Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Cone Magie of Cabot, Arkansas, a great journalist and businessman who devoted his entire life to public service. As an owner of five newspapers, Magie provided reliable and trustworthy news to Central Arkansas for more than 50 years.
Magie's love of the newspaper business began as a young boy when he delivered papers for the Arkansas Gazette. He went on to serve as editor of the England High School newspaper, published a newsletter during his service in World War II, and upon leaving the service, studied journalism at the University of Arkansas. Magie took his first reporting job at the Madison County Record and eventually traveled to Washington, DC where he published a newsletter for the Arkansas and Iowa Farm Bureaus.
After mastering reporting, Magie bought the Cabot Star-Herald in 1955 and eventually added four other newspapers to his company, Magie Enterprises, Inc. His other newspapers include the Carlisle Independent, the Lonoke Democrat, the Sherwood Voice, and the Jacksonville Patriot. Magie served as president of the Arkansas Press Association in 1967 and frequently testified before the Arkansas Legislature on issues impacting the media. Magie and his wife, Betty, were inducted into the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville's Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism Hall of Honor in 2005 for their significant contributions to Arkansas' newspaper industry.
I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Cone Magie for a lifetime of achievement in journalism. His work informed thousands of citizens on local and international issues and inspired an active citizenry in central Arkansas. He will be remembered by many as a devoted businessman, a friend, and a great American.
