David Durenberger: “I rise today to commemorate the passing of one of the greatest statesmen of the American century, my former Congressman…”

“I rise today to commemorate the passing of one of the greatest statesmen of the American century, my former Congressman and dear friend Dr. Walter H. Judd. Last month, Walter Judd died of cancer at the Collington Life Care Community in Mitchellville, MD. It was my great honor and privilege to know this truly historic Minnesotan. He represented the Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1943 to 1963, and he performed very ably the daily tasks of a Member of Congress. But the importance of Walter Judd extends far beyond the boundaries of the Fifth Congressional District, indeed far beyond the borders of the United States. Because Walter Judd was a key voice for human liberty at a time when America was most in need of that kind of moral leadership. In the late 1930's, when a surprisingly large number of Americans chose to remain blind to the threat of Japanese militarism, Walter Judd made literally over a thousand speeches to wake up the American people. His alarm about that danger proved to be well-founded.”