[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9279-9280]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM H. HECHT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 14, 2017

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to 
William H. Hecht, a dear friend of mine who passed away on Monday, June 
12, 2017. Bill lived a rich life filled with a myriad of 
accomplishments. He would count his family as the greatest of those 
accomplishments. A true family man, he was the beloved husband of 
Susan; a devoted father to Herb, Robert David, Tim and Jim; a proud 
father-in-law to Dana, Jill and Melissa; and a doting grandfather to 
Caroline, Rachel, Will, Robbie, Christian, Danny, Hannah, Sammy, Holly 
and Johnny. Along with all of them, I will deeply miss Bill.
  Born in 1933 in Tifton, Georgia, Bill received his Master's of 
Divinity from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri and a degree in 
Philosophy from Washington University. He served as a Lutheran pastor 
and later became the campus pastor at the University of Oklahoma, also 
teaching in the Philosophy Department. Among the many tributes Bill 
received are the Miles Christi Award from Concordia Seminary, an 
honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia University, and the 
Silver Beaver Award from the National Capital Area Council of the Boy 
Scouts of America. In 2012, Bill received a commendation as an 
``Outstanding Georgian,'' one of only three people to receive that 
honor.

[[Page 9280]]

  Bill was a lifelong participant in politics. In 1967, he became the 
Executive Director of the Missouri State Republican Party and later 
served as vice president of the American Security Council. Moving to 
Washington, DC, he was hired as the Executive Assistant to the Chairman 
of the House Committee on Internal Security and then moved on to be 
vice president of legislative affairs at the Tobacco Institute. He 
worked on the Reagan for President campaign before opening Hecht, 
Spencer & Associates, a firm that celebrated its 35th Anniversary last 
year.
  I was a beneficiary of Bill's education and experience over many 
hours spent at his favorite table at the Capitol Hill Club. He could 
philosophize on any number of subjects and would hold all of us there 
at the table in rapt attention with stories from his past or 
explanations of why his St. Louis Cardinals were the greatest franchise 
in baseball history. The Club will never be the same without him and he 
will always be in my thoughts when I am there.
  I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Hecht family and Bill's many 
friends. Although Bill may be gone, his legacy and memory will live on.

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