[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 23105]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO WYTHE WILLEY

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a friend 
and a trusted adviser, Wythe Willey, who lost a 2-year battle with 
cancer on Saturday. Wythe Willey was a person who left a mark. If you 
ever met him, you would be hard pressed to forget him. He was an Iowa 
farm boy through and through. Whether he was living in Des Moines or 
Cedar Rapids, he valued his friendships and he valued everybody he met 
along his life's journey.
  Wythe had a passion for agriculture, and particularly for the cattle 
business, but also for politics. He had one of the most astute 
political minds I have ever come across. To sit and talk politics with 
Wythe was an invigorating endeavor. His political sense and 
understanding of the issues at the State and Federal level never failed 
to bring additional insight to anybody who would listen.
  There is a saying among my former and current staff, ``once a 
Grassley staffer, always a Grassley staffer.'' Wythe was the epitome of 
that motto. He worked on my Iowa staff from 1981-1987. When he left, he 
had already left his mark, but he was far from being done helping the 
people of Iowa. During the time on my staff, and the years since then, 
Wythe helped me by heading a committee to vet Federal judicial, U.S. 
attorney, and U.S. marshal nominees.
  Even when he was involved in government and politics, Wythe's heart 
was always with his family farm. No matter where his professional 
career took him, he continued to run the century-old farm near 
Maquoketa. Cattlemen across Iowa and the country knew few supporters 
who fought for their interests more than Wythe. As president of both 
the Iowa Cattlemen's Association and the National Cattlemen's Beef 
Association he was, in that position, tireless in his advocacy to give 
Iowa beef producers an opportunity to benefit from the market.
  I have a lot of good memories of Wythe, including how he stole the 
tax counsel from my Washington office and ended up marrying her. They 
did not think I knew much about it, but I remember when Susan started 
spending more and more time in Iowa. Wythe and Susan were one of the 
first of several Grassley office romances and set a precedent for years 
to come.
  One last memory I will never forget is when I learned he was 
supporting my candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 1980. At that time, 
Wythe worked for the Governor who had backed my opponent in the 
primary. I can never thank him enough for his trust in me, especially 
when it was not an easy thing to do because of his closeness to the 
Governor at that time.
  Wythe remained a loyal friend and trusted adviser up to his death, 
and for that I am forever thankful.

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