Neal Dunn: “I, too, am one of the admirers of Ed Nichols. There are many people in this body who walk through your life and leave no…”

“I, too, am one of the admirers of Ed Nichols. There are many people in this body who walk through your life and leave no imprint, but there are others like Ed Nichols, whom you remember forever. Ed is a person to me who epitomizes everything good about the institution of the House, and that is probably because he is dedicated to it and committed to it and loves this place. You can tell that when you talk to the other people who work around this body and how much they are going to miss Ed Nichols as he leaves to go to his chosen retreat on the Eastern Shore to fish and enjoy time with his family. I came here 5 years ago, and he was the first person I noticed as I walked in for my first vote. He was the epitome of the dignity that I expected to find after having been honored by my constituents as they chose me to come and represent them. He is the person we looked toward as we walked onto the floor of the House for votes, who personified the traditions of this great place, the seriousness of this great institution, and the love that those of us who are committed to this House now feel for it. So for the time I have been here, Ed has been a fixture, and he has made an imprint on my life. He is not somebody that I will soon forget, and it is for this reason, Ed, that I am honored to be able to say thank you for the good things that you have done for those of us who cherish this experience. We know you cherish it along with us.”