Former Congressman Jack Edwards, who represented southwest Alabama in the U.S. House for 20 years, passed away at the age of 91 on Friday morning.
Governor Kay Ivey has issued a directive to immediately fly flags at half-staff on the grounds of the State Capitol Complex in Montgomery and throughout Alabama’s First Congressional District, until the day of Edwards’ interment to honor his distinguished service and life.
“Congressman Jack Edwards served his state and nation with the highest degree of integrity,” Ivey said in a statement.
“As a young Marine, he proudly wore the uniform of his country during the Korean War; as the representative from Alabama’s First Congressional District, he was elected to 10 terms and was widely respected on both sides of the aisle, working with six different presidents,” the governor outlined. “He was President Reagan’s point man on rebuilding our national defense. He was also one of the state’s foremost conservationists, leading the efforts in Congress to establish the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and Weeks Bay National Estuarine Reserve in Baldwin County.”
Edwards served as the Alabama state chairman for the 1984 Reagan-George H.W. Bush ticket.
Additionally, the Alabama congressman served as vice chairman of the U.S. House Republican Caucus, which placed him at the White House weekly for meetings with the president.
With seniority, he also became the point member on defense appropriations and an expert on national defense after serving for 10 years on the defense subcommittee of the appropriations committee.
Offering “[h]eartfelt sympathies and prayers for his wife, Jolane, and their two children and families,” Ivey added that Edwards “was the epitome of a true public servant and was the ultimate statesman for Alabama.”
“Our state has lost one of our finest,” she concluded.
Edwards was born in Birmingham in 1928. He earned both his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Alabama, where he served as president of the Student Government Association and the Kappa Alpha fraternity.
After retiring from Congress, he joined the Hand Arendall law firm in Mobile. He was active in numerous civic leadership positions. Edwards also served on the corporate boards for Northrup-Grumman QMS, Inc. and the Southern Company, as well as being a University of Alabama System trustee from 1988-1999.
On Friday, tributes poured in from across Alabama, including from Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), who served with Edwards in the House.
“Saddened to learn of the death of a good friend and former colleague, U.S. Rep. Jack Edwards,” Shelby tweeted. “He served both the state of Alabama and the nation with honor & integrity. His legacy will live on through his works for years to come. My prayers remain with Jolane and his loved ones.”
Jack Edwards was a man of great integrity whose service to our country and the great State of Alabama will not be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/m0vwShih91
— Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) September 27, 2019
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
