of one who was singularly nonconformist, a genuine original who prized the virtue of individuality and who exemplified it in his long and distinguished record of public service: EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN in whose untimely passing we all are the poorer. His passionate love of life and of the political process, allied with a deeply personal style, made him a legend in his lifetime. His comic spirit, nourished in the Lincolnian tradition of frontier humor and the anecdotal jest, embraced both the satirical and the sentimental, neither of which he feared; essentially unpompous, he delighted in the rhetorical flourishes of another age, and in this respect gave delight to millions.

Yet, it would be unjust to see him merely in terms of character, however striking and unique. He was first and last a politician in the best tradition of American life-one dedicated to that complex process of compromise, adjustment, and conciliation on which the survival of representative government depends. His often quoted aphorism, "The oil can is mightier than the sword," is a continuing commentary upon and rebuke to the so-called "politics of confrontation" which on the left and the right alike advocate violence in the pursuit of simplistic solutions to complex problems.

"A foolish consistency," wrote Emerson, "is the hobgoblin of little minds." It is the measure of EVERETT DIRKSEN's mind and spirit that, while essentially conservative, he was never afraid to change. Politically speaking, he will be remembered for his crucial role in "the three great reversals," instances in which he demonstrated a sensitive responsiveness to the larger issues which transcended the merely partisan. In the United Nations Bond Bill in 1962, the Voting Rights Bill of 1965, and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963, he gave genuine substance to his own words, "Change is an inherent way of life." Certainly, no one has ever spoken more movingly of the nuclear threat which encompasses all mankind in its grim embrace than did EVERETT DIRKSEN when he noted that he did not want written on his tombstone:

He knew what happened at Hiroshima, but he didn't take a first step. We remember today his impressive words explaining his refusal to be bound by narrow, rigidly inflexible views on public policy, words fresh and pertinent in every age and perhaps his most significant memorial, and message to our Nation:

On the night Victor Hugo died, he wrote in his diary, "Stronger than all the armies is an idea whose time has come.”

EVERETT DIRKSEN was a man of strong views, vigorously and eloquently upheld. Inevitably many of his special concerns were controversial. No man in his position of leadership could hope to escape criticism, just and unjust. Yet withal, he possessed unfailing good nature, especially impressive in light of the toll exacted by sickness and injury. A dislocated vertebra and a broken hip gave constant discomfort through the years. His brief retirement in 1948 was the direct result of an eye illness.

We remember that he served a full 16 years in this House from 1932 to 1948 through decades marked by depression, recovery, war, and the tasks of peace building and the cold war. Elected to the Senate in 1950, he served as minority leader from 1959 to the day of his passing.

Perhaps the key to EVERETT DIRKSEN'S life is to be found in the small farming community of Pekin, Ill., in which he was born in 1896. For it was here that he learned that respect for hard work and the related virtues of the American Midwest at the turn of the century. We recall that he worked his way through law school at the University of Minnesota and completed his degree by night courses during his service in this House. The personal, private dimension of his life reveals such things as his intense love of gardening and of flowers: he would have heartily endorsed the words of Henry Ward Beecher: Flowers are the sweetest things that God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into.

His business experience in Pekin gave him practical insight into the problems of the business community. We are told that he wrote five novels and over 100 short stories which, though unpublished, witness to his fiercely creative impulse. His understanding of war derived from his service in 1917-19 with the American Expeditionary Force during which time he was made a second lieutenant in the field.

Especially at this time our sympathy goes out to his wife whom he wed in 1927 following a romantic stage courtship in which she, the former Louella Carver, played the princess of Pekin, wooed by her future husband in Percy MacKaye's "A Thousand Years Ago,"

celebrating the centennial of Pekin. Such a romantic encounter is wholly in keeping with the life story we honor here today. Mrs. Kluczynski and I share the sense of loss felt by Mrs. Dirksen and by her daughter, Danice Joy Baker, wife of the distinguished Senator from Tennessee, the Honorable Howard Baker. But beyond the grief which they feel, we share their deep sense of pride in the life and career of EVERETT DIRKSEN, a life of service to the people of Illinois and to the Nation at large and, thanks to the power and prestige of America in this century, to the whole world. He takes his special place with those illustrious few who, from the Halls of Congress, have given an enduring example of leadership in effecting significant change in days of crisis for this country and all mankind.

ADDRESS BY HON. JACK BROOKS

OF TEXAS

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in paying tribute to the memory of the late EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN. The Senator from Illinois will long be remembered as a man of principle and dedication. He was dedicated to the service of his party, his State, and his Nation.

As minority leader, he was highly partisan without losing sight of the fine basic principles by which he was guided. Possibly the greatest contribution that Senator DIRKSEN made to his country was his demonstration that opposition did not mean obstruction.

The gentleman from Illinois was admired, respected, and genuinely liked by both the Democratic and Republican Presidents with whom he served. As minority leader, he elevated that position to new heights by making it a forum for diverse viewpoints and helpful criticisms rather than an irritant and regressive influence. This attribute was recognized and appreciated by all of us who had the pleasure of knowing and serving with him in the Congress.

I know that his wife and daughter are comforted in knowing that their loss is shared by all Americans.

ADDRESS BY HON. GEORGE A. GOODLING

OF PENNSYLVANIA

Mr. Speaker, a bright light has left the American scene with the passing of Senator EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN.

History will record him as a giant in his time, for he had a blend of talents and personality that made him unique and distinctive in the of his fellow men.

eyes

As a legislator, Everett DIRKSEN had the depths of understanding that comes only to those who have labored long and hard in the legislative vineyards. He had the rare ability to pinpoint the meaningful and, in effect, to separate the chaff from the wheat. His reputation as a prime cross-examiner in congressional committee proceedings was well established.

As an orator, writer, and dramatist, he had the facility to say the right thing and to pronounce it in such a way that it came thundering in upon you, or it touched your funny bone, or it stimulated your mental and psychological cores, or it lulled you into a deep quiet.

As a patriot, EVERETT DIRKSEN was dedicated to his country and to his congressional service. Although he was plagued with various illnesses, he had a heart stout enough to cast off the chains of pain and fatigue and perform nobly and effectively in the legislative chambers.

As a person, he had compassion and understanding, being more inclined to help than taunt. And his human superstructure rested on the firm foundation of a deep conviction that principle was an honored objective that must never be surrendered upon any altar.

In the wake of his departure, there is a multitude of bright reflections. We will always remember EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN, fondly and respectfully, for he was of that substance that men never forget.

ADDRESS BY HON. JAMES A. BURKE

OF MASSACHUSETTS

Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened to learn of the untimely passing of the senior Senator from Illinois and the distinguished

minority leader in the U.S. Senate, EVERETT McKinley Dirksen.

The Senate, and indeed the Nation at large, will miss this colorful figure. His eloquence has rarely been surpassed in either House and he holds a place on the pages of history with Webster and Clay. His oratorical style was colored with references to the Bible, the classics, and history. He quoted often, and flavored the issues of today with a continuity of lessons learned from the past and this was no mean indication of the man's intelligence and deep perspective.

Above all, EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN represented the people and as he traveled up the political ladder of success he never forgot this. As Senate minority leader he backed Republican and Democrat alike without regard to political consideration in matters of national interest and national defense.

Everett DIRKSEN was a politician of the old school. He viewed politics as an art and used his oratorical ability and gently persuasive powers to best advantage. Master of the compromise, he seemed to relish this role.

As the complex politician displayed his expertise on the Senate floor, so there was the simpler, homey philosophical man from Pekin, Ill., who was a devoted husband and delighted in the magic of his flowers and garden.

The Congress will deeply miss this distinguished gentleman and statesman, and to his wife and family go my most heartfelt condolences at their great loss.

ADDRESS BY HON. HAROLD R. COLLIER

OF ILLINOIS

Mr. Speaker, the passing of EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN from the American political scene is more than the loss of a great Senator. Indeed, the minority leader of the Senate was both an expert and an articulate technician in the complex field of lawmaking. He was a master in the art of legislative compromise which offers the only alternative to an insoluble stalemate. Because he possessed these qualities he became a symbol of the U.S. Congress in this generation and is now an integral part of its history and tradition.