Jay Rockefeller: “I rise to honor Dr. Michael Copps. At the end of last year, Dr. Copps retired from public service--though not from…”

“I rise to honor Dr. Michael Copps. At the end of last year, Dr. Copps retired from public service--though not from public life. For those of you who do not know him, I want to take this opportunity to tell you about him, the life he has led, what he has done for this country--and what he has done for all of us. After earning a doctorate in U.S. history from the University of North Carolina, Dr. Copps headed south to the Big Easy. He taught history at Loyola University in New Orleans. It was there that he met his wife Beth. Academe had its pull. But so did Washington. So in 1970, he convinced his wife to pack up their life and move north to the capital. He heard the call of policy and politics and told her that after he got it out of his system, he would head back to university life. He never did head back to the halls of the academy. But his keen mind, calm demeanor, and dedication to the public interest have taught all of us about what it is to lead an honorable life in public service. He started in Washington in the office of Senator Fritz Hollings. He eventually served for over a dozen years as Senator Hollings' chief of staff. He is well known and well loved by so many who served in the office of the South Carolina Senator. I know that Fritz Hollings too is proud to call him a colleague and friend. From the Halls of the Senate, he headed on to industry. He took on policy operations in Washington for a Fortune 500 manufacturing company.…”