[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16975]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING FRED THOMPSON

  Mr. McCONNELL. Finally, Mr. President, on an entirely different and 
sad matter, there was never any doubt when our colleague from Tennessee 
was nearby--6 feet 6 inches tall, deep, booming voice, and a magnetic 
personality that lit up any room he was in. Fred Thompson may have 
towered over the Senate in a very literal sense, but he was one of the 
most down-to-earth guys you will ever meet. He was a true gentleman 
with a kind heart.
  This Senator, who lived life to the very fullest, the first in his 
family to ever attend college, never forgot where he came from.
  Now, in a weird twist of fate, it turns out that Fred and I actually 
came from the same place. We were both born in what was then known as 
the Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield, AL. But getting back to 
Fred's humility, how many successful actors can you say that about? You 
see, Senator Thompson hardly fit the Hollywood stereotype. Senator 
Thompson didn't fit the political stereotype either. He was just Fred. 
He had one of the most interesting careers you could ever imagine--
Senate colleague, Watergate lawyer, Presidential candidate, and radio 
personality. And he was an icon of the silver and small screen alike, 
one who didn't just take on criminals as an actor but as a real-life 
prosecutor as well. That was Fred Thompson. That was the man many of us 
had the pleasure to serve with.
  I am reminded of some words shared recently by Fred's friend of 50 
years, a friend who succeeded him here in the Senate. ``Very few people 
could light up a room the way that Fred Thompson did,'' he said. ``I 
will miss him greatly.''
  I join the senior Senator from Tennessee in the same sentiment. I 
know the entire Senate does as well, just as the Senate joins together 
in sending condolences to Fred's loved ones, Jeri and his children, in 
particular, in this very difficult time.

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