Joe Manchin: “I rise today to honor a dear friend whom we have just lost in West Virginia, Mr. Mike Perry. He was a beloved community…”

“I rise today to honor a dear friend whom we have just lost in West Virginia, Mr. Mike Perry. He was a beloved community leader, a dear friend to all of us, and truly an inspiring West Virginian. Mike was a native of Huntington, WV, which is located in beautiful Cabell County. He was a tireless champion for his community, for Marshall University, and for the entire State of West Virginia. Upon graduating from Marshall University in 1958, Mike attended WVU School of Law and graduated first in his class. He then spent 20 years as a dedicated lawyer with the firm of Huddleston Bolen in his hometown of Huntington, becoming partner after only 5 short years. In 1981 he entered the banking business and was chairman of the board and CEO of the First Huntington National Bank until his retirement in 2001. Mike never failed to give back to the Huntington community that he loved, which had rewarded him with so much throughout the years--an education, endless opportunities to make a successful life for himself and his family, and a truly special place he could always call home. He served as interim president of Marshall University in 1999, donating his entire salary to the university's general scholarship fund. His performance at the university was so highly regarded that the board of trustees voted to remove the word ``interim'' from his title when listing Marshall's presidents.…”