[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4665]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     IN MEMORY OF JOHN ROBERT STARR

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, just a few days ago Arkansas lost 
one of its boldest opinion leaders and most respected modern 
journalists, John Robert Starr. I rise today to pay tribute to his 
career and to offer my sympathies to his family, friends and 
colleagues.
  A journalist of the ``old-school,'' John Robert Starr was dedicated 
to the tradition of his craft even in this day and age of on-line 
papers and 24-hour news channels. He loved his work and once said of 
journalism: ``This is the place to be--reporting, covering the day-to-
day business. This is where I would like to be. This is where everybody 
ought to be.''
  Ultimately, Mr. Starr would have a dramatic impact on journalism in 
Arkansas. But he got his start on the college newspaper at 
Southwestern, now Rhodes College in Memphis. After college, Starr 
combined two of his loves, sports and journalism, to join the sports 
staff at the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He later moved to the 
Associated Press in Little Rock as the sports editor but soon shifted 
into the arena of political coverage.
  Throughout his 19-year career at the AP, including as Little Rock 
bureau chief, Starr covered such infamous political characters as 
Governor Orval Faubus, as well as various political candidates. After a 
lengthy and successful stint, he then left the AP to teach journalism 
at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Starr didn't last long on 
the academic side of things after being recruited to run an afternoon 
paper, the Arkansas Democrat. The Democrat was headed into battle with 
a more widely-read morning paper, the Arkansas Gazette, which was the 
oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi.
  As they say, the rest is history. John Robert Starr led the Democrat 
through a raucous, public battle against the Gazette for readership and 
power. He became known through a must-read daily column for his sharp 
wit and engaging writing. Ultimately, the Democrat took the Gazette 
head on with hard news coverage and even harder-hitting opinions. It 
won, taking over the Gazette in 1991 under the masthead of one combined 
daily paper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. It has been said that, 
despite his hand in shutting the Gazette down, Starr mourned the loss 
of the competition and lamented the passing of a major journalistic 
institution.
  After the takeover, Starr stayed at the helm of the Democrat-Gazette 
as managing editor for just under a year, but stayed on to write his 
much-beloved daily column until the late 1990's when he cut back to 
three columns per week. During these years, Starr took on every topic 
from politics to travel, from professional basketball to Razorback 
football's recent stadium controversy. He always had an opinion and 
expressed it like no one else could. While his career was not without 
controversy, his opinions were always received with respect.
  John Robert Starr also devoted much time to his wife of 51 years, the 
former Norma Jeanette Wilson of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and their family. 
They traveled extensively over the years and their adventures provided 
material for many touching columns. Starr is survived by two sons, a 
daughter, and nine grandchildren, whom he loved dearly.
  Journalism in my home state is forever influenced by the life and 
career of John Robert Starr. He was a dedicated Arkansan, with a 
passionate commitment to our state and its communities. With his 
passing, thousands of Arkansans will find something missing as they 
pick up their morning papers for years to come.




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