[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 177 (Tuesday, December 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S8482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO ROBERT DICK DOUGLAS, JR.

  Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring 
my constituent Robert Dick Douglas, Jr. Mr. Douglas earned Eagle Scout 
rank 90 years ago today, making him the longest serving Eagle alive.
  The Boy Scouts of America recently highlighted Mr. Douglas' life in 
their magazine, which I think would impress anyone who reads it. I am 
pleased to highlight some of the points in the article.
  A native of Greensboro, Mr. Douglas eagerly joined the Boy Scouts the 
very same day that he celebrated his 12th birthday. After earning his 
Eagle Scout award on December 8, 1925, Mr. Douglas was one of three 
scouts selected for an African safari with famed photographers and 
adventurers Martin and Osa Johnson. Upon his return from this journey, 
Douglas coauthored the best selling documentary ``Three Boy Scouts in 
Africa,'' which went on to sell 125,000 copies in its first year of 
publication. The book afforded Douglas the opportunity to tour the 
Nation speaking with the likes of Amelia Earhart at school and civic 
assemblies.
  The publisher was evidently so impressed with Douglas' work that he 
sent the young Eagle Scout to Alaska to write another adventure book 
titled ``A Boy Scout in the Grizzly Country.'' From that experience, 
Douglas became an advocate of land and wildlife conservation and, when 
he returned home, began sharing his newfound knowledge with the Nation 
through public appearances.
  Douglas' successes continued well into adulthood, going on to 
graduate from law school at Georgetown University and to become a labor 
and employment law attorney at his father's legal practice. Mr. Douglas 
served as a lawyer for over 70 years and managed to make his way before 
the Supreme Court. Douglas also served in the FBI, where he had the 
chance to work under J. Edgar Hoover for a time. Mr. Douglas retired at 
the age of 96.
  In recognition of his longevity and commitment to scouting and his 
community, the 103-year-old Douglas was presented with the 
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award on September 24, 2015. During the 
ceremony, Mr. Douglas extolled scouting as a significant influence on 
his life. He insists to this day that scouting taught him that he could 
do just about anything that he wanted to undertake. It is with great 
pleasure that I pay tribute to Robert Dick Douglas, Jr., today on his 
90th anniversary of attaining Eagle Scout.

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