Charles Skelton: “Today I join the gentleman from Missouri in paying tribute to the late James C. Kirkpatrick. The memory of Jim…”

“Today I join the gentleman from Missouri in paying tribute to the late James C. Kirkpatrick. The memory of Jim Kirkpatrick will be honored this week with the dedication of a library named for him at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. This is certainly a fitting tribute to a great Missourian who served our neighbors so well through the years as Missouri's Secretary of State. Actually, I inherited my friendship with Jim Kirkpatrick, as he was a close friend of my father's through the years. Back in 1932, when my father ran for Attorney General, Jim Kirkpatrick, then editor of the Windsor newspaper, endorsed him. When I served in the Missouri State Senate, I had close contact with Jim Kirkpatrick, who was then serving as Secretary of State. America is always in need of role models for those who enter public service. Jim Kirkpatrick was such a role model, putting the people's business first, running an efficient office, and having a warm greeting for all with whom he came in contact. We all miss Jim Kirkpatrick, but his name and his example will live on with the building being named in his memory at CMSU.”