[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16105-16106]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING LARRY HAGMAN

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honoring Larry Hagman, who passed away

[[Page 16106]]

 last week in Dallas at the age of 81. Like most Americans and millions 
around the world, I knew Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing, the best loved 
villain in television history. But I was also fortunate to know Larry 
as a passionate advocate and friend, and I will miss him.
  J.R. was larger than life, but Larry Hagman's life was much more than 
his most famous character. He was a devoted family man, a true friend, 
and an active citizen who worked with me to ensure that our families 
are protected from pollution and toxins. He also worked for years to 
fight lung cancer and promote alternative energy. His tireless 
commitment to improving his community and country continued until the 
very end of his extraordinary life. Just last month he launched the 
Larry Hagman Foundation to promote the educational benefits of theater, 
visual arts, music and dance and to fund organizations providing these 
instructional programs for low-income children.
  Born in Fort Worth, Larry was brought up by his maternal grandmother 
in Los Angeles. After attending a series of boarding schools, he moved 
back to Texas to live with his father, attorney Benjamin Hagman, whose 
clients later helped shape the character of J.R. Ewing. In 1951, 
Larry's mother--the great stage actress Mary Martin--got him a small 
role in the London production of South Pacific. A year later, Larry 
joined the Air Force and stayed in Europe as a director of USO 
theatrical shows.
  After working in New York theater and television, Larry Hagman became 
a TV star in the 1960s as Major Tony Nelson in the popular comedy 
series ``I Dream of Jeannie.'' In the 1970s, he appeared in numerous 
movies and television shows before landing the role of a lifetime on 
the primetime soap opera ``Dallas.''
  As the charming and conniving businessman J.R. Ewing, Larry Hagman 
was the best-known television actor on earth. In 1980, between two 
seasons of ``Dallas,'' hundreds of millions of fans in 57 countries 
anxiously awaited the answer to the most famous question in TV history: 
``Who Shot J.R.?'' Last year, Larry returned to television to begin a 
new series of ``Dallas,'' which became a hit on the TNT network; he was 
at work on the new season when he died.
  On behalf of the people of California and Larry's millions of fans 
and admirers, I send my appreciation and condolences to his wife, Maj; 
his children, Preston and Kristina; and his five granddaughters. I know 
that they--and all of us--will miss this marvelous man.

                          ____________________