[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16234-16235]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING FOX McKEITHEN

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise today in sadness to pay tribute 
to a man who served the State of Louisiana well for over 22 years, our 
late Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, who passed away over the weekend 
at his home, lovingly surrounded by friends, family, and admirers.
  Walter Fox McKeithen was born on September 8, 1946. He was a young 
man when he died this weekend. He was the second of six children in a 
small northern town of Louisiana called Columbia. He was the son of a 
very well-respected governor whom we fondly called ``Big John'' 
McKeithen. He served in the 1960s and is accredited with leading our 
State of Louisiana at a very tough and tumultuous time in a very 
progressive and positive direction. Fox McKeithen, the oldest child, 
took after his father's political skills from an early age. He 
demonstrated those leadership skills as senior class president at 
Caldwell Parish High School, and after graduating from Louisiana Tech, 
he worked as a high school civics teacher and coach.
  With his desire to serve the people of Louisiana in a greater role, 
he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1983. I had the 
distinct pleasure of working with Fox as a State representative. He 
went on then to run statewide and was elected Secretary of State. I 
went on at that same time as State treasurer, and we continued our 
strong partnership and relationship.
  As Secretary of State, however, Fox took his very colorful 
personality and spirited dedication to make great improvements to an 
office that was in need of improvement. He modernized the way the State 
archived its records. He made it easier for businesses to register and 
get assistance from the Secretary of State's office. Most importantly, 
he was a friend to local clerks who work diligently in our State to 
process elections, make sure they are run fairly and openly. He had a 
very strong view, as Secretary of State and our chief election 
commission officer, that registered voters should have a chance to 
vote. Not a radical notion, but in this day and age not something that 
always happens. So he worked overtime to make sure the machines were 
there on time and people were well trained. If the clerks had problems, 
he himself would step in and give personal attention. So we all owe him 
a debt of gratitude for his dedication and commitment. In fact, once 
there was a problem--voting machines were arriving late. He jumped in 
his own pickup truck and went down to one of our parishes to bring them 
voting machines.
  Perhaps his greatest legacy was the renovation of our old State 
capitol, a building that sat on the banks of the Mississippi River in 
decay and abandonment for many years. But with his vision and his 
leadership, he restored that building to its former grandeur, and now 
it is a place that is used by many different organizations and 
appreciated and admired by all the people of our State. When he started 
this project, people said it could not be done, there was not enough 
money to do it. But because of his tenaciousness and his hard work and 
leadership ability, he led a group of leaders both in

[[Page 16235]]

the public sector and in the private sector to restore our own State 
capitol and enhanced one of the great communities on the banks of the 
Mississippi River, right there in our capital city, reminding us of our 
rich and colorful past.
  It was truly an honor for me and many people in Louisiana to serve in 
public office with Fox McKeithen. He loved Louisiana and he loved 
serving all of her people. He shared his father's famous campaign 
slogan, ``Won't you h'ep me?'' as if it were a question that the people 
of Louisiana were asking of him. It didn't matter if you were a 
Democrat or a Republican, rich or poor, from north or south of I-10 or 
north or south of I-20, he was always there to help you if he could.
  A dedicated public servant who gave everything he had to serving our 
State, Fox McKeithen will be dearly missed. The people of our State owe 
a great debt of gratitude to Fox and the entire McKeithen family for a 
legacy of leadership, compassion, and vision for our State. His eldest 
daughter Marjorie follows in her father's and grandfather's footsteps 
through her practice of law and effective advocacy for many important 
programs and initiatives in our State. She is truly carrying on the 
great McKeithen legacy of service.
  So I come to the floor today saddened by the fact but gladdened by 
the life this man led and certain of his legacy that he left with the 
people of our State and the many contributions he made over a long and 
dedicated career.
  On behalf of the people of Louisiana, I say our thoughts and prayers 
are with him and his family at this time.

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