[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 23 (Monday, February 13, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S562-S563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       REMEMBERING STEVE APPLETON

 Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, my colleague Senator Jim Risch joins 
me today in honoring the life of Steve Appleton. We are deeply saddened 
by Steve's passing, and we join his wife, Dalynn, their children, 
family, Micron employees and his many friends in honoring his 
remarkable life.
  For more than three decades, our State was a fortunate beneficiary of 
Steve's determination and hard work. A year after his 1982 graduation 
from Boise State University, he joined Micron Technology, Inc., and 
quickly ascended from working on Micron's high-tech assembly line to 
leading the company as CEO, president and chairman. His talent and 
energy helped overcome significant challenges and shaped Micron into a 
multinational world leader

[[Page S563]]

in semiconductors. As Kurt Marko, a coworker at Micron, poignantly 
described him, ``Appleton personified Micron's can-do spirit. He, and 
it, defied the odds.''
  Steve leaves behind a legacy of hard work, focus, integrity and 
generosity. He was driven to reach remarkable achievements and was 
generous in sharing the rewards of that hard work to better our State 
and future generations of Idahoans. For example, he gave his time and 
financial resources to help Boise State University develop its College 
of Engineering; raised funds for scholarships, programs, buildings and 
projects, including the Appleton Tennis Complex; and established the 
Micron Foundation. Due to his efforts, our State and Nation will be 
better equipped to compete globally.
  We were honored to have many opportunities to work with Steve over 
the years. His pragmatic approach was instrumental in achieving 
remedies needed to better ensure a level playing field for U.S. 
semiconductor products and address unfair trading practices. No matter 
the challenges, Steve faced them with optimism and sensibility.
  Steve's adventurous spirit was widely known and well documented. His 
passion for sports and competition contributed to him excelling in 
tennis, including winning the doubles title at the Big Sky Tennis 
Championship in 1982. Besides his love of aviation, he also was 
involved in a number of adventure sports including, off-road car 
racing, scuba diving, wakeboarding, motocross and more.
  Steve Appleton's energy and commitment to Idaho will not be 
forgotten. He has set an extraordinary example of what hard work and 
initiative in a free enterprise system can achieve. He helped create 
thousands of jobs and cemented Idaho's standing in the high-tech field. 
His innovation, drive and forward-thinking approach, as well as his 
wonderful friendship, will be greatly missed.

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