{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-1994-12-20-pt1-PgS29", "1994-12-20", 103, 2, null, null, "TRIBUTE TO BEN H. CRAIG", "SENATE", "SENATE", "FRONTMATTER", "S", "S", "[{\"name\": \"Howell Heflin\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "140 Cong. Rec. S", "Congressional Record, Volume 140 Issue 150 (Tuesday, December 20, 1994)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 150 (Tuesday, December 20, 1994)]\n[Senate]\n[Page S]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n[Congressional Record: December 20, 1994]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]\n\n                        TRIBUTE TO BEN H. CRAIG\n\n Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, Ben H. Craig, former mayor of\nFlorence, AL and 1994 Shoals Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person\nof the Year, died recently at his home after a lengthy illness.\n  Ben was known as a true gentleman by those who knew him and by his\nentire community for his contributions to historic preservation and his\ngenerosity to the University of North Alabama.\n  His company, B.H. Craig Construction, contributed to many public\nprojects and stands as a tribute to Ben and his betterment of the\ncommunity.\n  Ben Craig will be greatly missed by the people of Florence and by all\nthose who knew him personally.\n  My sincerest condolences are extended to Ben's wife, Ann Craig, and\ntheir entire family in the wake of this tremendous loss.\n  I ask that a news article recounting the life and work of Ben Craig\nbe printed in the Record.\n  The article follows:\n\n                  Former Florence Mayor Ben Craig Dies\n\n                           (By Lena Mitchell)\n\n       Florence.--Former Mayor Ben H. Craig, the 1994 Shoals\n     Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year, died\n     Sunday at his residence after a lengthy illness. He was 73.\n       Florence and the Shoals lost a builder, historian\n     benefactor, former mayor and generally great gentleman, said\n     many who were close to him.\n       Craig founded B.H. Craig Construction Co. in 1951, and his\n     company's work includes Joe Wheeler State Park Resort near\n     Rogerville, Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club in Florence,\n     the Franklin County Courthouse in Russellville, Bradshaw High\n     School in Florence and the Natchez Trace Bridge across the\n     Tennessee River.\n       His firm was recently named the prime contractor on the\n     city's $6.7 million conference center adjacent to Renaissance\n     Tower.\n       ``He was one of the finest gentlemen in the area, well-\n     respected, and will be missed by all of us,'' said architect\n     Stan Tomblin. ``We worked together on a number of different\n     projects over the years--Eliza Coffee Memorial) Hospital,\n     Colbert County Courthouse, and they had just completed the\n     renovations for the Florence Police Department.''\n       Craig was mayor of Florence from 1966 to 1969 and retired\n     Florence Housing Authority director Karl Tyree remembers that\n     he not only led a very progressive administration, but left\n     his mark on the city in a very personal way.\n       ``He was invaluable to us in his progressive thinking,''\n     Tyree said. ``He was a mayor at a time when it was very\n     important to continue our program when they under attack\n     nationally. He really had a wonderful and productive life. He\n     was a close friend and very dear to all of us.''\n       Craig and his wife, Ann, recently made a gift of $250,000\n     to the University of North Alabama to establish an endowment\n     in memory of his mother, Emma Vaughn Craig, and grandmother,\n     Susan Kirkman Vaughn, and an endowment for the Ben H. Craig\n     professorship in geography.\n       His firm built Flowers Hall and did renovations on Powers\n     Hall, Rogers Hall and the Towers residence halls at UNA.\n       University President Robert L. Potts said he was deeply\n     saddened by Craig's passing.\n       ``Ben Craig was a kind, gentle and generous man,'' Potts\n     said. ``He was a true friend of the university who gave\n     freely of his time and resources to advance our programs and\n     he will be greatly missed by all at the university. He was a\n     very special person.''\n       Craig was a member of the UNA President's Cabinet, past\n     president of the Florence Rotary Club, was named a Paul\n     Harris Fellow and was an elder at First Presbyterian Church\n     of Florence, where he had also served as a deacon.\n       Florence historian William L. McDonald praised Craig's\n     commitment to preserving the history of the city and the\n     Shoals area.\n       ``We shall long remember his as one of our outstanding\n     mayors and church and community leaders,'' McDonald said.\n     ``Ben has done more for historic preservation then perhaps\n     anyone in North Alabama. It was through his expertise, labor\n     and love that many of our historic shrines have been rescued\n     and preserved for the generations yet to come.''\n       Survivors include his wife, Ann Craig, Florence; daughters,\n     Landis Williams, Caroline O'Brien, Nancy Marbury, Catherine\n     Craig, all of the Shoals area. Margaret Schafer, Houston,\n     Texas, Frances Craig, New York, N.Y."]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-1994-12-20-pt1-PgS29"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 5.911582848057151, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}