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“Tribute to Pat Shingleton (Executive Session)” mentioning John Kennedy was published in the Senate section on pages S219-S220 on Feb. 2.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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The publication is reproduced in full below:
Tribute to Pat Shingleton
Mr. President, now let me switch topics. One of the good things about politics and government--and the Presiding Officer has probably had this experience--is that you meet so many interesting people, and everybody is interesting in his own way. I have met people who are more famous than wise. I have met people who are more wise than famous, and I have met people who are both famous and wise. One of the latter is what I would like to talk about today. He is a gentleman by the name of Pat Shingleton. His name may not be famous here--it is back in Louisiana--but I can assure you that his virtues are. I want to honor the work of Pat Shingleton today.
Pat is a Baton Rouge meteorologist, but he is also a longtime fixture in our community. He has retired. I think his last broadcast was Friday night. He had worked for 45 years. That is probably older than the Presiding Officer.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Almost.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, he had been reporting and trying to predict--and had predicted with great accuracy--the weather in the Baton Rouge metropolitan community for 45 years, but Pat's experience covers a whole lot more than being a meteorologist, though he was one of the best I have ever seen in that regard.
During his nearly half century of reporting the weather, Pat not only covered more than 500 storms and hurricanes but he also hosted ``We Play Baton Rouge,'' a local game show; ``The 5th Quarter,'' a sports show; and ``Hotline After Dark,'' a local talk show, where his guests--
and I am going to quote here--``ran the gamut from champion bodybuilders, to beer brewers, to duck callers.'' We are a very diverse people in Louisiana.
Pat has a warm heart, and he cares for the State and the Baton Rouge community, and that has been on display for a lot of years. I am not telling my people back home anything they don't already know.
Pat is especially well known for being chairman of WBRZ--WBRZ, channel 2 in Baton Rouge, our prominent local station, where Pat has worked for so long.
Pat has worked hard as chairman of that station's Pat's Coats for Kids--Pat's Coats for Kids. This program has--unfortunately, we have children in America and in Louisiana who are hungry and cold. You can't learn when you are hungry; you can't learn when you are cold.
Pat has delivered hundreds of thousands--could be in the millions for all I know--of coats to kids whose parents can't afford to keep them warm in the winter.
He has also created the Fill a Prescription for the Needy project, and he started Baton Rouge's St. Patrick's Day parade--the Wearin' of the Green, it is called--which he continues to coordinate every single year.
Pat's final broadcast took place on Friday night, as I mentioned, January 29. That does not--I can assure you, knowing Pat Shingleton, that does not mark the end of his service to the people in Baton Rouge. I can say that with great confidence.
I predict that Pat will continue to contribute as a community advocate and as a spokesperson at WBRZ. I predict he will continue to champion all of the charity projects that he spearheaded for so many years.
Now, when asked about his retirement, Pat said, and I am going to quote, ``I think we're all given a whole bunch of heartbeats.''
``We're all given a whole bunch of heartbeats,'' Pat said, ``and God gives us these heartbeats to do something good.''
What an eloquent way of putting it. Pat has used his heartbeats pretty well, in my judgment. He has a lot more to go, but he has done it for the good of our State, for the good of the Baton Rouge metropolitan community, and he has done it in the newsroom, and he has done it outside the newsroom.
Pat says he is going to spend the extra time with his family--good for him; he has earned it--especially his 1-year-old grandchild.
Look, we are going to miss his guiding hand through Louisiana's irreverent weather patterns. We may have to draft him back on a few occasions, but I want to wish him a joyful retirement to soak in all the perks of being a grandfather.
Pat, thank you. Thank you for your hard work for the people of Baton Rouge. Thank you for giving so much to the people of Louisiana for all these 45 years.
You are a good person, and you are a fine American. God bless you and your family.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
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