Honoring the career and philanthropic contributions of Johnny Carson.

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday America lost a brilliant entertainer, a gifted comedian, and a generous philanthropist. Johnny Carson, who passed away at the age of 79, lived much of his life in California, but he never forgot his Nebraska roots. Johnny Carson was born in Corning, Iowa, but at the age of 8, he and his family moved to Norfolk, Nebraska, a community which continues to embrace him.

Johnny Carson graduated from Norfolk High School in 1943, and, by the way, Mr. Speaker, that is where he happened not to make the cheerleader squad three times. He then served his country as an ensign in the Navy during World War II. He attended the University of Nebraska and graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in radio and speech in 1949.

Although much attention has been paid in recent days to the impact that Johnny Carson had on television, I would like to focus on his generosity, which took on many forms. The list of his financial contributions to communities and institutions is very impressive. It seemed that whenever a project in the Norfolk area was short of funds, Johnny Carson came to the rescue. But he did it in his trademark modest and unassuming style, and, in fact, many of his donations were made anonymously.

Over the years he developed an impressive philanthropic legacy. He gave $2.27 million for the Cancer Radiation Center in Norfolk, $1 million for the Lifelong Learning Center at Northeast Community College, $600,000 to the Norfolk Public Schools for the Johnny Carson Theater, and $500,000 for the Norfolk Library Foundation. He gave to numerous other projects both in Nebraska and Iowa.

Johnny Carson also did not forget his alma mater. Last year he donated $5.3 million to renovate and expand the Temple Building, which houses the University of Nebraska-Lincoln theater department. He also provided funding for four merit-based scholarships and donated millions of dollars toward the

construction of the Lied Center for the Performing Arts at the University.

In 1988, he explained his generosity by saying, ``I have always felt that if you're lucky enough in this life to accumulate enough funds to live better than you have the right to, then you have a moral obligation to pay back to the community or to the country or to the place that brought you up.''

Nebraska was truly fortunate that it was the place that brought him up. We as a Nation were fortunate to have a man that made so many people laugh. Johnny Carson's generosity to the State will continue to provide benefits for future generations. And for those who remember, his personality will live on in our hearts.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 40) honoring the career and philanthropic contributions of Johnny Carson, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will not take that much time.

I want to rise in support of House Resolution 40 that honors the life and career of Johnny Carson. Mr. Speaker, the former Tonight Show host passed away on Sunday after 13 years of retirement at the age of 79. His show delighted viewers every weeknight for three decades during an incomparable late-night run from October of 1962 until May of 1992.

Much has been said in recent days about Johnny Carson, and rightfully so. Carson's career was extremely decorated. He was a six-time Emmy Award winner and a member of the Television Hall of Fame. Carson was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992, and he received the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.

But, undoubtedly, Johnny Carson's greatest accomplishment was in making millions of people laugh at the end of days that were not always that funny. The Tonight Show aired during a period that included some of the most sobering events in American history: the Civil Rights Movement; the Vietnam War; the Watergate saga; the assassinations of President Kennedy, Senator Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., to name a few. Johnny Carson's grace through his 30 years was as important to his longevity as was his sense of humor.

Since his Tonight Show in 1992, Americans everywhere have longed for his return. His personal life was always intensely private; so we have seen or heard little of him over the last 13 years. With his passing on Sunday, we know we will never see Johnny Carson. And as David Letterman, whose own program followed the Tonight Show each night for 10 years, said this week, ``We will not see the like of him again,'' either.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), our new colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) for composing this resolution, and I thank my colleagues for their comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

And without deference to the origins of the Speaker or to the other gentleman from Nebraska, I rise today to reclaim Johnny Carson as a loyal Iowan and a favorite son of the great State of Iowa, who migrated to the West across the Missouri River and made his home over on the Nebraska side. Iowa has much to be proud about, and Johnny Carson is one of those rare gems that will certainly be missed.

Johnny was born as John William Carson on October 23, 1925, in Corning, Iowa, down in mighty Adams County to a Homer, ``Kit,'' and his mother Ruth Carson. A few years later he attended kindergarten in Red Oak, Iowa. He has not forgotten his roots at Red Oak either.

No comic has been able to duplicate the comfortable format that Carson emitted to his audiences nightly. As Harold Meyerson puts it, he was the ``country boy who had become the urban hipster.'' In Corning, Iowa, everyone knows everyone, and Johnny brought that same small town feeling to Americans who watched him every evening.

And although he moved to Nebraska, Carson never forgot his Iowa roots. His generosity through the John W. Carson Foundation will be long remembered in Iowa. One such example is his support for providing classroom and rehearsal space at the Performing Arts and Education Association of Southwest Iowa, which is located at Red Oak. He understood what it was like to grow up in rural Iowa, and he understood rural America. And those people down in that region had not had access to performance amenities until Johnny made his contribution.

So in keeping with the spirit of the person whom everyone in America loved, he really did not just belong to Iowa or just belong to Nebraska, but Johnny Carson belonged to America. And he would be quite pleased if I took this opportunity to also reclaim Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns as an Iowan and also reclaim Roger Craig, great running back from Davenport, Iowa, who slid his way through Lincoln and went on to win three Super Bowl rings in San Francisco. There are others. And I appreciate the life of Johnny Carson and the spirit that he brought to this great country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 40, a resolution honoring the career and philanthropic contribution of Johnny Carson. I want to thank Congressman Fortenberry for joining me in introducing this timely resolution, and I appreciate the opportunity to join my colleagues in honoring an American legend.

Mr. Carson, known to millions around the world simply as ``Johnny,'' was not only the king of late-night comedy, but a true American icon whose wit and social commentary help defined generations of American entertainment and popular culture. During his 30-year reign of late night, he commanded the loyalty of millions of television viewers. He did this not just by being a gifted comedian, but by being everyone's favorite next-door neighbor, who always knew how to put his audiences at ease. His jokes on politics were always sharp and perceptive, but never below the belt. His monologues reflected the pulse of our Nation. He is and always will be the fabric of American society.

Johnny brought heartland values with him to show business, and he departed a class act. After he finished his final show in 1992, he never returned for guest appearances or prime-time specials. Instead, Johnny demonstrated his well known sincerity by letting his remarkable achievements speak for themselves.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to pay tribute to this great American icon, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 40.