[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 81 (Friday, June 1, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E946]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO GEORGE SMITH LINDSEY, ALABAMA-BORN ACTOR, PHILANTHROPIST

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                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 1, 2012

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to--and honor the life 
of--a great Alabamian and devoted philanthropist. It is with sadness 
that I acknowledge the loss of George Lindsey, one of the finest actors 
to call Alabama home, who passed away on May 6, 2012, at the age of 83.
  Born in 1928, George Lindsey grew up in Jasper, Alabama, where he 
attended Walker County High School. It was there that, while also 
starring on the football field and playing basketball, he discovered 
his love of acting through school plays. He went on to attend Walker 
Junior College and then the Kemper Military School in Boonville, 
Missouri. In 1952, after earning a scholarship for his skills at 
quarterback, George received his Bachelor of Bioscience from the 
Florence State Teachers College, which is now the University of North 
Alabama.
  After college, George enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and, while 
stationed in Puerto Rico, married Joyanne Herbert. Upon his discharge 
from the Air Force in 1955, he returned to Alabama and began a brief 
career in education at Hazel Green High School, teaching history and 
coaching baseball and basketball.
  It was in 1956 that George Lindsey's acting career began with his 
acceptance to the American Wing Theater in New York City. After a stint 
on Broadway, he portrayed various characters on popular television 
shows such as The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, and The Alfred 
Hitchcock Hour. Then, in 1964, George began his career-defining role as 
the lovable, kind-hearted Goober Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show. This 
character, known for his ``Goober Dance'' and Cary Grant impression, 
followed him through the shows Mayberry R.F.D and Hee Haw as well.
  Above all his success on the screen, George was most passionate about 
giving back to his home state of Alabama. From 1973 to 1988, he raised 
over $1 million for the Alabama Special Olympics through the George 
Lindsey Celebrity Golf Weekend, which drew countless actors and 
athletes to Montgomery every year. He also raised $50,000 for the 
Alabama Association of Retarded Citizens through his participation with 
the Minnesota Special Olympics National Competition, and in 1998 he 
founded the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival at the University of North 
Alabama, which promotes the talents of local filmmakers.
  Aside from providing wholesome laughter for three decades through his 
career as an actor, it goes without saying that George Lindsey's 
contributions to the state of Alabama are indeed vast and significant. 
A recipient of the Governor's Achievement Award and the Minnie Pearl 
Lifetime Achievement Award, George has left a legacy of passionate 
generosity that will certainly be missed.
  Mr. Speaker, it is on behalf of the people of Alabama that I would 
like to extend my condolences to the family and many friends of George 
Lindsey during this time of loss. His sense of humor and passion for 
his home will never be forgotten.

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