The unexpected death of Senator John L. McClellan deprives the Senate of a resolute and gifted lawmaker. During his 39 years of service on Capitol Hill--4 in the House of Representatives and almost 35 in the Senate--he persistently spoke out for a strong national defense and upheld integrity in the operations of Government. The economic development of the Arkansas River is an achievement for which he will be long remembered and in which he took a deep personal pride.
I am especially grateful for his wise and generous counsel during the early months of my administration.
In the distinguished history of the Senate, only eight Members have ever served longer than John McClellan. His passing is a loss to the Congress and to the Nation.
Note: At his November 29 news conference at the White House, Press Secretary Jody Powell announced that Vice President Walter F. Mondale and Rosalynn Carter would represent the President at funeral services for Senator McClellan in Little Rock, Ark., on November 30.
Jimmy Carter, Statement on the Death of Senator John L. McClellan Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/242869