Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to one of my father's great friends, Mr. George Dunklin, Sr., who is a true leader in Arkansas' agriculture community. With more than 60 years of work in the cottonseed oil and fertilizer industries, George Dunklin, Sr. is one of the state's most gifted businessmen.

As the former President of the most successful cottonseed oil mill in the country, George Dunklin, Sr. knows how to run a successful business. From the day his father bought the Planters Cotton Oil mill in 1935, to his days as President of the cooperative, George Dunklin Sr. has worked hard to transform the cottonseed industry. He spent 66 years building a profitable enterprise, and left a lasting mark on MidSouth agriculture.

Years of hard work earned George Dunklin Sr. distinguished positions as the President of the National Cottonseed Association in 1975, a member of the Cotton Advisory Committee to the Secretary of Agriculture, President of the Mississippi Valley Oilseed Processors Association, and recipient of the 1990 Harvey W. McGeorge Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture. But George Dunklin, Sr.'s talents did not stop there. He was even elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 for his accomplishments in tennis.

George Dunklin has been married to the former Mary Elisabeth Black of DeWitt, Arkansas for 57 years and is the father of two children, Deborah Tipton of Memphis and George Dunklin, Jr. of DeWitt. He and his wife have five grandchildren, Megan Dunklin, Robert Tipton, Mary Tipton, Hillary Dunklin and Lauren Dunklin.

On February 21, 2006, our community will meet in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to honor George Dunklin, Sr. for his remarkable contributions to Arkansas agriculture. I ask my colleagues in Congress to join me in congratulating him on this occasion and thanking him for over half a century of dedicated service, as a great friend, and a great American.