Timothy Roemer: “Lee Hamilton is a tall order to follow. I am not making allusions to his height, although he is a tall man. But he…”

“Lee Hamilton is a tall order to follow. I am not making allusions to his height, although he is a tall man. But he stands tall in so many other ways. He is the conscience of America's foreign policy. He is the soul of dignity in politics. He is an institutional memory of the Congress. He is the epitome of clear, concise thinking and reasoning. Lee Hamilton is also the Dean of my State's delegation. He has been and remains to me an inspiration, a mentor, and a true friend. I will miss his presence here dearly. Mr. Speaker, five decades ago, a young athlete at Evansville Memorial High School gained a reputation for dogged hard work, dedication, and perseverance. This student, Lee Hamilton, would maintain the same reputation in the congressional career that began 16 years later, and keep it for over 30 years. When I first arrived here nearly 8 years ago, Lee was here to show me the many ropes. His quiet dignity, hard work, and keen knowledge of the issues has been a fine example every day since. Lee has a talent for respecting the past while building the future, for defending and maintaining what is good in the world, and educating colleagues and citizens about what must change. He is a traditional man with conservative instincts, yet can still inspire young people and new Members with ideas about the future. Like the best thinkers of any generation, Lee teaches us that progressive ideas work best on solid foundations.”