[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 26013]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO ADOLPH KULL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID D. PHELPS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 1999

  Mr. PHELPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Adolph Kull 
of Mattoon, Illinois. Today, a celebration will mark Mr. Kull's 
retirement from the Mattoon Coca-Cola bottling plant where he has 
worked for 75 years. He was hired by Coca-Cola on June 1, 1924, and 
worked there until August 31, 1999, when he retired. Mr. Kull's long-
term commitment can not only be seen in his work, but also in his 60-
year marriage to Victoria Kull, which has produced three wonderful 
children: Mark, Linda and Anita. I am sure his entire family, along 
with the entire Mattoon community, could not be more proud of Adolph's 
dedication, hard work and loyalty.
  Perhaps success in the bottling business is genetic, because Adolph 
was not the first Kull to persevere in bottling. His father, a German 
immigrant, first started in the bottling business in 1891 in 
Murphysboro, Illinois. He started bottling Coca-Cola in 1904, and in 
1928 he acquired the Mattoon Coca-Cola Bottling Company. There, Adolph 
began sorting bottles and doing odd jobs throughout the plant until the 
year following his graduation from high school when he began his job as 
a delivery driver in 1933. He worked as a delivery driver for 12 years, 
during which time the plant and the business continued to grow, even 
through the Depression. Mr. Kull claims that during the Depression, 
``everyone could still afford a Coke.'' When his father passed away in 
1956, Adolph became President of the company, and was President until 
1982 when the company was sold. Adolph was 68 when he sold the company, 
an age when many people are either comfortably retired or comfortable 
with the idea of retirement. However, Adolph's love for the business 
was still strong and Adolph took a job as a line supervisor until his 
retirement earlier this year.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kull's life is an example of the long-held American 
ethics of hard work and loyalty. I know that he will be sorely missed 
by everyone at Coca-Cola, where his presence has become a 75-year 
tradition. However, I am also sure that Adolph will enjoy his 
retirement spending time with his family and restoring the antique 
automobiles that he loves so much. I ask all my colleagues to join me 
in congratulating Adolph on many years of excellence, and in wishing 
him the best of luck in this new phase of his life.

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