[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 6660-6661]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   HONORING THE LATE FLORIDA GOVERNOR LAWTON CHILES AND DR. HORACIO 
     AGUIRRE ON BEING NAMED RECIPIENTS OF THE GREAT FLORIDIAN AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 1, 2001

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my 
heartfelt congratulations to Florida's late Governor and United States 
Senator Lawton Chiles and Diario Las Americas newspaper publisher Dr. 
Horacio Aguirre on the occasion of being named recipients of the Great 
Floridian award. This award, which is presented periodically, 
symbolizes the everlasting contributions these two individuals have 
made to the state of Florida. I am proud to stand before this body and 
honor these two great Floridians.
  From the moment he was first elected to the Florida State House of 
Representatives in 1958, until his untimely death in 1998, Lawton 
Chiles was a household name in Florida politics. As a boy, Lawton 
Chiles dreamed of becoming a United States Senator. In 1970, after 
eight years in the Florida House and four years in the Florida State 
Senate, his dream came true when he was elected to the first of three 
consecutive terms in the United States Senate. After deciding not to 
run for reelection in 1988, Lawton Chiles successfully ran for governor 
of Florida in 1990, a position he proudly held until 1998. Throughout 
his career, Governor Chiles represented the people of Florida with 
honor and conviction. Whether it is providing health insurance for all 
children or working to restore Florida's Everglades, the work Governor 
Chiles did, and the programs he supported, made the lives of millions 
of

[[Page 6661]]

Floridians better. It is for his hard work and dedication to the issues 
he cared about, that Governor Chiles is considered by many to be one of 
the most successful and respected public officials in the later half of 
the 20th century.
  Dr. Horacio Aguirre, co-founder of Miami's oldest Spanish-language 
newspaper, is one of the most influential Hispanics in Florida. Dr. 
Aguirre was born in 1925 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to two Nicaraguan 
parents. In 1950, Dr. Aguirre completed his studies at the University 
of Panama, where he earned degrees in law and political science. In 
1953, with the help of his brother Francisco, Dr. Aguirre founded 
Diario Las Americas. As the editor and chief editorial writer, Dr. 
Aguirre has helped shape the views and images of Miami's Spanish-
speaking community. He has served as President of the Inter American 
Press Association, as well as a member of various newspaper and 
editorial organizations. Today, Diario Las Americas is read by 
thousands of South Floridians every day. Spanish and non-Spanish 
speakers alike look to Diario Las Americas for the views and concerns 
of Miami's Hispanic community.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of Florida have benefitted from the actions 
and accomplishments of the two gentlemen I speak of today. The late 
Governor Lawton Chiles and Dr. Horacio Aguirre are worthy of the 
praises of the people of Florida as well as the members of the House of 
Representatives. They are both great Floridians and Americans.

                          ____________________