July 12, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 117 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E912]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF MR. HENRY ROSS PEROT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LANCE GOODEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 12, 2019

  Mr. GOODEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of a great 
Texan, Mr. Henry Ross Perot. Born and raised in Texarkana, he was a 
lifelong advocate for improving the education of our nation's children, 
having provided initial funding for Teach for America. Always the 
innovator, Mr. Perot attended the U.S. Naval Academy where he helped to 
establish its honor system, which to this day encourages its midshipmen 
to conduct themselves with honor and integrity.
  After serving honorably in the Navy, he became a salesman for IBM 
where he quickly distinguished himself among its ranks. This inspired 
him to start what would become a business empire in Dallas. He was a 
pioneer in the field of electronic data management, winning a contract 
to digitize Medicare records in the 1960s.
  Shortly after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, two of his employees 
were imprisoned by the government of Iran over a contract dispute. In 
true Texas fashion, he hired a former Army Special Forces Colonel to 
break them out of prison and, while some might leave such a dangerous 
mission to others, he insisted on taking part in the assault himself. 
Though he eventually agreed to sit out the mission, it was a great 
success and speaks directly to Mr. Perot's maverick nature and bias for 
action.
  Mr. Perot was always a politically outspoken public figure and never 
backed down from his principled positions. Eventually, his concern for 
the future of our nation fueled his presidential candidacy in the 
election of 1992. His revolutionary, yet simple message allowed him to 
do what no third-party candidate had done before as he drew nearly one-
fifth of the popular vote.
  Mr. Perot left a lasting impression on the technology industry and 
political atmosphere, which is outweighed only by the fond memories he 
left with those who knew him. We will cherish those memories as we 
strive to continue his profound legacy.

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