J. Exon: “I consider Senator Mark Hatfield among this pantheon of accomplished public servants. While some may speak highly of…”

“I consider Senator Mark Hatfield among this pantheon of accomplished public servants. While some may speak highly of Senator Hatfield for his length of service to Oregon and the Nation as a whole, I have been most impressed by the strength of conviction he has brought to his job of U.S. Senator over the past 30 years. The fire of purpose has burned brightly and consistently within Senator Hatfield during this time and, on so many occasions too numerous to recount here, Senator Hatfield's voice has been the voice of the forgotten, the weak, and the disenfranchised. The steadfast humanity and moral judgment Senator Hatfield has displayed transcends political affiliation or partisan alignment. From what I have observed of him during my own 18 years in the Senate, I would sum up Mark Hatfield's credo in a simple and straightforward way: Senator Mark Hatfield has committed his energies to the betterment of all persons through the fight against the destructive forces of war, disease, ignorance and want.”