[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3054]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO FRANCIS BROOKS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, last week marked the end of Francis Brooks' 
tenure as the sergeant-at-arms of the Vermont State House. The position 
of sergeant-at-arms is one of great importance, playing a pivotal role 
in maintaining the order and decorum that Vermonters have come to 
expect of their State government. It is a job that demands a 
comprehensive understanding of the people who conduct the important 
work within the building, and the building itself.
  Francis Brooks has served the people of the city of Montpelier in a 
number of roles. He taught chemistry and physics at Montpelier High 
School for 32 years; he was a State legislator for 25 years; and he has 
volunteered with the Montpelier Fire Department for 40 years. This 
level of dedication alone is worthy of appreciation and respect, but 
Francis's service did not stop there. For the last 7 years, Francis has 
served his State as sergeant-at-arms.
  I have fond memories of the Vermont State House. My parents owned the 
Leahy Press, located just across the street, and now home to the 
Vermont Arts Council. From our early years and onward, my brother and 
sister and I were always encouraged by our parents to pay attention to 
what happened within those walls and to respect the building for what 
it represented. As a young boy I rode my bicycle through the halls of 
the capitol in Montpelier, sometimes wandering into the private office 
of the Governor, where he sat from behind his desk peering down at me. 
Francis upheld what I treasure most about our State's capitol--an open 
and welcoming building for all Vermonters. He has not only overseen the 
preservation and safety of the Vermont State House, but he has 
encouraged the public to use the space to enhance our community through 
events like the Farmers Night Concert Series, the U.S. Academy 
Nominations Ceremony, public discussion forums like the Opiate 
Conference, statewide high school debate competitions, and the 
continued involvement of young people in our State's political system 
through the legislative page program. Every year, Francis chose 30 
eighth graders to serve at the Vermont State House in 6-week periods. 
Upon these students' successful completion of the program, Francis 
would send them to apply for the U.S. Senate page program--and I was 
always impressed by the quality of students who represented Vermont in 
the Nation's Capital.
  Marcelle and I thank Francis Brooks for the several decades of 
selfless loyalty he has shown to Montpelier and to the State of 
Vermont. In a 2011 interview with a Vermont newspaper Seven Days, 
Francis described the role of the sergeant-at-arms by saying, ``If the 
inside of the [State House] is considered a town, then I'm the town 
manager.'' Vermont is lucky to have such an inspiring, well-grounded 
and selfless public servant.

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