[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5309]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF TOM RAY RAPER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LUKE MESSER

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 2015

  Mr. MESSER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of 
Tom Ray Raper, an innovative entrepreneur, generous philanthropist and 
devoted family man from the Sixth District of Indiana.
  Tom embodied what it meant to live the American Dream. He took a 
$2,000 investment in 1964 to open a small used car dealership and 
eventually turned it into one of the largest RV dealerships in America. 
He owned and operated Tom Raper RVs for 38 more years before selling 
his dealership empire to David Bane's Camping World Company in 2002.
  Not only was Tom a monumental success in the RV business, but he was 
also known for his huge heart and charitable spirit. After selling his 
company, Mr. Raper used his time and money to give back to the Richmond 
community. In 2009, Indiana University East renamed Middlefork Hall to 
Tom Raper Hall after he bequeathed $2.17 million to the university. Tom 
donated more than $1 million to Wayne County to build a 5,000-seat 
exhibition building and to make other improvements to the Wayne County 
Fairgrounds. He also gave $250,000 to the city to transform the 
gymnasium at the Civil Hall into a modern performing arts center.
  Most recently, Tom, established a $50,000 endowed scholarship fund at 
Ivy Tech Community College in Richmond as a means to provide more 
students with the opportunity to get a college education. It is for 
selfless contributions like these that the city of Richmond renamed 
Williamsburg Pike to Williamsburg Pike/Tom Raper Way.
  I have had the pleasure to meet with Tom several times throughout my 
life. He was an icon in Richmond and a philanthropic inspiration for 
any man or woman looking to give back to their community. I will always 
be grateful for the contributions he has made to improve the great city 
of Richmond, Indiana.
  Today, it is my privilege to honor the life of Tom Raper. My thoughts 
and prayers go out to Tom's family and his wife of 46 years, Suzanne. 
May God comfort those he left behind with His peace and strength.

                          ____________________