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[Page S1732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING JACK COGHILL
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today I speak in memory of an
Alaska pioneer, a pillar of the community of Nenana, signer of the
Alaska Constitution, legendary Alaska legislator and our 6th Lieutenant
Governor, Jack Coghill, who died in February at the age of 93.
Long before statehood, the name Coghill was synonymous with the town
of Nenana. Jack's father, William A. Coghill, Sr., emigrated from
Scotland to Canada and then to Alaska in March 1907. He landed in
Valdez, hiked to the interior over the course of 10 days, and went to
work delivering the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.
In 1916, Bill relocated about 60 miles down the road to Nenana, which
was at the time a boom town. It was home to the Alaska Engineering
Commission, which was building the railroad, a bridge, and a large
dock. Along with a partner, Bill converted an existing business into
Coghill's Store, which continues to exist today.
In the 1930s, Jack and his brothers, Bill, Jr., and Bob, began
learning the business from the ground up. They were hauling freight,
stocking shelves, assisting customers, and delivering the groceries.
Jack served in the Army in World War II. He was a staff sergeant in the
U.S. Army Alaska Command, fighting in the Aleutians. Following the war,
Jack moved home to Nenana. When Bill, Sr., died in 1947, Jack and his
brother Bob, along with their mother, took over the store. Later the
business included a movie theatre, fuel distribution, and a roadhouse.
Public service was an important part of Jack Coghill's life since the
late 1940s. He served on the Nenana School Board, and he was mayor of
Nenana for 23 years. He was elected to the Alaska Territorial
Legislature in 1952 and reelected in 1956. At age 30, he was selected
as one of 55 delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention. Jack
participated in the drafting of the Alaska Constitution in 1956 and was
the third individual to sign it. Post-statehood, he served in the
Alaska House of Representatives and the Alaska Senate. In 1990, he was
elected Lieutenant Governor on a ticket with Wally Hickel. Unable to
stay away from service, Jack returned to the Nenana City Council when
his term as Lieutenant Governor concluded. Until his death, Alaskans of
all generations looked to Jack for advice.
Jack and his wife Frances were parents to six children. Next to
family, Jack characterized his service on the Alaska Constitutional
Convention as his greatest achievement. Of course, that was far from
Jack's only recognition. He held an honorary doctorate from the
University of Alaska and was elected to Junior Achievement's Small
Business Hall of Fame.
One of Jack's six children is John Coghill, a friend whom I served
with in the Alaska Legislature and who serves as a member of the Alaska
State Senate today. John remembers his father as ``a firm believer in
utilizing Alaska's natural resources to build a strong economy and
provide good paying jobs for Alaska . . . He had the same passion for
Alaska, even at 93.''
With the passing of Jack Coghill, only one of the signers of the
Alaska Constitution, Victor Fischer, remains alive today. While it is
sad to part with a pillar of Alaska's history, an individual who was
instrumental in Alaska's growth from its frontier, territorial days to
today's modern State, we were blessed to have his leadership for so
many years.
It is an honor to share just a brief glimpse of the story of Jack
Coghill with my colleagues here in the U.S. Senate.
____________________
