The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“``FRIENDS OF ROMAN LEE HRUSKA''” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S5881-S5882 on May 24, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
``FRIENDS OF ROMAN LEE HRUSKA''
Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I ask that the attached comments made by the Honorable Charles Thone at the memorial service for former Senator Roman Lee Hruska, be printed in the Record for Monday, April 26, 1999, immediately following my remarks entitled, ``Tribute to U.S. Senator Roman L. Hruska.''
The comments follow:
Friends of Roman Lee Hruska
Friends all:
First, let me, and all of you here today, recognize two special people, Millie and Carl Curtis. Sen. Curtis served all 22 years with Roman, and Senator Hruska always acknowledged that no U.S. Senator ever had a more caring, a better and more cooperative colleague anywhere--anytime. Thank you, Senator Curtis.
introductions
It seems only fitting to also recognize all public officials present. It is from thence, that Roman sprung. He epitomized public service at its best. He lived it! He loved it! He honored it!
He would have been pleased to know that, at the outset here, all Judges, current & past, all Federal, State and County officials, current and past, are asked to stand for a brief silent recognition. I also want to especially recognize Governor Mike Johanns; Former Governor Kay Orr and Bill; Former Governor Ben Nelson, Former Governor and U.S. Senator Jim Exon and Pat; former Congressman John Y. McCollister and Nan; Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice John Hendry; Congressman Doug Bereuter and Louise; and Congressman Lee Terry. Also, a special salute to former chair of the Lancaster County Board and the lifelong Douglas Theatre skilled business partner of Roman, Russell Brehm of Lincoln and his charming wife Louise Brehm. Also, Attorney General Don Stenberg, a former Hruska staff member.
It was the British iconoclast, George B. Shaw who once wisely opined, ``No remarks from a former Governor are all that bad''--if they are short enough. Good stuff, but, in remembering Roman, I'm inclined to want to cover everything, filibuster a bit, if you please, and exhaust both your goodwill and patience, so I'll condense best I can! He was so special to me and many of you, too.
his work ethic
Roman's work was always his total recreation--Oh, occasionally he would superficially fish, hunt and in later years, cheer the mighty Cornhuskers on to victory! Early on, I must concede, he would have easily accepted the specious thought that ``a quarterback was a refund on the ticket.''
Many here will remember genial Dean Pohlenz, the Senator's long time and wonderful AA. He and I once seriously conspired against Roman and another very studious and important top aide to Roman, Bob Kutak. (Kutak and Harold Rock later organized Kutak-Rock, a very successful national law firm with which Roman proudly associated after leaving the Senate.) Kutak's interest and knowledge of sports made Roman look like the legendary Grantland Rice. So, Dean and I decided to reserve a table for four in the Senate Dining Room for Roman and Kutak, and then have two New York baseball stalwarts, Casey Stengel and Yogi Berra join them for lunch, ostensibly for Berra and Stengel to advise on finalizing a professional sports anti-trust bill. It didn't happen, but we figured that a recording of that awkward luncheon conversation would have gone down in history as a sports classic--of sorts.
Just a few Hruska vignettes:
debate comrades
At Commerce High School, Roman was a star debater. His team should go down as a Hall of Famer. The team was Harry Cohen, a brilliant lawyer who was later President of the Nebraska Bar Association; Dick Robinson, another very successful lawyer, and a beloved Federal District Judge; Jerry Kutak, business tycoon, President of Guarantee Life of Hammond, Ind; and Roman. They stayed life-long friends and confidants and what a joy it was just to see the four together visiting and reminiscing.
omaha roots
Roman loved Omaha, and he effectively promoted his town throughout his career--he was the Senate architect of its Interstate System. S.A.C. and his friend, Curtis LeMay, were also tremendous beneficiaries of his Senate Appropriation skills. Chuck Durham, Ed Owen, Morrie Jacobs, Art Storz, Don Ross, John McCollister, Peter Kiewit, Cliff and Ann Batchelder were notables as his early Omaha Betterment Co-Conspirators.
world-herald respect
He always thought the Omaha World-Herald was easily the country's best newspaper and frequently checked in with then publisher, Walt Christensen and editor, Fred Ware--and, there was also a brilliant, hard working Statehouse and Douglas County Court House Reporter named Harold Andersen, whom he respected very much. World-Herald-wise, we wonder what ever happened to Harold.
family love
Family was most important to Roman. His wife and life-long partner, Victoria Kuncl Hruska was simply the best. A special wife and mother--and a political associate in a very effective low-key way--no flim-flam, no nonsense, just herself--beautiful Victoria. We last visited with able and vivacious daughter, Jana at the David City Library Dedication Ceremony. She has been suffering terribly with dreaded Lou Gehrig's disease. Her devoted husband, Charlie Fagan, is here from Maryland. Son Quentin came home several years ago and carefully cared so well for his parents. You met the ``Big Guy'', eldest son, Roman Jr., earlier on this program--his wife is the former MaryAnn Behlen of Columbus. Many grandchildren, nieces and nephews are also here today. Ultimately, family was first for Roman--as it is with all of us.
the campaigner
Roman was never happier nor better showcased than when he was on those early day political campaigns. Ruth and I were visiting the other day about a particular stump speech he once made--with a partially eaten kolache in his left hand--on a Main Street corner at Schuyler during the Nebraska Republican caravan. It was indeed a powerful speech, spliced with Czech phrases and when he finished his remarks, the audience acknowledged him as if he were truly the ``second coming.'' The same result happened a couple of weeks later in a Hotel Ballroom in Broken Bow where the usually very reserved Sandhills crowd gave his at least a five minute standing ovation on his inspiring message and brilliant delivery. Oh, he could be a spell-binder deluxe, given the proper occasion.
a near miss
In the late 50's, a national search was on for a new leader of the Republican Party. The conservative kingmakers didn't publicize it, of course, but the short list came down to the two U.S. Senators with safe seats, Roman Hruska and Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona. Goldwater was ultimately designated somewhat on geography, but mostly because they determined that the TV cameras showcased Goldwater better. The rest, as they say, is history.
he honored the law
Most importantly, Roman Hruska's entire life revolved around the law. He lived by this creed once enunciated by Patrick Henry, ``Always honor the law because the law has honored you.''
Roman spent his first two law years studying at the University of Chicago Law School. Then he attended the Creighton Law School from which he graduated in 1929, just before the great depression hit with all its fury. He then, in the next 20 or so years, built up a substantial law practice, and from there was appointed to the Douglas County Board. He became its energetic, successful Chairman, known for his integrity and ability. He was always a prodigious worker. Even his political adversaries conceded that he achieved a lot the old fashioned way. He earned it.
Then to Congress for most of one term, then 22 years in the U.S. Senate. In the Senate, he was Minority Leader Everett M. Dirksen's right hand bower on the floor of the Senate. Dirksen--``The billion here, and a billion there guy''--called Roman his floor lawyer. Often, on major legislation, Dirksen would tell his senate colleagues if they had amendments, objections, or whatever--``Clear it with Roman.'' Roman became a skilled practitioner of the ``art of the possible'' and he closed many legislative deals for Dirksen.
extraordinary service
It was as the ``Minority Leader'' of the Senate Judiciary Committee for almost 20 years, that Senator Hruska formally and extraordinarily honored the law.
He worked awfully hard and most effectively, to not only give fairness but structure and design to the law so it would be more effective and easier to use by Federal Judges, the Federal Court System and lawyers.
For the improvement of the rule of law, he co-sponsored the Criminal Code Reform Act of 1975 and the Criminal Justice Codification Revision and Reform Act of '73. For you lawyers here, this was a very substantial overhaul of the entire title 18 of the U.S. Code. His was the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978.
He, John McClelland, John Stennis, and Jim Eastland, Senior Democrat on the Committee, bonded and his working relationship with the Majority Party was always just something else, and highly unusual. For example, when he left the Senate, he had presided or co-presided over the confirmation hearings of all nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court--unprecedented in history--and that was an era of
``civility'' that seems to escape such modern day confirmation hearings. He was the principal architect of both the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. In 1972 and the years following, he served as Chairman of the Federal Commission on the Revision of the Federal Court Appellate System of the U.S. and I could go on; suffice it to say that for several years, no Justice Department initiative, no Federal Judgeship, no major legislation moved out of the Senate Judiciary Committee until it had received his careful scrutiny and approval. Throughout, he honored the law, and he honored the Senate as an Institution. Roman's fingerprints, literally, were all over everything processed by Judiciary during these years.
roman was special
Let me say in closing, that we are not here for Roman, we are here for us. We need this--he doesn't! Whatever comes to us after the moment of our earthly death is beyond our understanding.
So, we remain here alive, confused and disconcerted. Above all, let's remember this about him:
Grace was in his soul, a smile and kind word were on his lips and friendship was in his heart always.
First, last, and always, he was a gentleman.
These words are so true for Roman, and perhaps, just perhaps, they alone might be a fitting eulogy. And, as a very recent World-Herald editorial writer noted: ``The standards for integrity and service that Sen. Hruska set for himself, will long stand as his most fitting memorial''.
A quick postscript paraphrasing beautiful Ecclasiastes, Chapter III, ``to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven . . . A time to plant, and a time to harvest, a time to be born and a time to die.''
Roman, you had a long and superlative life, and we're all a little better because you cared and touched us.
In Czech--Nas Dar--Good Bye--Dear Roman . . .
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