[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 188 (Thursday, December 8, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S8458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JOAN McKINNEY

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to Joan 
McKinney, who has been a beloved and respected mainstay of the Senate 
Press Gallery for almost 40 years.
  Joan retired recently after a decade of service on the Press Gallery 
staff. Prior to that, she served the people of my home State of 
Louisiana for 2\1/2\ decades as Washington correspondent for the Baton 
Rouge Advocate.
  Joan is originally from Greenville, SC, and is a graduate of Winthrop 
College. She came to Washington in 1971 to work on the press staff of 
our dear colleague Senator Fritz Hollings.
  As her career advanced, she chose to return to journalism, working 
first as a reporter for the Greenville News, where her father served as 
editor, and then for another paper from my home state, the Shreveport 
Journal.
  Joan was hired away by the Advocate when she continually beat the 
Advocate's reporter--who happened to be the son of the publisher--on 
stories. I came to know and respect Joan during our many hallway 
meetings that so often occur between Members and the press. I also had 
the great fortune of getting to know her as a person and as a friend.
  In her tenure as the Advocate's congressional correspondent, Joan 
came to be well respected by members of the Louisiana delegation from 
both parties. The Members from my State knew her as fair-handed and 
tough, and most of all, that there was nothing, nothing that could get 
by her.
  Through her work, Joan became an expert on the intricacies of the 
Senate and the Supreme Court. She took this knowledge with her into her 
role as a member of the Senate daily press gallery staff. I know her 
Senate acumen on the institution and its procedure was of great value 
to the reporters roaming the gallery who relied on her for deep insight 
about the Chamber they cover.
  Joan, who has won reporting awards from the South Carolina and 
Louisiana press associations, is a longtime member of the elite 
Gridiron Club of newspaper writers. She was one of the first women to 
become a member.
  I know that one of Joan's biggest interests is dance, something I am 
told she plans to be very active with in retirement. Long before 
``American Idol'' and ``So You Think You Can Dance,'' Joan was an 
excellent competitive dancer. Her specialty is Shag, a regional dance 
popular in the Carolinas.
  This year, Joan won her first national Shag championship. With more 
time to practice, I am sure more dance titles are on the way.
  For those of us who have been fortunate to work with Joan, it is 
almost impossible to imagine the Press Gallery without her. But I know 
I join the entire Senate press corps in wishing Joan the best as she 
embarks on this new adventure in her life.
  Joan, thank you for sharing with this institution and our entire 
country your knowledge, experience and good heart. All of us are better 
as a result of your service to the best ideals of our democracy.

                          ____________________