Four-term US Sen. Christopher 'Kit' Bond remembered for training a generation of Missouri leaders
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Christopher 'Kit' Bond, a Republican who was Missouri's youngest governor before serving four terms in the U.S. Senate, was remembered Tuesday as a beloved statesman who helped train a generation of leaders.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol escorted his body from St. Louis, where he died last week at the age of 86, to the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, where hundreds of people gathered for a memorial service. Bond is to lie in state through Wednesday so members of the public can pay their respects.
'Over and over again, Kit launched the careers of young people, talented, committed, dedicated people who later, after appointment, found opportunity beckoning them to achievement levels they hadn't anticipated,' said John Ashcroft, who was a governor, senator and attorney general under President George W. Bush. 'Kit was a person of both individual and governmental integrity. I have no recollection of anytime where Kit failed to live up to his commitments.'
As a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Bond secured federal money for big and small projects in Missouri, scoffing at government watchdog groups that considered him a master of pork-barrel spending.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver recalled that while he was serving as mayor of Kansas City, a monument to honor World War I veterans known as Liberty Memorial had fallen into disrepair. He likened the 217-foot (66-meter) tall structure that was built after a burst of postwar patriotism to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He said Bond stepped in with federal dollars to help restore it.
'Working together as friends was the propellant that allowed us, with others, to alter the landscape of Kansas City,' Cleaver said.
Early in his career, Bond was considered a political wunderkind. When he took office at age 33 as Missouri's youngest governor, he was also the state's first Republican chief executive in about three decades and garnered consideration as a vice presidential candidate. His early success stalled when he lost a reelection bid, but he later rebounded to win another term as governor before being elected to the Senate in 1986 and eventually becoming the patriarch of the Missouri Republican Party.
Testaments to Bond's longevity in the public arena are stamped across Missouri. A federal courthouse in Jefferson City and a life sciences center at the University of Missouri-Columbia are named after him. A highway bridge crossing the Missouri River in Hermann and one in Kansas City also carry his name.
'Kit Bond was an exceptional person who was blessed with many talents,' said former U.S. Sen. John Danforth. 'He was very smart. He was highly educated. He had boundless energy. He wanted for nothing. He could have clung on to what was his and lived comfortably only for himself. But that was not what he did. He invested his talents, put them at risk, and he produced such a great return to the state.'
___
Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
Adrienne Adams Will Be the Only Woman Onstage at the Mayoral Debate
Of the seven candidates who will be onstage for the New York City mayoral debate on Thursday night, just one of them, Adrienne Adams, is a woman. Ms. Adams, the City Council speaker, is running to be the first female mayor of New York, the only major American city that has never elected a woman to its highest office. She was one of two women who took part in the first debate last week, along with Jessica Ramos, a state senator from Queens. But Ms. Ramos did not raise enough money to qualify for the second debate, and she endorsed Mr. Cuomo, effectively taking herself out of contention. Ms. Adams is running on a message of 'no drama, no scandal — just competence and integrity.' Her campaign videos emphasize her fights to restore funding for libraries and prekindergarten and show her spending time with her grandchildren. She has highlighted how she helped approve a major housing proposal, known as City of Yes, as Council speaker, and her campaign has proposed the nation's largest guaranteed income program. 'I'm running for mayor — not for power or praise, but for my children and yours,' she says in one campaign video. She was endorsed by Letitia James, the state attorney general, and District Council 37, a major municipal union. And she has presented herself as a calm and principled alternative to Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent, and former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who leads in Democratic primary polls. Both men have been investigated for misconduct. (Ms. Adams is not related to the mayor.) Ms. Adams, who entered the race later than the other candidates, is often in third or fourth place in polls. Mr. Cuomo has received much of the attention in recent days, along with Zohran Mamdani, a state lawmaker from Queens who is polling in second place and rising. Several women have run for mayor of New York City, including Kathryn Garcia and Maya Wiley, who finished in second and third place in the 2021 Democratic primary. Christine Quinn, a former City Council speaker, finished third in the 2013 primary. Female candidates have frequently said that it is harder for them to secure donations and endorsements, and they often face skepticism from voters, in addition to outright sexism, when seeking an executive job like president or mayor.
Bloomberg
34 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
What RFK Jr.'s Changes to CDC Panel Mean for Vaccine Policy
By , Rachel Cohrs Zhang, and Damian Garde Save Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of health and human services, appointed eight new members of an expert panel that advises the federal government on immunization policy, including several vocal vaccine critics and one who identifies as an 'anti-vaxxer.' The appointments came days after Kennedy's dismissal on June 9 of all 17 members of the committee that advises the US government on vaccine safety and policy, saying that removing the entire panel was the only way to restore public confidence in immunizations.
CBS News
35 minutes ago
- CBS News
"No Kings" anti-Trump protests planned in North Texas this weekend. Here's what to know.
"No Kings" protests are being organized across North Texas and nationwide to challenge what organizers describe as the growing authoritarianism and corruption of President Donald Trump and his allies. The demonstrations, scheduled for Saturday, are timed to coincide with Trump's birthday, the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, and a planned military parade in Washington, D.C. Organizers say the protests also aim to oppose the administration's immigration policies. Getty Images At least 15 protests have been scheduled across the region so far. "'No Kings' is a nationwide day of defiance," the group states. "We're taking action to reject authoritarianism and to show the world what democracy truly looks like. On June 14, we stand united to declare: no thrones, no crowns, no kings." Fulfilling a key Trump campaign pledge The protests come as Mr. Trump escalates immigration enforcement in a renewed push to fulfill a central campaign promise. The Department of Homeland Security has authorized federal agencies – including the DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals – to assist in locating and deporting undocumented immigrants, as part of Mr. Trump's broader plan to carry out mass deportations and reassert what he calls "law and order" at the southern border. Supporters contend the administration is enforcing long-standing immigration laws and addressing what they describe as a growing crisis at the southern border. What is "No Kings Day"? "No Kings Day" is a nationwide day of peaceful protest organized to coincide with a military parade in Washington, D.C., marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. According to CBS News, the parade and related festivities are expected to cost between $25 million and $45 million. The movement is grounded in a strong rejection of authoritarianism, with organizers promoting nonviolent action and civic engagement. Their rallying cry: "No thrones, no crowns, no kings." Participants are urged to remain peaceful and lawful throughout the events. "We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events," the statement reads. "No Kings" protest locations in North Texas – Saturday, June 14 Arlington Arlington Sub Courthouse – 700 E. Abram St. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Burleson 100 NW John Jones Drive 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Carrollton Carrollton Winco (sidewalk south of parking lot) – 2620 N. Josey Lane 10:30 a.m. Collin County Northwest intersection of SH 380 and U.S. 75 – 2025 N. Central Expressway 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Dallas Akard Plaza – 1500 Marilla St. 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. Denton Denton Square – 110 W. Hickory St. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Fort Worth Burk Burnett Park Noon Frisco FM 423 and Old Newman Road 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Greenville No location shared 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Kari Lane and Wesley Street 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Kaufman 100 W. Mulberry St. 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. McKinney Near Target – Highway 380 west of U.S. 75 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sanger Sanger Square – Sanger 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Sherman No location shared 11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Weatherford Parker County Courthouse – 1 Courthouse Square 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Protesters and officials emphasize peace As "No Kings Day" approaches, organizers and officials alike are calling for peaceful demonstrations. Liam Kent, chairman of the Blue Anchor Project and a key partner in the movement, described the event as both a protest and a national day of action against what he calls President Trump's authoritarian overreach. Kent said the movement has mobilized millions across 2,000 locations to stand against what they see as Trump's attempt to consolidate power. In Dallas, City Hall is among the planned protest sites. Police there have already responded to an earlier unpermitted protest near the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, resulting in one arrest. However, Dallas police emphasized their commitment to protecting lawful, peaceful assemblies, stating that public safety remains their top priority. Gov. Abbott deploys National Guard Gov. Greg Abbott added a layer of security that surprised city officials in San Antonio, who said the city had not requested the Texas National Guard. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus directed media questions about the deployment to the state. "The questions you're asking me about the National Guard, I would ask you to direct those questions to the individual who's responsible for deploying them," McManus said. Abbott said he is deploying the National Guard and Department of Public Safety troopers to ensure Texans do not experience the kind of anti-ICE incidents seen in Los Angeles. "There is freedom of speech. However, if in your protest you damage somebody's property or you harm an individual, that's violating the law and you will be arrested for it," he said. Abbott and No Kings both expressed a shared stance against violence and lawlessness. The governor declined to disclose specific deployment locations. "As it concerns the exact tactics and things like that, we don't disclose those publicly," he said. "You will see them arise in response to what we see on the ground."
