[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19722-19723]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING JIM HASLAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, one of the finest men I have

[[Page 19723]]

ever known, Jim Haslam, turns 87 today.
  Mr. Haslam is one of the greatest leaders Tennessee has ever had, and 
he is certainly our greatest philanthropist.
  He came to the University of Tennessee at the age of 17 to play 
football for the legendary football coach, General Robert Neyland. He 
played on some of the greatest teams in Tennessee history, teams that 
won almost every game, losing only four games in the 3 years that Jim 
Haslam played.
  In 1958, he bought a small gas station in Gate City, Virginia, on the 
Tennessee line. I believe I read at one point that he paid just $6,000 
for that four-pump station. Through much hard work and long hard hours, 
he slowly built that one little gas station into the Pilot Flying J 
chain. He is still involved in the business today.
  We frequently tell people in the military: Thank you for your 
service.
  That is a good thing to do. However, we don't show nearly enough 
appreciation for people who start small businesses, turn them into 
bigger businesses, and provide good jobs for people and their families.
  The Pilot Flying J Company now has over 750 travel centers in 43 
States and in Canada, and provides jobs for over 27,000 people. Very 
few people in this world can say that they are providing jobs for 
27,000 people.
  Jim Haslam has now contributed over $100 million to the University of 
Tennessee. He and his family have contributed very large sums of money 
to almost every good cause in east Tennessee, in addition to the 
university.
  He and his wife, Natalie, do not just contribute money. They are very 
active in all sorts of civic and charitable groups in Knoxville.
  He is also a very patriotic man and has great love for this country. 
He served his country in our Nation's military.
  He is one of the biggest contributors to the Republican Party in this 
Nation and is personally involved in many campaigns. He has been a very 
good friend and supporter for both me and my late father, and I am very 
grateful to him.
  Most important of all, Jim Haslam has been a good family man. He and 
his late wife raised three children. Then, many years ago, he married 
Natalie, a longtime friend; and between them, they raised six 
outstanding children.
  One of his sons, Bill Haslam, is our great Governor in Tennessee and 
a chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
  His other son, Jimmy Haslam, now leads the Pilot Flying J Company and 
owns and operates the Cleveland Browns football team.
  Through hard work, honesty, dedication, and simple human kindness, 
Jim Haslam has lived the American Dream. He has touched thousands of 
lives in good and positive ways. This Nation is the greatest country in 
the history of this world because of people like Jim Haslam. This 
Nation is a better place today because of the life he has led. I salute 
him on his 87th birthday and give him best wishes for many, many more.

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