Bryce Harlow: a Standout

Bryce N. Harlow was hardly a giant of a man. He stood only 5 foot 4 inches tall, and often used his lack of stature as the source of self-effacing humor. His name was not a household word. As Harlow sometimes noted, he sought to keep a low profile as an adviser to Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford.

Still, his death on Wednesday prompted the sort of tributes reserved for those who command the highest respect from their peers. Harlow was remembered as a witty, gentle, courtly man, as one to be called on when there was a seemingly intractable problem to be solved. As an Eisenhower adviser on Capitol Hill, it was said that Harlow knew the legislative process as few if any others in Washington did.

Harlow was a Republican, but his style was virtually apolitical. In service to Nixon, he successfully negotiated legislative programs with two imposing Democratic leaders, House Speaker Sam Rayburn and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson. In times of trial, Democrats as well as Republicans sought out Harlow for counsel.

Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) eulogized Harlow as a man who spent a lifetime in service to his country. The key word is service . He knew that his role was to serve his President and country, not to promote his own agenda or image. He was one to persuade, not bully. The importance came in getting the job done, not in getting the credit. For him, government was serious business, not a game of cowboys and Indians, of us and them. This was a man of old-fashioned virtues that are never out of date.

Bryce Harlow was a short man, but he stood tall.