Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
4526502
label
Dinner in Honor of Congressman Bob Sikes, Pensacola, FL, June 14, 1973
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
4526502
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Dinner in Honor of Congressman Bob Sikes, Pensacola, FL, June 14, 1973
citationUrl
collections
Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
iiifBase
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
4526502
coverageEndDate
logicalDate
1973-06-30
month
6
year
1973
coverageStartDate
logicalDate
1973-06-01
month
6
year
1973
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
url
mediaId
721a671eef59d2eb
ocrText
The original documents are located in Box D35, folder "Dinner in Honor of Congressman
Bob Sikes, Pensacola, FL, June 14, 1973" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press
Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
no distribution
M OFFICE COPY
REMARKS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.
REPUBLICAN LEADER, U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AT A TESTIMONIAL DINNER
IN HONOR OF CONGRESSMAN BOB SIKES
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 14, 1973
WE ARE GATHERED HERE TONIGHT TO HONOR A MAN WHO MERITS
EVERY BIT OF PRAISE WHICH MAY BE SHOWERED UPON HIM. BoB SIKES
IS -- AS WE ALL KNOW -- ONE OF FLORIDA'S MOST DISTINGUISHED SONS,
WE HAVE SOME PROOF OF THAT IN THE BRIDGE THAT WAS DEDICATED JUST
THIS AFTERNOON -- THE ROBERT L. F. SIKES BRIDGE -- FLORIDA'S
GATEWAY TO THE GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE. IT IS MOST FITTING
THAT THIS BRIDGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER BoB SIKES WHEN WE
CONSIDER HIS MANY AND NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING HIS 33 YEARS
IN THE U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -- NOT THE LEAST OF THESE
BEING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL SEASHORE TO WHICH THE
ROBERT L. F. SIKES BRIDGE LEADS,
BoB SIKES HAS LIVED A MOST REMARKABLE AND MOST PRODUCTIVE
LIFE. HE HAS A LIST OF CREDITS AS LONG AS YOUR ARM -- PROBABLY THE
LONGEST LIST OF CREDITS OF ANY MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS. To REVIEW IT
WOULD TAKE FAR MORE TIME THAN HAS BEEN ALLOTED TO ME, so I WILL
ONLY TOUCH ON THE HIGHLIGHTS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD SAY BoB HAS MADE ONLY ONE SERIOUS
MISTAKE IN HIS LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER. HE FAILED TO JOIN
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, CHOOSING INSTEAD TO HONOR MY LONGTIME AND
ERSTWHILE OPPONENTS.
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
Digitized from Box D35 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
PAGE 2
I MIGHT NOW QUICKLY MENTION THAT BoB AND I HAVE VERY
OFTEN BEEN ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE FENSE ON VOTES IN THE HOUSE,
WHENEVER, FOR INSTANCE, THE ISSUE HAS BEEN ONE OF A STRONG
NATIONAL DEFENSE BoB AND I HAVE STOOD SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, WE
SERVED TOGETHER ON THE DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE BEFORE
I BECAME MINORITY LEADER -- AND BoB SIKES IS A TOWER OF STRENGTH
ON THAT GROUP. As YOU MAY KNOW, BoB IS VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE AND IS CHAIRMAN OF MILITARY
CONSTRUCTION. HE HAS FIVE MILITARY BASES IN HIS DISTRICT, AND
NEED I SAY THAT HE TAKES CARE OF THEM.
You KNOW OF COURSE THAT BoB SIKES IS A HOLDER OF THE LEGION
OF MERIT AND IS A RETIRED MAJOR GENERAL. BoB NOT ONLY WAS A
MAJOR GENERAL; HE LOOKS LIKE A GENERAL OUGHT TO LOOK,
EARLY ON I MENTIONED BOB'S ROLE IN ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE -- AND I KNOW HE IS PROUD OF THAT.
THIS MIGHT BE THE PROPER TIME TO POINT OUT THAT BoB SIKES HAS
ALSO BEEN A LEADER IN PROMOTING FORESTRY LEGISLATION. IN FACT,
BoB SIKES' NAME IS ON JUST ABOUT EVERY PIECE OF FORESTRY LEGISLATION
THAT HAS BEEN PASSED BY CONGRESS OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS, SMALL
WONDER THAT LAST YEAR HE RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS
OF THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF STATE FORESTERS.
BoB SIKES HAS -- OVER THE YEARS -- RECEIVED so MANY
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS
PAGE 3
THAT THERE IS LITTLE WE CAN DO OR SAY HERE TONIGHT THAT WILL ADD
TO THE TRIBUTES ALREADY PAID TO HIM.
BUT I THINK I KNOW WHAT WE CAN SAY THAT WOULD PLEASE
BoB SIKES MOST TONIGHT. WE CAN HONOR HIM FOR THE SERVICE HE HAS
GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA AND, PARTICULARLY, TO THE PEOPLE
OF OKALOOSA COUNTY.
HE IS, AS YOU KNOW, THE DEAN OF THE FLORIDA DELEGATION IN
CONGRESS AND HE HAS SERVED IN CONGRESS LONGER THAN ANY OTHER
FLORIDIAN, ADD TO THAT THE FOUR YEARS HE SPENT IN THE FLORIDA
LEGISLATURE BEFORE HE FIRST WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS AND YOU FIND
A SUPERB RECORD OF 37 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF
OKALOOSA COUNTY. WHAT A MAGNIFICENT RECORD OF SERVICE! THAT,
THEN, IS THE GREATEST TRIBUTE WE CAN PAY TO BoB SIKES -- TO HONOR
HIM AS A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT, A MAN WHO HAS ALWAYS DONE WHAT HE
FELT WAS BEST FOR "HIS PEOPLE."
###
R.FORD
no distribution
0
OFFICE COPY
REMARKS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.
REPUBLICAN LEADER, U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AT A TESTIMONIAL DINNER
IN HONOR OF CONGRESSMAN BOB SIKES
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA
THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 14, 1973
WE ARE GATHERED HERE TONIGHT TO HONOR A MAN WHO MERITS
EVERY BIT OF PRAISE WHICH MAY BE SHOWERED UPON HIM. BoB SIKES
IS -- AS WE ALL KNOW -- ONE OF FLORIDA'S MOST DISTINGUISHED SONS.
WE HAVE SOME PROOF OF THAT IN THE BRIDGE THAT WAS DEDICATED JUST
THIS AFTERNOON -- THE ROBERT L. F. SIKES BRIDGE -- FLORIDA'S
GATEWAY TO THE GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE. IT IS MOST FITTING
THAT THIS BRIDGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER BoB SIKES WHEN WE
CONSIDER HIS MANY AND NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING HIS 33 YEARS
IN THE U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -- NOT THE LEAST OF THESE
BEING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL SEASHORE TO WHICH THE
ROBERT L. F. SIKES BRIDGE LEADS.
BoB SIKES HAS LIVED A MOST REMARKABLE AND MOST PRODUCTIVE
LIFE. HE HAS A LIST OF CREDITS AS LONG AS YOUR ARM -- PROBABLY THE
LONGEST LIST OF CREDITS OF ANY MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS, To REVIEW IT
WOULD TAKE FAR MORE TIME THAN HAS BEEN ALLOTED TO ME, so I WILL
ONLY TOUCH ON THE HIGHLIGHTS.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD SAY BoB HAS MADE ONLY ONE SERIOUS
MISTAKE IN HIS LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER. HE FAILED TO JOIN
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, CHOOSING INSTEAD TO HONOR MY LONGTIME AND
ERSTWHILE OPPONENTS.
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
PAGE 2
I MIGHT NOW QUICKLY MENTION THAT BoB AND I HAVE VERY
OFTEN BEEN ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE FENSE ON VOTES IN THE HOUSE.
WHENEVER, FOR INSTANCE, THE ISSUE HAS BEEN ONE OF A STRONG
NATIONAL DEFENSE BoB AND I HAVE STOOD SHOULDER TO SHOULDER. WE
SERVED TOGETHER ON THE DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE BEFORE
I BECAME MINORITY LEADER AND BoB SIKES IS A TOWER OF STRENGTH
ON THAT GROUP. As YOU MAY KNOW, BoB IS VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE
DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE AND IS CHAIRMAN OF MILITARY
CONSTRUCTION. HE HAS FIVE MILITARY BASES IN HIS DISTRICT, AND
NEED I SAY THAT HE TAKES CARE OF THEM.
You KNOW OF COURSE THAT BoB SIKES IS A HOLDER OF THE LEGION
OF MERIT AND IS A RETIRED MAJOR GENERAL. BOB NOT ONLY WAS A
MAJOR GENERAL; HE LOOKS LIKE A GENERAL OUGHT TO LOOK,
EARLY ON I MENTIONED BOB'S ROLE IN ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE -- AND I KNOW HE IS PROUD OF THAT.
THIS MIGHT BE THE PROPER TIME TO POINT OUT THAT BOB SIKES HAS
ALSO BEEN A LEADER IN PROMOTING FORESTRY LEGISLATION. IN FACT,
BoB SIKES' NAME IS ON JUST ABOUT EVERY PIECE OF FORESTRY LEGISLATION
THAT HAS BEEN PASSED BY CONGRESS OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS, SMALL
WONDER THAT LAST YEAR HE RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS
OF THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
OF STATE FORESTERS.
BoB SIKES HAS -- OVER THE YEARS -- RECEIVED so MANY
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS FROM so MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS
PAGE 3
THAT THERE IS LITTLE WE CAN DO OR SAY HERE TONIGHT THAT WILL ADD
TO THE TRIBUTES ALREADY PAID TO HIM.
BUT I THINK I KNOW WHAT WE CAN SAY THAT WOULD PLEASE
BoB SIKES MOST TONIGHT. WE CAN HONOR HIM FOR THE SERVICE HE HAS
GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA AND, PARTICULARLY, TO THE PEOPLE
OF OKALOOSA COUNTY.
HE IS, AS YOU KNOW, THE DEAN OF THE FLORIDA DELEGATION IN
CONGRESS AND HE HAS SERVED IN CONGRESS LONGER THAN ANY OTHER
FLORIDIAN. ADD TO THAT THE FOUR YEARS HE SPENT IN THE FLORIDA
LEGISLATURE BEFORE HE FIRST WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS AND YOU FIND
A SUPERB RECORD OF 37 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF
OKALOOSA COUNTY. WHAT A MAGNIFICENT RECORD OF SERVICE! THAT,
THEN, IS THE GREATEST TRIBUTE WE CAN PAY TO BoB SIKES -- TO HONOR
HIM AS A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT, A MAN WHO HAS ALWAYS DONE WHAT HE
FELT WAS BEST FOR "HIS PEOPLE."
###
FORD LIBRARI