[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 123 (Friday, July 31, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE MAN WHO WAS LARGER THAN LIFE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. FRENCH HILL

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 31, 2015

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of his life, Richard 
``Dick'' Bass was a force to be reckoned with. He always strove to be 
the first and best at whatever he did--whether as a student, oilman, 
rancher, ski resort developer, or mountaineer.
   As a young man of sixteen, he enrolled in Yale University, 
graduating with a B.S. in Geology at the age of twenty. The gregarious 
spirit and boundless curiosity that prompted him to climb one of 
Europe's highest peaks, the Matterhorn, at nineteen, would continue to 
be both servant and driver throughout his life.
   Shortly after moving back to Texas to join the family oil business, 
Dick began taking regular trips to Colorado to ski. His love for skiing 
and his fellow outdoor enthusiasts motivated him to seek out 
involvement in the industry. Shortly after starting these trips, he and 
his brother purchased stock in a small underdeveloped area in Eagle 
County, Colorado, that became the globally famous Town of Vail. The 
success and increased public interest in Vail led to his co-ownership 
and development of the Snowbird ski resort in Utah. He and his Snowbird 
partner, Ted Johnson, traveled across Europe searching for inspiration 
and innovation to bring their vision to life.
   His pioneering spirit was not limited to investments and skiing and 
hearken back to his younger self's interest in mountain climbing. He 
was determined to become the first man to conquer the Seven Summits, 
the highest mountains in each of the continents, and achieved this 
monumental undertaking on April 30, 1985. Throughout his life, his 
mindset was always that of ceaseless perseverance, as exemplified by 
his three attempts and final summit of Mt. Everest.
   Dick Bass may have passed on to his newest adventure at the age of 
eighty-five, but his entire life serves as a testament to the power of 
determination and enterprise. Dick was larger than life, actively 
living every second to the fullest and taking on any challenge thrown 
at him. He left a truly indelible mark on the world, his wife, Alice, 
his children Dan Bass, Bonnie Smith, Barbara Moroney, Jim Bass, and his 
thirteen grandchildren.
   I was proud to count Dick Bass as a family friend and a source of 
inspiration to me in my love of the mountains and my business career. 
As John Muir said, ``Climb the mountains and get their good tidings''; 
Dick, your legacy lives on.

                          ____________________