Dick Durbin: “last Saturday, on September 25, the city of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and our Nation, lost a great man. Irving…”

“last Saturday, on September 25, the city of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and our Nation, lost a great man. Irving Harris died at the age of 94 in the city of Chicago. He was my friend and my inspiration. I have been called on many times to give commencement speeches at colleges and universities, medical schools and law schools. When I speak to the young students about what they can make of their lives, I never fail to tell them the story of Irving Harris and his life. It is a great story, and one that I would like to share with my colleagues in the Senate. Irving Harris was born and raised in Saint Paul, MN. He and his two brothers were raised by a father, who was a merchant, and a mother who inspired him and his two brothers, in their words, ``to always be No. 1 in your class.'' They listened carefully to their parents and they succeeded in almost unimaginable ways. The two Harris brothers, Neison and Irving, joined a friend and started a company in 1946, the Toni Home Permanent Company. Within 2 years, Tony home permanents had become so popular across the United States that they sold this company to Gillette for $20 million. The year was 1948; $20 million was a huge sum of money. If you followed his business career, Irving Harris went on to do many things--to be the director of a mutual fund, to start another company in North Brook, IL, the Pittway Corporation, which he ultimately sold for some $2 billion.”