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“TRIBUTE TO PLATO (BUDDY) MATHIS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E293-E294 on March 6, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO PLATO (BUDDY) MATHIS
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HON. CLIFF STEARNS
of florida
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 6, 1996
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding employee who has worked at Munroe Regional Medical Center in my home town of Ocala, FL. Munroe's longest serving employee and his name is Plato ``Buddy'' Mathis. He will be soon retiring.
Mr. Buddy Mathis' loyalty and dedication to Munroe spans over 50 years. He first came to work at the hospital in 1946 as a young boy. In fact, back then he had to stand on a wooden box to perform many of his chores.
Munroe Regional has seen many changes both in its physical makeup, not to mention changes in personnel. But, one thing that did not change over the years at Munroe was Buddy Mathis. He remained a constant in the lives of the people who worked in the medical center and a constant in the community.
Buddy should serve as a role model to all of us. He is the exemplification of the true work ethic. He started working at Munroe when he could barely reach the counter tops without standing on a box. And through the years he moved up, performing a variety of duties, including putting away stock and gathering vegetables from a small garden on the north side of the building. He also assisted fellow employees such as Felicia Stevens--head cook--Mrs. Annie Lee Stroud, and Mrs. Luella Strupp, among others.
In 1951, he joined the military to serve in the Korean war and served for several years. After the war, he returned to Munroe as a cook and was also in charge of inventory. He then attended night school under the GI bill and finished his education.
During the last 10 years, he and Jim Ruth have worked as a team, running the dietary department. Buddy has seen many changes take place in the building and operations of the hospital.
Everybody who has or is still working at the hospital loved working with Buddy and I'm sure they will all hate to see him go. Buddy is respected by all. I am pleased to be able to join with his many, many friends and colleagues in paying tribute to Plato ``Buddy'' Mathis for his hard work through the years and his kindness and generosity over the years.
I sincerely wish him the best in his retirement and congratulate him on his outstanding service to my hometown hospital, Munroe Regional Medical Center.
INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO DESIGNATE THE UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE IN
WASHINGTON, DC, AS THE ``E. BARRETT PRETTYMAN UNITED STATES
COURTHOUSE''
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HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
of the district of columbia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 6, 1996
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a bill to name the U.S. district courts and circuit court of appeals building for the District of Columbia Circuit after the late chief judge E. Barrett Prettyman. I am very pleased that the Chair of the District of Columbia Subcommittee is an original cosponsor. Senator John Warner has introduced an identical bill in the Senate.
Judge Prettyman was born in Virginia, where he graduated from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. He then graduated from Georgetown University School of Law.
Judge Prettyman served on the Federal bench for 26 years. He was the chief judge of the U.S. Circuit Court from 1953 to 1960. He was widely regarded as one of America's leading legal scholars and a pioneer for judicial reform. He sought the advice of his colleagues to better understand the issues to help improve the efficiency of the judiciary. He also testified many times before Congress as a strong advocate for increasing the number of judges on the District's juvenile court.
As a jurist, Judge Prettyman was known for his centrist positions and his thorough opinions. His most notable opinion concluded that the State Department had the authority to bar U.S. citizens from entering certain areas of the world. He wrote: ``While travel is a right, it can be restrained like any other right.'' The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the decision.
Judge Prettyman also championed the cause of the indigent. At Georgetown University, he established a program where lawyers were trained to better assist indigent defendants.
Naming the courts after Judge Prettyman would be a fitting tribute to an outstanding jurist and legal scholar. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this measure.
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