[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15658]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO CHARLES KOTHE

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, on June 19, the people of Oklahoma, and 
many others around the world lost a great servant and friend with the 
passing of Charles Kothe. He was 89. Charles Kothe, a long time Tulsa 
resident and nationally recognized attorney who specialized in labor 
law, was born October 12, 1912. Kothe received his B.A. degree from the 
University of Tulsa in 1934 and his J.D. degree, with honors, from the 
University of Oklahoma in 1938. In his Tulsa based law practice he 
served as labor relations counsel to companies in various industries 
throughout the country.
  During his six year tenure as Vice President of Industrial Relations 
at the National Manufacturers Association he authored two books on 
labor relations and conducted seminars on Title VII of the Civil Rights 
Act. He was personally commended for this activity by President Lyndon 
Johnson, and later served as an advisor to Secretaries of Labor 
Mitchell, Goldberg, and Wirtz. In 1990, he was appointed by the White 
House to serve as a member of the Federal Service Impasses Panel.
  In business, he was an Officer and Director of several corporations, 
including T.D. Williamson, Inc.; Coburn Optical Co.; and Macnick. Known 
as a compelling speaker, he appeared as the keynote speaker at 
conventions and conferences across the Nation. He was named Tulsa 
Citizen of the Year in 1946, was named as a Distinguished Alumnus of 
the University of Tulsa, and is listed in the United States Junior 
Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.
  He taught labor law at the University of Tulsa and was Dean of the 
Oklahoma School of Business Accountancy and Law. He also served as 
Director of Civil Rights and Human Resources in the Graduate School of 
Business at Oral Roberts University and was the founding Dean of the 
O.W. Coburn School of Law. For more than 25 years, he taught the 
Christian Fellowship Class at First Presbyterian Church and later 
actively served at Boston Avenue Methodist Church. He was very involved 
with the National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington.
  Beyond his credentials and recognitions, Charles Kothe displayed a 
profound commitment to a cause much greater than himself. This 
commitment is evident in the life of Janet, his wife of 65 years and in 
their 4 children and 7 grandchildren. It is evident in the lives of the 
students that he trained in the rigors of law, many of whom would have 
not had the opportunity to study but for his encouragement and support. 
It is evident in his numerous efforts to use the law as a tool for 
healing in the midst of conflict rather than solely as a means for 
retribution. You see, Charles Kothe believed that his purpose was 
rooted in the greatest commitment of Jesus: to love God with all his 
heart and soul, mind, and strength, and to love his neighbor as 
himself. This ability to love and share God's love with others was his 
greatest gift, his greatest accomplishment, and his greatest legacy.
  Many of his former students have spoken of his encouraging example, 
quick wit, unmatched humor, and how his influence is still felt in 
their lives today. Countless individuals were transformed by their 
relationship with Charles Kothe. Through these lives and because of 
Charles Kothe's influence on these lives, God will effect positive 
change in our world for generations to come. He will be greatly missed.
  Let me conclude by stating that Charles Kothe's tenacious energy, 
tremendous intellect, and inspiring enthusiasm has undoubtedly 
influenced countless numbers across our great land. This scholar, this 
patriot, this man of God, this friend committed himself to our Republic 
as a prudent, optimistic, and faithful son. May his spirit live on.

                          ____________________