[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                IN MEMORY OF FORMER SENATOR TOM EAGLETON

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I received a call yesterday that Tom 
Eagleton died. Tom Eagleton was a wonderful man. He served in the 
Senate representing the State of Missouri from 1968 to 1987.
  I got to know Senator Eagleton. I met him when I was in the House of 
Representatives. He had previously, prior to coming to the Senate, been 
elected Missouri's attorney general and Lieutenant Governor.
  One thing I wish to mention very briefly today: He was selected by 
Senator McGovern to be his Vice President. As some will recall, that 
lasted only 2 or 3 weeks because it came out he had received some 
attention for a medical problem that was related to an emotional 
problem, mental problem.
  If that same thing occurred today, it would not have mattered. We 
have made progress in accepting people who have emotional problems for 
whatever reason, that they are just as sick as someone who has other 
kinds of problems. It is too bad there will always be this asterisk 
with Tom Eagleton. However, he was selected to be Senator McGovern's 
Vice President but was not able to continue in that position because of 
a medical condition.
  He was a wonderful man who served in the Navy. He graduated from 
Harvard Law School. His father was a lawyer who loved politics and ran 
for public office in Missouri. He served on the St. Louis Police Board 
and the Board of Education.
  Tom is survived by his wife, the former Barbara Ann Smith. They 
married in 1956. He has two children. He left the Senate 20 years ago, 
as I indicated earlier. He was a tremendously good Senator. As the 
Chaplain indicated today, our prayers go out to his family. Senator 
Eagleton will be missed. He has made his mark on our country and the 
world. He fought for clean water and clean air. He had strong beliefs 
on the conflict in Vietnam. He showed, over a lifetime, that one man 
can make a difference.
  So, Mr. President, I hope all Senators will pause to reflect on the 
service this great man made to our country. I am sure we should all 
understand if we patterned our political career after Tom Eagleton, we 
could not go wrong.

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