Edolphus Towns: “Tom is a real stabilizing force. He has a flare for saying the right thing at the right time. I remembered some meetings…”

“Tom is a real stabilizing force. He has a flare for saying the right thing at the right time. I remembered some meetings when they get pretty heated. In the Committee on Commerce, there is always a lot of negotiating and that we sit there. Of course Tom does not speak early, early. He will let it sort of heat things up; and when things get really heated, then Tom will come with his common voice and say, well, have you thought about this? Of course, sometimes we do not get it right away; but then, all of a sudden, just before we give up, then Tom will come back again with a thought or an idea, and that idea will carry the day. Tom, you have just been a tremendous person on that committee. A lot of things that we were able to accomplish we would not have been able to accomplish if it had not been for that common voice of Tom Manton. Tom Manton is one negotiator. If Tom Manton cannot negotiate it, forget about it.”