[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 15, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING WAYNE TOWNSEND

  Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, today, I wish to recognize and honor the 
extraordinary service of Wayne Townsend, a lifelong Hoosier who spent 
23 years in the Indiana State legislature and was the 1984 Democratic 
nominee for Governor.
  Wayne passed away on July 3, 2015, at the age of 89. A native of 
Grant County, Wayne dedicated his life to Indiana and embodied the true 
definition of a public servant.
  Throughout his legislative career, Wayne was a tireless advocate for 
Hoosier public schools and helped lead the effort to pass the School 
Reorganization Act of 1959 and its reauthorization in 1965. He also was 
a strong advocate for equal rights.
  Throughout his political career, Wayne remained humble and caring. He 
served as a role model to all Hoosiers and tirelessly fought to improve 
the lives of millions.
  I had the privilege of meeting Wayne on several occasions. His 
dedication to public service inspired me to create the Wayne Townsend 
Legislative Program in his honor. The Townsend Program affords college 
students and recent graduates the opportunity to serve Indiana by 
working in our Washington, DC, office for a semester. Wayne has been an 
important mentor to me during my own legislative career, and his legacy 
continues to motivate me today.
  Born on May 1, 1926, on his family's farm in Grant County, the 
youngest of six children, Wayne graduated from Jefferson Township High 
School and went on to study agriculture at Purdue University. He joined 
the Army during the Korean War and served in the Counterintelligence 
Corps. In 1951, Wayne started his own farming business, which he 
eventually grew from 225 acres to 2,500 acres. He was elected to the 
Indiana General Assembly in 1958 at 32 years old and elected to the 
Indiana Senate in 1970. During his legislative career, Wayne was a 
member of the house ways and means committee and the senate finance 
committee.
  Outside of politics, Wayne was a loving husband, father, and 
grandfather. He married Helen Hardin, his college sweetheart, in 1953, 
and they had five children together: Jay, Mark, Lisa, Steve, and Alan. 
All five of their children went to Blackford High School and graduated 
from Purdue University. He was also a proud grandfather to 18 
grandchildren.
  Wayne continued to play a prominent role in Indiana after his time in 
the state legislature. He was president of the Grant County Purdue 
Agricultural Alumni Association and a director of the Purdue 
Agricultural Alumni Association. Wayne also continued his involvement 
in education, serving as a trustee for Earlham College for 8 years and 
a trustee for Purdue University for 15 years. In 2007 he received the 
Frank O'Bannon Public Service Award, and in 2014 he received Purdue 
University's highest honor, the Order of the Griffin.
  Wayne will be deeply missed by all Hoosiers. His integrity, tireless 
efforts, and strong leadership helped to make Indiana a better place, 
and we will always be grateful for his service. May God welcome him 
home and bring comfort to his family and friends.

                          ____________________