body in the world. They distinguished themselves not only from the ideas they advanced but the persuasive manner in which they articulated them.

Senator DIRKSEN was such a man. He was endowed with a melodious voice and was unique among us with his rich oratorical style. Happily, the magic of tape recordings will preserve for history not only what he said but how he said it. His speeches sparkled with Biblical references and quotations from the classics of literature and history. All of which bespeaks the wealth of his knowledge and keenness of his intellect, as well as the richness of his voice. When he spoke he knew whereof he spoke.

It was while serving here in the House that the Senator established his reputation not only as an accomplished speaker but as one who knew every fact and facet of the subject on which he spoke. He did his homework, so to speak; and the extensive "burning of the midnight oil" in studying legislative matters contributed to his having to leave Congress that he might better insure recovery from an eye illness.

When I was considering being a candidate for Congress in 1934, I went to EV DIRKSEN who had just concluded his first term in Congress to solicit his advice. His encouragement and the advice he gave me account in large measure for my being in Congress. He emphasized with me that as he saw it the secret of success in Congress was being a man of the people, and well known to the people as one who would speak for them. He pointed out that while it was important to respect their views, it was even more important, as their representative, to persuade them to your point of view.

It is hardly necessary to say that Senator DIRKSEN and I were close personal friends. Our friendship began even before he was elected to Congress. Both of us were active in the American Legion in Illinois.

While Senator DIRKSEN may be best known for his uniqueness as an orator, he will live in history as a man who placed country first and above all else. He served as our Republican leader in the Senate under both Republican and Democratic Presidents. He served them all, Republican and Democrat, because he saw that his largest obligation was not to the political party for which he spoke, but to the country as a whole. EVERETT DIRKSEN was a giant among men, a towering statesman.

Mr. Speaker, with the passing of Senator DIRKSEN, our country has lost a truly great leader and I have lost a very fine friend-the finest any man could possibly have.

Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Arends and I extend to his gracious and loving wife Louella and to his fine daughter and her husband Senator and Mrs. Baker, of Tennessee, and his wonderful grandchildren our sincere sympathy.

Mr. McCORMACK. Mr. Speaker, the death of Senator EVERETT M. DIRKSEN takes from our midst one of the most colorful Members of the Congress in the history of our country.

Senator DIRKSEN was a great American and an outstanding legislator. In this trying period of our Nation's history, he was a bulwark of strength, always advocating and fighting for a strong national defense and a firm foreign policy, and he did this without regard to whether the President of the United States was a Democrat or a Republican. He placed the national interest and the national defense of our country above political considerations.

Throughout his years of public service, Senator DIRKSEN evidenced his dedication to his public trust by assuming and performing his duties and responsibilities with great ability, with vision, and with courage. His fine and refreshing outlook on life, and his broad and philosophical mind, and his colorful personality were an inspiration for all others to follow.

EVERETT DIRKSEN, as a Member of the House and of the Senate, has made marked contributions to the progress, the dignity, and the strength of our country. He has made his constructive imprint on the pages of our Nation's history.

Senator DIRKSEN will be missed. It will take a long while for someone to come across the political horizon to take his place.

I extend to Mrs. Dirksen and her loved ones my deep sympathy, and also the deep sympathy of the Members of the House of Representatives, in their great loss and sorrow.

Mr. GERALD R. FORD. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness and a deep feeling of personal loss that I learned Sunday afternoon of the death of the much beloved Republican leader of the Senate, EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN, of Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that the skies outside should be overcast today and should weep, for I think this reflects the mood of the Nation bereft of the services of the grand old man from Pekin. It is with a somber heart that I address this House today.

I was most fortunate. I knew EV DIRKSEN well-perhaps better than most. Even though I did not serve with him in this body, I have had many opportunities in the last 4-plus years to be closely associated with him. I will cherish all my life these many opportunities to have worked with him. Ours was a close personal relationship because of our respective positions. Yet, while I am proud to have been the junior half of the "Ev and Jerry Show," I must say that EV DIRKSEN never made me feel that I was junior to him. That was not his style. He was understanding, stimulating, and a friend under any and all circumstances.

Ev was a giant in American politics. He has no need to steal the show from others in order to feel his full stature. As a Republican legislator he wrote many memorable pages of American history, but, as has been said before by the gentleman from Illinois and by the distinguished Speaker, Ev DIRKSEN was an American first and a partisan second.

Ev, as all know who worked with him, was a giant as a legislator. He left an indelible imprint on many major laws that will live in the statute books for many, many years.

Perhaps more than any other statesman in modern American history, Ev DIRKSEN was a master in the art of compromise. He captured the essence of American democracy in that he made democracy work. He made manifold and tremendous contributions to the legislative shelves of this Nation.

As we all know, Ev was a giant as a speaker. He was one of the greatest in the history of the Congress-probably the last of the old school. I know of no man who was more articulate than Senator EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN, whether he was speaking of landmark legislation or reminiscing about his days in the European Theater during World War I. When he was called the "Wizard of Ooze," it was a good-natured compliment. It was in fact the supreme compliment.

Mr. Speaker, the flag hangs at halfmast over the Capitol today. It tells what we all feel the loss of a great American and the heavy

sorrow for having lost a dear friend and a good friend. My wife Betty and I extend our deepest condolences to Mrs. Dirksen and the entire family. Words are inadequate to express our grief.

Mr. ALBERT. Mr. Speaker, the news report, which I, like many others, received while listening to television yesterday afternoon, that Senate minority leader EVERETT MCKINLEY DIRKSEN had died left me shocked and saddened.

I have had the privilege of knowing EVERETT DIRKSEN since the day I took my first oath of office in this House nearly 23 years ago. I have known him over the years as a remarkable man, an extraordinary legislator, and a personal friend.

Senator DIRKSEN was a man of many parts. He was among the last of the great orators of the old school to serve in the Congress. His flair for the dramatic, his knowledge of great literature, his uncanny memory, his rare imagination served to make him the most colorful speaker of our time.

If there was ever an institution in the Congress or the country it was EVERETT DIRKSEN. His name was a household word. He was truly a legend in his own time. With his death the Congress has lost perhaps its best known and most famous Member.

Senator DIRKSEN tenaciously pursued ideas in which he was interested. Sometimes these were in areas that caused many of his critics to consider him an obstructionist. Certainly I did not share all of his legislative interests, but I never ceased to admire his relentless pursuit of his goals.

Above all, when the chips were down, when the national interest was at stake, Senator DIRKSEN was always the patriot, always the towering statesman.

In him there was ever present an element of greatness which stood out in critical hours. His defense of the Marshall plan, the Test Ban Treaty, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, at crucial moments, made it clear that he was more than a skillful politician. He was, when great issues were at stake, not only a great legislator but also a fearless and indispensable leader. He was indeed one of the great statesmen of our time.

In the death of Senator DIRKSEN every Member of both Houses of Congress has lost a friend. The Congress has lost not only one of its most illustrious Members, but also one of its greatest champions.

No Member of either House was more dedicated to the importance of the legislative department of Government. No one, either publicly or privately, was ever more determined in his defense of Congress as an institution or of the rights and prerogatives of its Members. In every bill designed to upgrade congressional service EVERETT DIRKSEN was a front rank leader. He loved congressional service. Even in his last years, though often haunted by illness, he worked tire lessly at his job. He believed in it, and he made no apologies for his support of the importance of congressional service.

This great and unique man who for decades has seemed almost as familiar and indispensable in this city as the Capitol dome has departed his friends and colleagues.

To paraphrase Edwin Markham, like the giant oak that falls on the hillside, the death of EVERETT DIRKSEN has left a lonesome place against the sky. It is a sad farewell when we say goodby to our friend, Ev DIRKSEN. May his soul rest in the arms of the Almighty and may the peace of God comfort Mrs. Dirksen and their daughter and all the family, as they, above all others, must bear the burdens of his loss.

Mr. MICHEL. Mr. Speaker, my most famous constituent is gone. "My most famous constituent"—that is the phrase I have often used with pride and not a little amount of affection when referring to our beloved senior Senator, EVERETT DIRKSEN, who passed away yesterday at Walter Reed Hospital. It was my privilege on many occasions to have the honor of introducing the Senator when he spoke to official party rallies as well as to various public groups over the

years.

I remember on one occasion I referred to him as one of the monuments of Washington and, indeed, with his distinctive appearance, his style of oratory, his deep, rolling voice, and his marvelous sense of humor, he had become truly a national figure.

I believe the shock of his death was so great because he had an air of indestructibility about him—you just had the feeling that he would live forever—and of course he will live forever in the hearts and minds of those of us who had the privilege of knowing him, working closely with him, learning from him, and witnessing at close hand his great legislative contributions to this wonderful country which he loved so dearly.