[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23814]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING OTTO W. ``BILL'' MEYER OF MARION, KANSAS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY MORAN

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 8, 2006

  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a man who 
is a legend in Kansas journalism and his community, a man not afraid to 
challenge an issue even if it rocked the boat, man who let his readers 
know what they needed to know, a man who served his country and 
community with strong will and strong opinions, and a man who will be 
missed throughout Kansas. I am here today to honor a respected leader 
and friend--Bill Meyer.
  Bill may best be known as the editor and publisher of the Marion 
County Record. During his 55 years of service to this weekly paper, he 
brought a fire to the paper establishing it as a challenge to the 
status quo. After graduating from the University of Kansas in 1948 with 
a bachelor's degree in journalism, he began his five and a half decade 
career. Bill didn't stop at just reporting the news. His active role in 
civil issues, including the construction of Marion Reservoir and the 
local football stadium, helped create good news for the city of Marion.
  Bill's weekly column, ``Mostly Malarkey,'' gave voice to his strong 
opinions. These challenging positions often led to productive 
dialogues, but for others it led to violent reactions. On occasion his 
property and the newspaper office were vandalized. This past president 
of the Kansas Press Association has woken to slashed tires, egg-covered 
vehicles, and even a bullet hole in his office window. It takes a tough 
man to withstand the attacks he endured defending his fiery positions.
  Bill also endured attacks while serving our country in World War II. 
He earned the Purple Heart for permanent injuries suffered from 
freezing temperatures during the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation 
of concentration camps in Bavaria. Bill was decorated by several 
European countries and his own for his service during the war. He 
continued to be honored after the war for serving his comrades and 
their memory by editing Checkerboard, a World War II newspaper, and 
facilitating tours of European battlefields.
  It has been said that Bill was part of a dying breed in journalism--
journalists who didn't write for the good of their career, but for the 
good of their community. Bill enjoyed success in career and community. 
Among others, he received awards from Kansas State University, the 
Kansas House of Representatives, and the International Society of 
Weekly Newspaper Editors. In 2004, he was inducted into the Kansas 
Newspaper Hall of Fame. In Marion, Bill gave back while serving as 
school board president, Kiwanis president, and president of the Marion 
County Hospital District. Bill became even more connected with his 
neighbors as an ambulance and bus driver.
  Despite his many activities, family came first. Bill was a devoted 
husband to his wife, Joan, and a proud father, grandfather and great-
grandfather. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Meyer family. May 
the strength and courage demonstrated in his years of service help 
inspire us. We will not only remember Bill the way we saw him through 
our own eyes, but also by the way we saw the world through his eyes. 
The world is a better place because of him, and he will be greatly 
missed.

                          ____________________