[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12097-12098]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF BILL RUGER, SR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kirk). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to speak for a few moments

[[Page 12098]]

about the passing of one of America's talented inventors, 
industrialists, and sportsmen.
  Bill Ruger, Sr., was a long-time friend and constituent of mine. As 
chairman of Sturm, Ruger and Company, the manufacturer of the world-
renowned Ruger gun, Bill gained recognition as an inventor, pioneer, 
faithful employer, and patriotic American industrialist. The ``old 
man,'' as many employees and admirers lovingly called him, was the 
undisputed king of the American sporting industry.
  Building on the first sale of the Sturm Ruger standard pistol in 
1949, Bill ultimately created the largest and most widely respected 
firearms manufacturing concern in the world. For almost 50 years, he 
built a business, patented numerous innovative ideas and designs, and 
produced products with legendary appeal and durability. His rare genius 
was in transforming his innovations into products that won intense 
customer satisfaction and, in turn, customer loyalty. Bill believed 
that a well-designed, well-made and reasonably priced product would 
always attract buyers; and the legions of sportsmen that would never 
hike a field with anything but a Ruger certainly proved him right.
  In some ways, he was the Henry Ford or Thomas Edison of the second 
half of the 20th century, taking manufacturing processes such as 
investment casting to new levels, and beating the competition fair and 
square through timeless quality and efficiency. He had a love for all 
things mechanical and taught himself most of what he would later use as 
the basis of his designs. In the process, he became one of the foremost 
authorities on automotive design and was one of the few people in the 
world that actually designed and built his own automobile.
  Bill Ruger did not build his company in order to sell out and retire, 
but rather to profit steadily from the success of its products. He 
believed in taking the long view and built lasting relationships with 
employees and customers. At a time when manufacturers are heading 
overseas and across our borders, Sturm Ruger proudly engineers and 
builds all of its products in the United States.
  His success has created great opportunity for many others, including 
many of my constituents; and his company continues to be a vital part 
of New Hampshire's economy and community. The ``old man,'' as he was 
called, leaves a proud legacy to many, not only in New Hampshire but in 
Arizona and Connecticut as well.
  For people who call themselves sportsmen, Bill Ruger was a name that 
was as celebrated and admired as Ernest Hemingway or Jack O'Connor. 
Although Bill will be missed by many who take regularly to the field, 
somehow we will know that he will be along for many more hunts.
  Bill viewed a well-crafted gun as a bond that connected families as 
it was passed from generation to generation. What he may have missed is 
how one of his creations bonds us to him as his genius and commitment 
to quality, durability, and affordability live on in perfectly cast 
steel and finely carved walnut.
  That was the gift left to us by the old man. He will be missed by 
many friends, admirers and employees but especially by his family. I 
would like to extend my condolences to the Ruger and Vogel families, 
especially Molly and Bill Ruger, on the passing of their father, a 
truly great man.

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