives. Bob was rare for one of his stature 
     and accomplishment in being able to take bold positions on 
     important issues while always remaining civil and ensuring 
     that differences were substantive rather than personal.
       During his long and varied career, Bob was a soldier, a 
     politician, a diplomat, an official, a scholar, and, most 
     recently, an investor. This included service in World War II 
     and the Korean War, in the United States Congress, as 
     Ambassador to NATO and later Assistant Secretary and Deputy 
     Secretary of Defense. In addition to his leadership at our 
     Center and its magazine, Bob served for many years as 
     Chairman of the Council of the International Institute for 
     Strategic Studies (London). He was also a member of the 
     Council on Foreign Relations, the Atlantic Council, the 
     American Council on Germany, and many other internationally 
     focused organizations.
       Bob was also a great patriot. He worked and fought 
     throughout his life to advance American leadership, American 
     security, and American principles. He believed strongly in 
     America's exceptionalism--but was convinced that our country 
     should also be exceptional in its tolerance and humility in 
     dealing with others. Bob was also a profoundly religious man, 
     married to an Episcopal priest. Yet as in the case of his 
     patriotism, his piety was personal rather than public.
       Robert Ellsworth was a genuine role model--a man of 
     uncommon strength, determination, wisdom, and warmth whom all 
     should emulate. He will be greatly missed. We offer our 
     deepest condolences to his wife, Rev. Eleanor Ellsworth, and 
     his family.

                          ____________________