CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E182 HON
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E182 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks February 3, 2009 development grants to state and local govern- centered in Catalonia and, therefore, the re- So I wrote to Brenan, then living in ments, colleges and universities, and nonprofit search brought him to Barcelona on a number Ma´ laga, to ask his advice on how to go about economic development organizations to further of occasions. His study was published in studying the anarchist movement in Spain. He responded that I should see the head- enhance economic development. Of note, this Spanish, in Barcelona, in 1974 by Ariel under waiter of a Spanish restaurant in the West initiative would make those entities within the the title, ‘‘Anarcosindicalismo y revolucio´n en End of London, an anarchist, who in turn put five regional development commissions, au- Espan˜a, 1930–37,’’ in a translation by Dr. me in touch with the headquarters of the thorized in the Food, Conservation, and En- Joaquı´n Romero Maura. Confederacio´ n Nacional del Trabajo, the ergy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110–246) eligible to In presenting the degree, Professor Mer- anarcho-syndicalist organization, then in apply for such grants. It is important to note cedes Vilanova spoke of John Brademas’ exile in Paris. This was in 1952, I remind you, and Franco was in power. I was warmly re- that these recently created bodies are config- service in the U.S. House of Representatives ceived by the officials of the CNT in Paris. ured to encompass some of our nation’s poor- and of his legislative record there as well as Indeed, they arranged meetings for me in est areas. In addition to the Northern Border of his leadership at New York University, now, Toulouse and Bordeaux with Federica Regional Development Commission, which I she said, ‘‘one of the premier universities in Montseny, the anarchist leader, and Jose´ worked to create, the other commissions in- the world, a rival of Ivy League universities Peirats, the historian of Spanish anarchism. clude the Delta Regional Authority, the North- like Harvard or Yale’’. She added that John My interviews with Montseny and Peirats were immensely helpful to me and opened ern Great Plains Regional Authority, the Brademas had been named ‘‘one of the four doors to others here in Barcelona as well as Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, most important persons in American higher to an important collection of materials on and the Southwest Border Regional Commis- education’’. anarchism in Spain, located in The Nether- sion. Presiding at the ceremony was the Rector lands, in Amsterdam, at the International Madam Speaker, this legislation would not of the University, Dr. Dı´dac Ramı´rez i Sarrio´. Institute for Social History. only help increase America’s economic com- Said John Brademas, ‘‘To receive an hon- My supervisor when I wrote my disserta- tion was the British historian of Spain, Ray- petitiveness, it would also create new opportu- orary degree from one of the outstanding uni- mond Carr. nities in areas like Northern and Central New versities of Europe, indeed, the world, is pro- Here I must note, as you have been told, York, that are particularly in need of economic foundly gratifying. that my study of the anarcho-syndicalist opportunities. Accordingly, I ask my col- I am especially appreciative of this honor movement was published, in Spanish, in 1974 leagues to join with me as I work to enact the because of my interest throughout most of in Barcelona, by Ariel, under the title, Cluster-Based Economy Enhancement Act of my life in Spain and, in particular, Anarcosindicalismo y revolucio´ n en Espan˜ a 2009. Catalonia. (1930–1937). The translation was done by my friend, also a scholar at Oxford, Joaquı´n Ro- f Madam Speaker, I am sure that John mero Maura, descendant of the respected Brademas’ former colleagues and his many NYU’S JOHN BRADEMAS AWARDED Spanish leader, Miguel Maura. friends will be most pleased at this latest SERVICE IN CONGRESS HONORARY DEGREE BY UNIVER- honor he has received. SITY OF BARCELONA I like to say that although I studied anar- I ask consent to insert at this point in the chism, I did not practice it! For only months RECORD the text of John Brademas’ remarks after I completed my study and returned HON. JOE DONNELLY on receiving the honorary degree of Doctor of from Oxford to my hometown in Indiana, I OF INDIANA Laws from the University of Barcelona on De- became the nominee of the Democratic Party for election to Congress from my na- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cember 1, 2008. His statement follows: tive constituency. I lost that first race, in Tuesday, February 3, 2009 Rector Ramirez, Professor Vilanova, mem- 1954, then served on the Presidential cam- bers of the faculty and students of the Uni- Mr. DONNELLY. Madam Speaker, I am paign staff of Adlai Stevenson in 1956, a year versity of Barcelona, and friends, to receive when both Stevenson and I lost a second pleased to take note of an honor received last a grado honoris causa from one of the out- time. But I ran a third time, and in 1958 was month by former Member of Congress, John standing universities of Europe, indeed, the first elected to the United States House of Brademas, who served for 22 years in the world, is, of course, profoundly gratifying. Representatives. I was then ten times re- House of Representatives from the then Third This honor comes from a country, Spain, elected and so served in Congress for 22 District of Indiana. and a region, Catalonia, to which I have de- years. voted considerable scholarly attention and He was awarded, by the University of Bar- A member of the Committee with responsi- so is particularly meaningful for me. bility for writing education legislation, I celona, the honorary degree of doctor of laws, You have been told, in the generous words took part in writing all the laws enacted his 54th honorary degree. of Professor Vilanova, about my life—my during those years, 1959 to 1981, during the A Democrat, John Brademas was, during education, my career as a Member of the Administrations of six Presidents—three Re- the Administrations of six Presidents of the Congress of the United States and as Presi- publicans: Eisenhower, Nixon and Ford; and United States, an active member of the House dent of New York University—and of my ac- three Democrats: Kennedy, Johnson and Committee on Education and Labor where he tivities in a variety of organizations dedi- Carter—laws to assist schools, colleges and authored or co-authored legislation to support cated to the arts and the humanities. universities; students who attend them; the But, of course, I am especially appreciative schools, colleges and universities; support for arts and the humanities; libraries and muse- of this honor because of my interest ums; and measures to help children, the el- libraries and museums; and programs for chil- throughout most of my life in Spain and, in derly, the disabled. dren, the elderly and the disabled. particular, Catalonia. You will not be surprised that as a member In his last four years in Congress, John I had the good fortune, as you have been of the Democratic Party in my country and, Brademas was Majority Whip of the House of told, of studying at two of the greatest uni- indeed, as a citizen, I rejoice in the election Representatives. versities in the world, Harvard and Oxford. last month of Barack Obama as President of Defeated in his campaign for reelection in While in grade school, I read a fascinating the United States and of Democratic majori- 1980, John Brademas was shortly thereafter book about Mayan civilization. I started ties in both the Senate and House of Rep- learning Spanish, then as a high school sen- resentatives. invited to become president of New York Uni- ior hitchhiked to Mexico and, as a Harvard Defeated for reelection in Ronald Reagan’s versity, the largest private, or independent, undergraduate, spent a summer with other landslide victory in 1980, I was shortly there- university in the United States. John college men working in Aztec Indian villages after invited to become president of New Brademas led the transformation of New York in rural Mexico. I wrote my senior honors York University, the largest independent, or University from a regional—New York, New thesis at Harvard on the Sinarquista move- private, university in the United States, ment, a far right-wing peasant movement with some 50,000 students. Jersey, Connecticut—commuter institution into Given my background I directed particular a national and international residential re- important in Mexico in the late 1930s and early ’40s. attention at NYU—as we call the Univer- search university. sity—to encouraging the study of other John Brademas graduated from Harvard ANARCHO-SYNDICALIST MOVEMENT IN SPAIN countries, and I established a Center for University, with a B.A., with high honors, in At Oxford, I wrote a doctoral dissertation Japan-U.S. Business & Economic Studies in 1949; then went on to Oxford University, Eng- on Spain and, by way of preparation, reading our School of Business; a Remarque Institute land, as a Rhodes Scholar, for three years, the seminal book by Gerald Brenan, The for European and Mediterranean Studies; a Spanish Labyrinth, on the origins of the 1951–1953. At Oxford he earned a Ph.D. with Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Spanish Civil War, I learned that Spain was Studies; with help from the Alexander S. a dissertation on the anarcho-syndicalist the only country with a mass working-class Onassis Foundation, a professorship in Hel- movement in Spain from the mid-1920s movement, based not on the ideas of Karl lenic Studies; and, with funds from CITGO, through the first year of the Spanish Civil War, Marx but of Bakunin and Kropotkin, the an- the U.S.