[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9980]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF T. BOONE PICKENS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 27, 2010

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of T. Boone 
Pickens, who has made a major impact on our world through his advocacy 
and philanthropic missions.
  Mr. Pickens was born on May 22nd, 1928 and raised in the Great Plains 
of Holdenville, Oklahoma during the Great Depression. His father, 
Thomas Boone Pickens, and mother, Grace Molonson Pickens, both worked 
in the oil industry. He grew up across the street from his grandmother, 
Nellie Molonson, and an aunt, Ellie Reed, both of whom were extremely 
influential in teaching him the importance of responsibility, self-
sufficiency and accountability.
  Mr. Pickens began his working at the age of 12 with a paper route. 
His route started out small, yet quickly grew from a customer base of 
28 to nearly 130 customers. The business principals of expansion and 
acquisition, combined with his strong intellect, work ethic and 
unwavering drive to succeed, elevated Mr. Pickens to the stature of one 
of the wealthiest oil moguls in the world before he was forty.
  Mr. Pickens' great financial success in the oil sector has allowed 
him to recommit his work toward lowering greenhouse gas pollution. Mr. 
Pickens' philanthropic efforts have totaled more than a billion 
dollars. He created the Pickens Foundation, the mission of which is to 
improve lives by providing funds for the creation of programs in the 
areas of medical research, athletics, education and the environment.
  Both Mr. Pickens and his wife, Madeleine Pickens, are also lifelong 
animal rights activists. They have led the effort to outlaw the 
slaughter of horses in America, and recently, they have focused on 
saving and protecting the tens of thousands of wild mustang horses and 
their natural habitats.
  Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of T. Boone 
Pickens, whose focus on innovation and public service has contributed 
significantly to our nation.

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