[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 2889]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING LEGENDARY WICHITA, KANSAS, RADIO PERSONALITY MICHAEL C. ``OL' 
                             MIKE'' OATMAN

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who had a 
tremendous impact on the country music industry, was a strong advocate 
for Wichita, Kansas, and was a great friend to many, including me.
  Michael C. Oatman, or ``Ol' Mike'' as we all knew him, left this 
Earth on January 27. Although we wish he could have spent more time 
with us, he certainly made the most of the time that he had.
  Mike was born in west Texas where he began a legendary radio career. 
In 1964 he moved to Wichita and built not only a radio empire but a 
reputation that earned him love and respect. His morning show of 36 
years was popular not because of the music he played but because of the 
man who played the music.
  Ol' Mike received just about every award a radio broadcaster could 
earn. All of those honors pale in comparison, though, to his final 
reward. Mike accepted Christ as his personal Lord and savior and now is 
in a much better place. And oh how I wish I could have been at those 
pearly gates to see St. Peter's response when he was introduced to the 
tee-legged, toe-legged, bee-legged, bow-legged, curly-haired, pee-
williker Ol' Mike. That was Ol' Mike's radio show sign-on and was 
certainly as unique as the man himself.
  We will miss you, Mike, but we will keep our old Hank Williams 
records and look you up when we join you on those streets of gold.

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