January 6, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E31

‘‘Joyce shared this story about her ex-hus- and stability, through force projection, in the on health care policy, Dr. Gurel’s trek of over
band. He had recently had an accident at Asia-Pacific region. 700 miles in one month is admirable, and the
work. This was covered by Workmen’s Com- Mr. Speaker, General Chandler has dem- lives of the people he met along the way will
pensation. The emergency visit went fine but
onstrated exceptional meritorious service dur- be remembered forever through his monu-
he needed two heparin shots in follow-up vis-
its to the doctor. The doctor wanted $1,000 ing his career with the United States Air Force mental effort.
up-front even though they knew that Work- and has become a distinguished leader to air- f
men’s Comp would cover it (although the re- men stationed on Guam, Guam Air Guards-
ceiving the reimbursement often took men, indeed all airmen and women across this REMEMBERING TOM
months). ‘They wouldn’t give him the shots country. I wish the very best to General Chan- VANDERGRIFF
without the up-front payment,’ and it ended dler; his wife Eva-Marie; and their three chil-
up that his boss loaned him the money. ‘See,’ dren, Carl, Rose-Marie, and Thomas. HON. JOE BARTON
Joyce added, ‘even when you do have insur-
ance sometimes it doesn’t mean nothing.’ ’’ f OF TEXAS

Joyce—Lisbon, 7/13/2009 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

A TRIBUTE TO THOMAS S.
‘‘For the past eleven years, Gary has had Thursday, January 6, 2011
Type I diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes). ‘‘TOMMY’’ SAMPSON
Up until recently, he has never had insur- Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I,
ance. But thankfully, ‘the doctors have HON. BRETT GUTHRIE along with Representatives BURGESS, GRANG-
taken care of me,’ he said. He did tell me ER and MARCHANT, wish to inform the House
OF KENTUCKY
about a knee operation that cost him about that on December 30, 2010, the great State of
$10,000. ‘But now,’ he said, ’his wife has a job, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Texas lost a lion. Tom Vandergriff, former
which comes with insurance, and so I’m cov- Thursday, January 6, 2011 mayor of Arlington, Texas, former County
ered.’ ’’ Gary—Lisbon, 7/13/2009 Judge of Tarrant County, and former Member
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to
f honor the memory of a remarkable Ken- of the United States Congress, left this life at
IN TRIBUTE TO GENERAL CAR- tuckian, Mr. Thomas S. ‘‘Tommy’’ Sampson, the age of 84. All of us in north Texas will
ROLL H. ‘‘HOWIE’’ CHANDLER ON Jr. Over the course of his life, Tommy truly ex- mark time from the moment we heard of the
THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIRE- emplified what it meant to help others. loss. The loss is monumental.
MENT FROM THE UNITED He dedicated his life to public service, serv- Few people have had such a positive im-
STATES AIR FORCE ing as coroner, deputy sheriff, police chief and pact on the development and quality of life of
ambulance driver. Tommy is most widely north Texas, and no one has had a greater
HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO known for being a pioneer in emergency medi- impact on Arlington. His friends and admirers
cine as the founder and longtime director of are legion, his accomplishments legendary. He
OF GUAM
Shelby County’s Emergency Medical Services. was the personification of an ideal, the ideal of
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Throughout all his roles, Tommy was known a selflessly devoted public servant who always
Thursday, January 6, 2011 for his kindness, cheerfulness and passion for put the people ahead of personal gain or am-
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today helping others. bition.
to recognize and commend General Carroll Tommy was not only dedicated to his com- Arlington history is generally divided into two
‘‘Howie’’ Chandler for his distinguished 36 munity, but also to his family, and enjoyed epochs: BV and AV, Before Vandergriff and
years of service and commitment to the United spending time with his wife Beverly, his son After Vandergriff. He first sought and won
States Air Force. General Chandler has dedi- Clark and daughter-in-law Melinda, and his elective office in 1951 when he became the
cated his life to the service of this great Nation grandchildren Jimmy, Collin and Madison. ‘‘boy mayor’’ of Arlington at the age of 25. At
and I appreciate his leadership efforts with the While Kentucky may never again see one of the time Arlington was a small town on the
Air Force particularly in the Pacific area of re- its finest sons, the evidence of his legacy will railroad midway between Dallas and Fort
sponsibility. be visible in the countless lives that he Worth. Vandergriff saw the town’s potential
I had the privilege of working with General touched. and set out to make it a center of prosperity
Chandler on several initiatives that directly im- I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring in its own right while fostering a new spirit of
proved the quality of lives of our men and Tommy Sampson for his many great contribu- cooperation within the north Texas region. Ar-
women in uniform on Guam and the Western tions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He lington, now the 49th largest city in the U.S.
Pacific. He was instrumental in ensuring the will forever be appreciated and remembered with 370,000 people, would never be the
Administration budgeted for several key mili- by a grateful community. same, and neither would north Texas. Indeed,
tary construction projects on Guam that di- f it was Vandergriff who coined the phrase,
rectly improved the quality of life for airmen at ‘‘Metroplex,’’ which is still the term usually ap-
Andersen Air Force Base. His directive to ren- IN HONOR OF DR. OGAN GUREL plied to describe the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
ovate Building 21000 on Andersen Air Force His first major achievement was convincing
Base will be critical to more effectively and ef- HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH General Motors executives to locate their new
ficiently using space and facilities to meet mis- OF OHIO automobile assembly plant in Arlington. His
sion requirements. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES family owned a Chevrolet dealership in town,
Further, I particularly appreciated General which gave him access to General Motors
Chandler’s leadership in granting local base Thursday, January 6, 2011 Corp. Upon hearing that GM planned to build
commanders with the authority and flexibility Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in a plant in north Texas, he sold Arlington as a
to address a variety of local issues. Chief honor of Dr. Ogan Gurel, M.D., for the Walk superior location by telling GM, as he would
among those issues was resolution of access for Healthcare, in which he walked from Chi- later tell the story, that if they put the plant in
for landlocked private property landowners in cago, Illinois to Washington, D.C., in June and Dallas, it would make Fort Worth angry; if they
northern Guam. General Chandler recognized July of 2009. put it in Fort Worth, it would make Dallas
the importance of empowering local com- Dr. Gurel received his M.D. from Columbia angry. He ended his pitch by convincing them
manders on the ground to identify solutions to University, where he started his career in that if they put it in Arlington, everybody would
longstanding problems that go a long way to- health care. He has held a variety of jobs in be happy. The plant produced its first auto-
wards improving the civilian and military com- the industry, including positions in medical re- mobile in 1954 and today is the only GM plant
munity relationship on Guam. He recognized search, media, and consulting. During his 700- in the U.S. that makes full-size SUVs.
the importance of working together as a key to mile, month-long journey, he spoke with ordi- The GM plant began a building boom in Ar-
strengthening bonds in the community. nary people, many of whom were uninsured lington that has lasted more than 55 years.
General Chandler also recognized Guam’s and struggling to pay for their health care, Knowing a small town on well water could not
pwalker on DSKD5P82C1PROD with REMARKS

strategic importance to our Nation’s defense. about what they thought of health care reform. sustain rapid growth nor accommodate the
As Commander of Pacific Air Forces and then He collected their stories and took their pic- needs of industry, Vandergriff convinced the
as Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, tures. voters of Arlington to pass an initiative to build
General Chandler has consistently dem- Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me a large reservoir to meet the town’s future
onstrated through allocation of resources that in honoring Dr. Ogan Gurel for the dedication needs. The effort proved to be as controver-
Guam and Andersen Air Force Base remain and persistence he demonstrated in his Walk sial as it was monumental for a small town,
vital to the protection of our national interests for Healthcare. Regardless of party or position but the initiative passed, and Lake Arlington

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 E32 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 6, 2011
was built. The project was ridiculed by many advocate for regionalism well into his eighties, HONORING THE CITY OF GLAD-
in Arlington and dismissed by others in the re- and the economic might of the region is a tes- STONE, OREGON, ON ITS 100TH
gion as ‘‘Vandergriff’s Folly,’’ but the folly be- tament to that effort. ANNIVERSRY
came ‘‘the miracle lake’’ upon its completion.
Vandergriff’s efforts on behalf of his home-
Large equipment was being removed from the
town university are equally impressive. When HON. KURT SCHRADER
site in 1957 when one of the worst and long- OF OREGON
est droughts in Texas history broke, and it he became mayor, Arlington College was a
tiny two-year institution affiliated with Texas IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
began to rain. The lake, which experts be-
lieved would take years to fill, was full in 18 A&M that was formerly a military school and Thursday, January 6, 2011
days. The lake ensured the explosive growth then an agricultural college. Vandergriff knew Mr. SCHRADER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today
that came in the decades of the ’60s, ’70s, it could be more, and if Arlington were to suc- to honor the City of Gladstone, Oregon, on the
and ’80s that made Arlington, Texas one of ceed as a city, so must its college. He led the occasion of its 100th anniversary. From its
the fastest growing cities in America. effort to make the college a four-year univer- perch at the confluence of the mighty Willam-
As a college student at the University of sity. Working with then-governor John ette and Clackamas rivers, Gladstone has for
Southern California, Vandergriff was very fa- Connally, he succeeded when the college be- 100 years kept a watchful eye on Oregon as
miliar with Anaheim and by the late 1950s was came a full university within the University of our fine state has grown from humble pioneer
aware of the tremendous economic impact Texas system in 1964. Today, the University beginnings.
tourism had on the city after the opening of of Texas at Arlington is the largest UT campus The land that Gladstone residents call home
Disneyland theme park in 1955. He knew, be- outside of Austin and the fastest growing uni- today was originally a meeting place for local
cause of Arlington’s central location, that the versity in the state. It is quickly becoming a Native American tribes—namely the
same benefits could accrue to his city with a major research facility and contributes more to Clackamas and Multnomah Tribes. The fa-
product of similar appeal. It came as no sur- the local economy than any industry in the mous Pow Wow Tree, where tribes from all
prise to those familiar with the Vandergriff vi- city. over the region would gather to trade and con-
sion for Arlington when he became instru- duct important community proceedings, still
mental in establishing the Six Flags Over There is more, of course, much more. In a stands today near Clackamas Boulevard. This
Texas theme park in 1961. The park was an life lived as fully and as well as his, there is ancient tree serves as a significant reminder
instant hit, and people all over the south- always more to tell: his unwavering support that Gladstone’s history as an important place
western United States began traveling to Ar- and leadership of Arlington Memorial Hospital, to come together long predates the founding
lington for family style entertainment. The first his support and leadership of the Arlington of our Union.
of the Six Flags parks, it still operates at its Chamber of Commerce, his support of local Pioneers arrived in Oregon via the Oregon
original location in Arlington. public schools, his support of a long list of Trail and began settling the Willamette Valley
But Vandergriff didn’t stop there. A devoted non-profit agencies, his decades as an active in the 1840s. The Cason and Rinearson fami-
baseball fan, he was determined to bring pro- member of the United Methodist church, and lies were granted the original donation land
fessional baseball to north Texas. The effort his roles as husband, father, grandfather, and claims in what is now known as Gladstone. In
took years and saw hopes dashed time and mentor to a very long list of aspiring leaders. fact, the boundary between the Cason and
again before he finally convinced owner Bob All of this almost didn’t happen, at least not in Rinearson settlements, now known as Port-
Short to move his Washington Senators to Ar- Texas. land Avenue, serves as a prominent municipal
lington in 1972. The effort did not endear him Vandergriff was born on January 29, 1926, boundary today. Although the area would con-
to the people of the nation’s capital. On one to W. T. and Charles Vandergriff in Carrolton, tinue to serve as an important regional gath-
of his many visits to meet with Short, he was Texas. The family relocated to Arlington when ering place, hosting the first Oregon State Fair
unceremoniously kicked out of a taxicab when Tom was 12. After graduating from Arlington in 1861, the official founding of the City of
he made the mistake of telling the cabbie why High School, Vandergriff attended USC where Gladstone would not happen for more than 60
he was in town. The Washington Senators be- years.
he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1947. He
came the Texas Rangers Ball Club, and Tom After purchasing portions of the original
married his high school sweetheart, Anna
Vandergriff became the team’s biggest fan Cason family land claim in the 1880s,
Waynette Smith in 1949. Blessed with a deep,
and supporter. When his beloved Rangers Clackamas County Judge Harvey Edward
sonorous voice that he used with perfect dic- Cross set about platting a town and offering
won their first American League Pennant by
tion, he prepared for a career in radio and parcels of his land for sale. On January 10,
beating the New York Yankees in Arlington
broadcast journalism. After graduation he ap- 1911, the city was officially founded. Judge
last October, Vandergriff was there in the ball-
park he helped build to cheer them on. plied for and was a finalist in the competition Cross chose as the new city’s namesake, the
Today, Arlington is host to more than seven for what he thought would be the job of his famed four-time British Prime Minister and
million visitors each year and is the second dreams, but he lost out to another young ap- Chancellor of the Exchequer, William Ewart
most popular tourist destination in the state, plicant. Vandergriff returned to Texas to join Gladstone.
bringing millions of dollars in revenue to the his father’s automobile dealership, dis- In 1894, local author and Chautaqua move-
city annually. The city’s entertainment district appointed and convinced that he was a better ment proponent, Eva Emory Dye, enlisted
boasts Six Flags theme park, the Texas Rang- candidate for the broadcast job. The young Judge Cross’s help to bring Chautaqua to the
ers Ballpark, a new Dallas Cowboys football man who got the job was Chet Huntley. Gladstone area. Judge Cross concurred that
stadium, the National Bowling Congress and Chet Huntley would gain fame as an NBC Chautaqua would bring great cultural enrich-
Museum, Hurricane Harbor water park, and news anchor and reach millions of listeners ment; therefore, he agreed to lease his Glad-
clusters of shops and restaurants that make nationwide, but the loser in that early competi- stone Park to the Willamette Valley Chautaqua
Arlington the City of Wow for millions of Tex- tion, Tom Vandergriff, would touch millions in Association for a term of 50 years. After the
ans. north Texas in ways that were deeper and ar- first festival was rained out in 1894, an assem-
In his 26 years as mayor, two years as a guably more significant. Many have their own bly hall with seating for 3,000 was constructed
member of Congress, and 16 years as County stories to tell about Vandergriff, many humor- on site. The Gladstone Chautauqua ran for
Judge of Tarrant County, Vandergriff cham- ous because he possessed a wonderful sense many years and hosted appearances by such
pioned two more causes relentlessly: regional of humor, many thankful because he touched famous Americans as John Philip Sousa,
communication and cooperation and helping Theodore Roosevelt and William Jennings
so many with acts of kindness large and
the University of Texas at Arlington become a Bryan. Although crowds could swell to as
small, and many inspirational because he in-
major institution of higher learning. Believing large as 50,000 in certain years, dwindling at-
spired us, goaded us, and led us to be greater
that everyone in north Texas would succeed if tendance eventually forced the Willamette Val-
than we thought we were and achieved things
they worked together for the good of the re-
pwalker on DSKD5P82C1PROD with REMARKS

ley Chautaqua Association into bankruptcy

we never thought possible. All in north Texas
gion, Vandergriff spent decades finessing, ca- and closure in 1927.
joling, and winning over the leaders of other are better off today because Tom Vandergriff Today, Gladstone continues its tradition as
cities in the region. He led the effort to estab- was here, and our children and grandchildren an important community gathering place. The
lish and became the president of the north will have better lives even though they will spirit of the Pow Wow Tree and early
Central Texas Council of Governments which never know him. Those of us who did will Chautaqua events can be felt every summer
today is the Metropolitan Planning Organiza- never forget him. at the City’s Chautaqua Festival and parade.
tion for all of north Texas. He was a strong Well done, good and faithful servant. Despite urban encroachment, Gladstone has

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