[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4982-4983]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MARY LANGSTON TAYLOR

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, thank you for the opportunity today to pay 
tribute to a wonderful woman, dedicated public servant and loyal 
friend--Ms. Mary Langston Taylor. Mary is retiring from my staff on May 
1, 2008, after 31 years of dedicated service.
  Mary has been with me from the beginning. She joined my staff on 
January 1, 1977, the first week I was in office. You could say we have 
literally grown up in this job together. I believe the very first 
assignment I ever gave her was to take dictation for letters I wanted 
to send to all of my new colleagues. She didn't miss a word then and is 
still one of the fastest people I know at shorthand--a vanishing talent 
I might add.
  In the early days of my Senate career, Mary was instrumental in the 
beginnings of all aspects of running a U.S. Senate Office. She drafted 
and implemented the initial quality control procedures for all office 
documents, and correspondence. She managed the ``conversion'' of the 
office from typewriters to computers--hard to fathom knowing what 
equipment we now have at our fingertips. She also helped spearhead the 
first Utah Women's Conference, an annual event Elaine and I have the 
pleasure of hosting for women across Utah. From its beginnings with 
Jihan Sadat as the first keynote speaker to today, this conference has 
served a vital purpose to bring together women from diverse backgrounds 
to discuss the issues most important to their health and well-being. 
Her innovation and hard work, along with many

[[Page 4983]]

others, has made this annual event the huge success that it is.
  Mary has worn many hats during her years of service: personal 
secretary, office manager, legislative assistant, special assistant, 
and currently constituent services representative. In fact, she was 
even kind enough to wheel me to the Capitol for votes after I severed 
my Achilles tendon. She got pretty fast with my wheelchair.
  In her current position Mary helps solve hundreds of constituent 
cases each year that are brought to my attention by Utahns needing help 
working with the Federal Government. Mary's areas of expertise include: 
veterans and military affairs, transportation issues, and the U.S. 
Postal Service. While working with constituents, Mary has always 
conveyed her warmth and deep caring for each person. Perhaps her work 
is summed up best in the words of gratitude expressed to Mary by a 
happy constituent: ``What would we have done without you? You are our 
hero. I want to thank you for never giving up. . .Thank you for making 
all the difference in the world to my mom and us.''
  Even in the face of severe adversity, she always came to work each 
day with a smile on her face and a willingness to get the job done. I 
have always admired Mary for her courage and fortitude. As a single 
mother for many years, she raised three wonderful boys--Robby, David, 
and James. She has taught them well and has sacrificed many things for 
the happiness of her children. Mary is not only the proud mother of 
these three boys but the loving stepmother to five children she was 
fortunate to inherit when she wed Brian Taylor. They have formed a 
wonderful partnership and it is always a pleasure to see them together.
  In addition to her Senate service, Mary has been a tireless advocate 
for conservative ideals, and women's issues. She has served as the 
president of the Professional Republican Women of Utah, is a member of 
the Women's State Legislative Council, and is currently finishing her 
term as the president of the Salt Lake Council of Women. In this 
position Mary spearheaded the Hall of Fame to honor outstanding women 
who have provided service to the community. She also created a special 
committee on domestic abuse to help others learn to spot indicators and 
educate women on what resources are available to those in need.
  Mr. President. I am truly grateful for the service Mary Taylor has 
given to me, to our community, and to Utah. I will miss Mary 
tremendously but know that life holds many exciting and wonderful new 
opportunities for her to enjoy. When I think of the best way to 
describe Mary, the word ``loyal'' just seems to fit. Mary is a loyal 
friend, mother, wife, and has been a tremendously loyal staff member 
for 31 years. Someone once said: ``Loyalty cannot be blueprinted. It 
cannot be produced on an assembly line. In fact, it cannot be 
manufactured at all, for its origin is the human heart.'' This is 
Mary--her heart is pure and she is loyal to all.
  I want to wish Mary the very best in retirement and want her to know 
that I will pray for her continued good health, success and happiness. 
May God bless Mary and her family for her wonderful service.

                          ____________________