University of Virginia Library

Sen. Percy To Speak In Cabell Hall;
Leading Spokesman For Drug Control

By LIBBY WITHERS

Sen. Charles H. Percy Consumer Advocate

U.S. Senator Charles H.
Percy (R-111), who last
November was re-elected to his
second term by the largest
plurality ever amassed by a
candidate for president,
governor or senator in Illinois
history, will speak Tuesday at
8:30 p.m. in Old Cabell Hall
Auditorium.

Mr. Percy is one of the
leading Senate spokesmen for
consumer interests and drug
control. In 1971, he led the
committee, floor and
conference fights that resulted
in the Drug Abuse Office and
Drug Abuse Treatment Act.

Mr. Percy serves as ranking
minority member on the
Senate's Government Operations
Committee and the Select
Committee on Nutrition and
Human Needs.

Committee For Aging

He is also a member of the
Foreign Relations and Joint
Economic Committees and the
Special Committee on Aging.

As author of the "National
Plan for the Elderly," he
formulated a legislative
package consisting of 12 bills
and five amendments, about
half of which have already
become law.

Represents Senate

He represents the Senate as
vice-chairman of the board of
the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts.

Upon graduation from the
University of Chicago in 1941
with the highest senior
honor–University Marshal–he
enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He
was honorably discharged in
1945 with an Admiral's
commendation.

Mr. Percy spent 25 years in
business before entering public
life. Beginning with a summer
job at Bell and Howell, he
became president and chief
executive officer at the age of
29.

During his career there,
company sales rose from $13
million to $160 million, the
company pioneered in profit
sharing for employees and was
the first corporation to sponsor
prime-time public service
television programming.

In 1949, he was named
"one of the ten outstanding
young men in the country" by
the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce.

Mr. Percy in 1965 founded
and chaired the New Illinois
Committee which initiated
projects in literacy education,
slum housing, community
development, and job
opportunities.

These projects
demonstrated aspects of his
gubernatorial race in which he
was defeated by incumbent
Otto Kerner.

In his last election, Mr.
Percy defeated seven-term
Congressman Roman C.
Pucinski by a margin of 1.146
million votes, carrying all 102
counties in the state