Bob Bennett: “I join with others of my colleagues in rising to pay tribute to Richard Nixon during this time of national mourning…”

“I join with others of my colleagues in rising to pay tribute to Richard Nixon during this time of national mourning prior to his funeral. I have a number of memories of the former President as do many Members of this body. I also represent my family where we have a number of memories of President Nixon. Coming to the Senate as a freshman, I formed a number of close relationships with my fellow freshmen and realized how close Members of a particular freshmen class can be to each other as a result of the experience of entering this body at the same time. Richard Nixon and my father, Senator Wallace F. Bennett, were freshmen together. They were elected in 1950 and served in this body in that period until 1952 when President Nixon became Vice President of the United States. As the Presiding Officer in this body for 8 years, he and my father continued that relationship. So it is something of a passing of an era in my family to realize that not only has my father passed on with his death last December but now the youngest Member of that freshmen class, Richard Nixon, has passed on truly ending the era represented by the election of 1950 to the U.S. Senate.”