Hundreds of family, friends, dignitaries and crewmembers joined together in August of 2001 to celebrate the 100th birthday of the man they called the Conscience of the Senate, Father of the Modern Navy, a Senator's Senator - Mississippi's own John C. Stennis.

The celebration took place in Seattle, Washington, on board the USS JOHN C. STENNIS aircraft carrier.  U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined Capt. Richard Gallagher, the ship’s commanding officer, and Rex Buffington, executive director of the Stennis Center, in welcoming visitors to the event.

President George W. Bush sent a statement, which read in part, "During a Senatorial career that spanned five decades, John Stennis was an unwavering advocate of peace through strength.  As a member of both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Stennis marshaled the establishment of more than 25 major naval aviation programs, including every aircraft carrier from USS FORRESTAL (CVA 59) to USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 74).

U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said, "The qualities which made John Stennis a Mississippi icon and a national treasure were scrupulous integrity, the dignity of a statesman and a genuine spirit of bipartisanship. These are exactly what we need in Washington today."

Charles Overby, chairman and chief executive officer of The Freedom Forum and a former press assistant to Stennis, said, "It is miraculous how so many have worked to keep not only the memory of John C. Stennis alive, but his values as well. Every year people who knew Senator Stennis are dying.  But his tradition and excellence in public service continues thanks in part to this ship. And so 50 or 75 years from now when do not remember his face or his baritone voice, they will know his name - and they will know that name is linked to tradition, public service and integrity."

The highlight of the afternoon celebration came when Buffington introduced Hong Tran, who unveiled a portrait she had painted of Senator Stennis for this occasion.  Her remarkable story and the painting are featured at the front of this report.

Buffington concluded, "So there is the challenge for all of us who seek to honor his life today. The way we truly honor Senator Stennis is by doing our part to build a better America - each of us working with what we have been given to make the way possible for the next generation to achieve more."

JOHN C. STENNIS

Born 100 years ago on a small farm in Kemper County, Mississippi, John C. Stennis became the greatest statesman from Mississippi in the 20^th century and a legend in American politics.  Beginning with his election to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1928, John Stennis was continuously under the oath of public office through his final year in the United States Senate in 1988.  Political historians believe that to be a record for this country.  He was a trusted advisor to eight presidents – from Truman to Reagan - during nearly 42 years of service in the United States Senate.   

Known to many as “Judge Stennis” throughout his life in reference to his ten years distinguished service as a circuit court judge prior to his election to the Senate in 1947, Stennis had a heralded reputation for integrity and fairness.  He was the first member of his party in the Senate to challenge the actions of Senator Joseph McCarthy on the Senate floor.  His Senate colleagues called upon him to write the first code of ethics for the Senate and choose him as the first chair of the Senate Committee on Standards and Conduct.  It is no wonder that Senator Stennis was known as the “Conscience of the Senate.” 

Senator Stennis was also often described as “a Senator’s Senator.”  When he became president pro tempore of the Senate for the 100^th Congress, The New York Times wrote, “He is the undisputed patriarch of the Senate, a teacher to younger members, and conscience for the entire institution.  He seldom makes national headlines but he wields considerable influence in the Senate itself and that influence comes from the quality of his personal judgment.” 

Another title often used to describe Senator Stennis is “the father of America’s modern Navy.”  As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (1969-1980), he was an unwavering advocate for U.S. military superiority.  He saw the constitutional responsibility of “providing for the common defense” as a primary duty he and other members of Congress shared.  Once when President Nixon called to thank him for leading to passage a critical defense appropriation bill through a particularly arduous and lengthy floor debate, Stennis replied, “Thank you Mr. President, but to be frank, I didn’t do it for you.  I did it for my country.” 

His vision of public service leadership is best depicted in the simple motto “Look Ahead” which was inscribed on a plaque on his desk.  This motto, which has also been adopted by the USS JOHN C. STENNIS, reflects the optimism John Stennis had about the future and his sense that it is the responsibility of leaders to prepare the nation for future challenges.  It underscores his belief that American democracy is a work in progress that calls upon each generation to prepare the way for the next. 

It is fitting that the United States honored Senator Stennis’ distinguished record of public service by naming nuclear aircraft carrier CVN-74 for him.  As the mighty warship plies the world’s oceans seeking peace through strength, those who serve on and from her deck carry with them the values and high standards of duty of John C. Stennis. 

His booming voice no longer echoes in the halls of Congress, but his example of public service and personal rectitude continues to serve as an inspiration to new generations of Americans.  As we celebrate the 100^th birthday of John C. Stennis, we honor his memory best by rededicating ourselves to the work of making America a better place for all Americans – now and in the future.