[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 14 (Thursday, January 23, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H304-H305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE BERYL ANTHONY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am joined today by the Arkansas 
delegation, Messrs. Womack, Crawford, and Hill. We rise in honor of the 
life and legacy of Beryl Franklin Anthony, Jr., who passed away on 
Saturday, January 11.
  Mr. Anthony, born in El Dorado, proudly represented the Fourth 
District of Arkansas in the House of Representatives from 1978 to 1993. 
His devotion to his family and friends and his 24 years of public 
service and commitment to the Natural State leave an indelible mark on 
his legacy.
  Not only do I share a connection with Mr. Anthony through proud 
service of the Fourth District in the House of Representatives, but we 
are also both proud alumni of the University of Arkansas and both 
represented the Razorback athletics program.
  Mr. Anthony's history of public service began in Fayetteville at the 
university, and in 1963, with his juris doctor in hand, he was ready to 
serve the people of Arkansas.
  After his time as State assistant attorney general and deputy 
prosecuting attorney for Union County, Mr. Anthony chose to turn to 
private practice, serving as counsel for his fourth-generation, family-
owned timber company, Anthony Forest Products.
  Later, Mr. Anthony returned to public service, utilizing his 
background in law to lead several initiatives for Arkansas criminal 
code reform and improving the professionalism of State prosecutors.
  In 1978, Mr. Anthony was sworn in as a Member of Congress. Receiving 
the confidence of his fellow Members, he served as the vice president 
for his freshman class. This proved to serve him well, as he was 
appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee, where he was a leader 
in tax code negotiations.
  After countless wins in Congress, Mr. Anthony returned to private 
practice, still serving where he could through corporate boards or 
charitable organizations.
  A true son of the Natural State, Mr. Anthony was a lover of the great 
outdoors and a genuine sportsman, teaching his grandchildren how to 
fish and spending his time photographing wildlife.
  I express my deepest sympathies to Mr. Anthony's wife, Sheila; his 
family; and all who benefited from his leadership, dedication, and 
tireless efforts, not only in the Halls of Congress but across the 
State of Arkansas.

  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill.)
  Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Westerman for 
yielding to me. It is such a pleasure to be with him, Congressman 
Crawford, and Congressman Womack in tribute to our late friend and 
former Member of Congress, Beryl Anthony.
  His unwavering commitment to Arkansas and its people has left an 
indelible mark on our State and this institution. Born in El Dorado in 
1938, Beryl graduated from El Dorado High School and, as Bruce said, 
went on to become an Arkansas Razorback. He came to the people's House 
in 1979 as Representative of the Fourth District, and he brought a deep 
sense of responsibility and commitment to the people of LA, lower 
Arkansas.
  Over the next 14 years, he proved himself to be a tireless advocate, 
a thoughtful policymaker, and a champion for the working families in 
the Fourth District. As a senior member of the Ways and Means 
Committee, he was instrumental in preserving Social Security's future 
through the Social Security Amendments of 1983.
  I was a Senate staffer in the early 1980s, and I witnessed Beryl's 
dedication to the Natural State firsthand while working with the 
Arkansas delegation on the passage of the Arkansas Wilderness Act of 
1984.

                              {time}  1015

  In a time when politics often divided us, Beryl understood the power 
of working across the aisle, and that dedication enabled him to achieve 
lasting results for his constituents. His commitment to bipartisanship 
became personal.
  While attending new Member orientation in Williamsburg, Virginia, 
Beryl's daughter, Alison, met her future husband, Sam Bethune, the son 
of then Arkansas' Second District Congressman, Ed Bethune. Now, that is 
an Arkansas small-world, bipartisan love story.
  Arkansas and our Nation have lost a great public servant in Beryl. My 
deepest condolences to Sheila, Alison, Lauren, and the entire Anthony 
family. It is a privilege to have witnessed

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his service to our State and our country.

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