William Helms: “I thank all Senators who have been so kind this morning. I have been sitting here at this desk wondering who on Earth is…”

“I thank all Senators who have been so kind this morning. I have been sitting here at this desk wondering who on Earth is this Helms fellow whom my colleagues keep talking about. To be sure, there are newspaper editors in North Carolina who will tell you that any kind words uttered about Jesse Helms are, at best, exaggerations. So it goes without saying that I am grateful for the generosity of my colleagues. It reminds me of the first time I came to Washington, DC to work in this Capitol Building, back in 1950. I had come to Washington with a remarkable Senator, Willis Smith, who had the highest and finest credentials as one of the Nation's leading and most respected attorneys. Senator Smith deserves a tribute all his own. He was, among other distinctions, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Duke University, and former president of the American Bar Association. I was honored that he had shown the faith in me that led him to bring me with him to Washington as his administrative assistant.”