1760 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE February 29, 2000 student can look up to. Aleisha Cramer than its parent organization at the an advanced education degree, and had has proved what hard work as a stu- time. It was interracial far before the worked steadily at professional jobs for dent, athlete and community member first ‘‘Negro’’ was appointed to the more than a decade. She knew the can accomplish. board. After she graduated, the Na- value of community activism and edu- Again, I would like to congratulate tional YWCA offered her a secretarial cation and set out to take part in the Aleisha Cramer, the 1999–2000 Gatorade job in one of its Negro branches. A fa- fight. This led her to the Atlanta National High School Girls Soccer vorite psychology professor at AU had Urban League. Player of the Year, for her accomplish- a high regard for the psychology de- From 1943 until 1960, Grace Hamilton ments. She has made the State of Colo- partment at Ohio State and seeing as served as the Executive Director of the rado and this nation proud.∑ how the YWCA job would make it pos- Atlanta Urban League. During her ten- f sible to finance her post-graduate edu- ure, she shaped the path of the League cation at the same time, Grace decided to better serve Atlanta, which was in- GRACE TOWNS HAMILTON (1907– to go. creasingly being seen as the South’s 1992) Grace Towns later admitted that ‘‘hub city.’’ She moved the focus away ∑ Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, ‘‘A po- there was no way she could have been from the national organization’s em- litical leader who changes his stances prepared for what she faced in Ohio. phasis on philanthropy and job pro- to fit the times is often called a politi- The cocoon of Atlanta University ill- curement to a more Atlanta-focused cian in the dirtiest sense of the word. prepared her for the shock that await- program of housing, equality in school One who refuses to change, who re- ed her in the Ohio capital city. Barred funding, voter registration and better mains with her lifelong ideals, is often from movies, restaurants, hotels, even medical care. Her biographers, Lor- called reactionary and stubborn. But public restrooms, Towns felt accepted raine Nelson Spritzer and Jean B. such a person may also be seen as pos- only within the confines of the Ohio Bergmark, wrote of her legacy that it sessing both honesty and intrigue.’’ So State psychology department. Even the ‘‘. . . was better appreciated by whites spoke Alton Hornsby, Morehouse Col- YWCA, which in Atlanta had seemed so than blacks. The white world glorified lege historian in 1990 as the city of At- dedicated to the rights of all women, her, clothing her in virtue without lanta remembered one of its greatest without regard to the color of their flaws. The black community viewed treasures, Grace Towns Hamilton. skin, had its barriers and limitations. her with greater ambivalence, seeing Grace Towns was quite simply, a leg- The prejudice and violent attitude to- blemish as well as the best and came end in her own time. Born in Atlanta wards blacks at the time made the closer to discerning the real and impor- in 1907, Grace entered this world during goals and the religious and moral pre- tant person she was, probably because a time of severe racial tension. In fact, cepts professed by the organization a she was truly one of their own.’’ her birthday came only 5 months after challenge that the ‘‘Y’’ often failed to After Mrs. Hamilton resigned in 1960, a ferocious racial massacre in Atlanta. meet. she set out on her path to political suc- For whites, the first decades of the These factors combined to make cess. She ran in a special off-year elec- twentieth century were the ‘‘Progres- Grace Towns not sorry to leave Colum- tion in 1965 which brought her and six sive Era.’’ For blacks, it was indeed a bus, Ohio in the summer of 1928. She other black Democrats into the Geor- most dismal era. The end of Recon- returned to Atlanta to finish the writ- gia state legislature. The first black struction had left blacks as an often ten requirements for her master’s from woman in the Georgia State Legisla- despised and almost always Ohio State, having already finished the ture, Hamilton was called ‘‘Atlanta’s disenfranchised class made up largely course work. After receiving the degree only real integrationist,’’ ‘‘a leader,’’ of dependent laborers with little land in 1929, she went on to teach at the At- and a ‘‘bridge-builder.’’ It was here and even less rights. Atlanta Univer- lanta School of Social Work and also at where she made her most lasting con- sity (AU), on the city’s western Clark College in Atlanta. She married tribution to her city and state, and all reaches, seemed an island of tran- the love of her life, Henry Cooke Ham- agreed she was that rare person who quility in the South, where blacks ex- ilton, in the summer of 1930. They gave politics a good name. I remember perienced the worst of the racial op- moved shortly thereafter to Memphis fondly serving with her while I was in pression and exclusion. Grace Towns’ where her husband had taken a job the Georgia state senate from 1970 father was a professor at AU and she doing triple duty as dean, registrar and until 1974. was able to enjoy a sheltered existence professor of education. While serving in the state legisla- where both the student body and the Grace Hamilton continued teaching, ture, Grace Hamilton sought to faculty were integrated. even through the first months of her strengthen local government, particu- Grace Towns flourished while grow- pregnancy with her first daughter El- larly the Mayor’s role. She also worked ing up at AU. Once she matriculated as eanor, born in March of 1931. She had toward equal justice for blacks, and the a collegiate there, Grace became active taken a position at LeMoyne Junior elimination wasted tax dollars by seek- in the Interracial Student Forum. She College and resumed teaching at ing consolidation of Georgia’s numer- took this advantage of the opportunity LeMoyne while Eleanor was still ous counties. In 1971, she persuaded her to discuss a wide range of topics, in- young. She continued to teach there, colleagues in the Legislature to ap- cluding those which were most racially although circumstances compelled her prove a sales tax increase to finance a sensitive. For her, this was a forum to to undertake courses that she did not city-wide rail and subway system—now bring black and white students to- feel qualified to teach. In 1934, this known in Atlanta as MARTA, a crown gether. While she was editor of the AU frustration came to a head when gen- jewel among the nation’s urban mass student newspaper, the Scroll, Grace der issues and the Great Depression transit systems. Her time in the Legis- wrote of the forum, ‘‘the Forum has forced LeMoyne to terminate her em- lature was infinitely successful and in given us contact. We have heard each ployment. After volunteering with the 1984, at the age of 78 she began to con- other’s music, and talked as fellow stu- NAACP and the YWCA, Grace took a sider retirement. She decided for ‘‘one dents.’’ position with the Works Progress Ad- last go-around’’ but failed to detect the After graduating from AU in 1927, ministration (WPA) conducting a sur- political risk she faced. She was de- Grace Towns went on to pursue a mas- vey on The Urban Negro Worker in the feated by a 26 year-old graduate stu- ter’s degree in psychology at Ohio United States 1925–1936. dent in public administration at Geor- State University in Columbus, Ohio. In 1941, the Hamilton family returned gia State named Mable Thomas. After During her college years, she became to Atlanta where Grace’s husband be- almost twenty years in public office, involved with the YWCA. The Atlanta came principal of Atlanta University’s Grace Hamilton set out for the next chapter had a burgeoning student Laboratory High School. Grace had phase of life. movement that took a divergent ap- never set out to be a leader, but at this Grace Hamilton lived on another proach on race that was less cautious point she was thirty-four years old, had eight years, overseeing the care of her

VerDate May 21 2004 10:21 Aug 06, 2004 Jkt 029102 PO 00000 Frm 00074 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR00\S29FE0.002 S29FE0 February 29, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 1761 ailing husband and guiding the search aged to surround the vehicle after the C.O.P.S., as well as the installation of for a suitable depository for her papers man left I–70 and turned onto a busy defibrillators into every patrol car. and effects. She collected numerous ac- street in Independence, Missouri. The The job of a chief of police is a de- colades and awards before she finally man tried to escape on foot, but was manding task that requires strength of succumbed to illness in 1992, survived stopped by these heroes who tied his character and good judgment. One need by her daughter Eleanor. feet together and sat on him until the not look far for proof of Chief As we come to the end of Black His- police arrived. These men acted swiftly Toscano’s success and ability, for it is tory Month, I respectfully submit this and responsibly. visible in the safety that Wilton resi- insert into the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Once again, Mr. President, my dents relish everyday. in honor of one of my personal heroes, thoughts and prayers go out to the Today, it is my pleasure to join the Grace Towns Hamilton. Her service has family of Jake Robel as well as to all Town of Wilton and the State of Con- been an inspiration to me and many those who witnessed such a tragedy. I necticut in thanking Chief Toscano for others who have known her. I am proud also want to recognize the gentlemen his many years of dedicated service and of her legacy in Georgia and pleased to who apprehended the driver. These wishing him well in the future.∑ have this opportunity to share it. I honorable citizens have shown us first- f would also like to thank Mrs. Hamil- hand that heroes do exist.∑ EXECUTIVE SESSION ton’s biographers, Lorraine Nelson f Spritzer and Jean B. Bergmark, for RETIREMENT OF CHIEF ANGELO their contribution to Grace’s legacy— TOSCANO EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Grace Towns Hamilton and the Politics of Southern Change. ∑ Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I am de- Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask Thank you Mr. President.∑ lighted to rise today to pay tribute to unanimous consent that the Senate im- mediately proceed to executive session f a well-respected and remarkable offi- cer, Chief Angelo Toscano, whose re- to consider the following armed serv- JAKE D. ROBEL tirement from the Wilton Police Force ices nominations on the Executive Cal- ∑ Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I come to marks the end of 43 years as a Con- endar: 415, 416, 418 through 422, and all the floor today to extend my heartfelt necticut law enforcement officer. Day nominations on the Secretary’s desk. sympathies to the family of 6-year-old in and day out, Chief Toscano ensured I finally ask unanimous consent that Jake D. Robel of Blue Springs, Mis- that safety and peace prevailed in the the nominations be confirmed, the mo- souri. Wilton community. I am honored to ex- tion to reconsider be laid upon the One week ago Jake died after being tend thanks and appreciation to him. table, any statements relating to the dragged for almost five miles at high On behalf of the people of Wilton and nominations appear at this point in the speed by a man who had stolen Jake’s the entire state of Connecticut, whom I RECORD, the President be immediately mother’s car in Independence, Mis- am privileged to represent in the notified of the Senate’s action, and the souri. United States Senate. Senate then return to legislative ses- Jake’s mom had stopped at a sand- Chief Toscano was born and raised in sion. wich shop to run in and pick up her Darien, Connecticut. After graduating The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without order. She left her car running and from Darien High School he attended objection, it is so ordered. Jake was waiting in the car. Norwalk Community College and the The nominations, considered and This town and area should be safe. Federal Bureau of Investigation Na- confirmed, are as follows: Many would say tragedies like this one tional Academy. In 1957, after serving DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR happen everywhere else, but not here. in the United States Marine Corps for Sylvia V. Baca, of New Mexico, to be an In this area, there are people who al- three years, he began his career in law Assistant Secretary of the Interior. ways leave their car doors unlocked enforcement as a patrolman. His dedi- IN THE AIR FORCE and their keys in the ignition. Many cation earned him the respect of his The following Air National Guard of the leave their homes unlocked and have colleagues, and his leadership propelled United States officer for appointment in the no idea where to find the house key. him up the ranks—from patrolman, to Reserve of the Air Force to the grade indi- Unfortunately, that sense of security sergeant, to detective, and finally, to cated under title 10, U.S.C., section 12203: is now shattered. Chief of Police. To be brigadier general In those few moments it took Jake’s Throughout his career in public serv- Col. William N. Searcy, 0000 mom to run into the sandwich shop, an ice, Chief Toscano remained on the IN THE ARMY assailant jumped in her vehicle and cutting edge of law enforcement tech- The following named officers for appoint- sped away. Jake, with his mother’s niques, always believing that there was ment in the United States Army to the grade help, tried to escape from the vehicle, more for him to learn. Chief Toscano indicated under title 10, U.S.C., section 624: but became entangled in the seat belt. continued his training up until the To be major general, Medical Corps In a heartbeat, the car door closed— very end of his career, including par- Brig. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, 0000 with Jake tangled in the seat belt— ticipation in the Connecticut Police Brig. Gen. Darrel R. Porr, 0000 being dragged behind. Academy, the Darien Power Squadron, IN THE NAVY I can’t imagine the loss felt by the and a wide range of F.B.I. training pro- The following named officer for appoint- family and friends of Jake Robel. How- grams. ment in the United States Navy to the grade ever, I want to join with the countless Chief Toscano embodied everything a indicated while assigned to a position of im- families in Missouri and across the na- community could hope for in a Chief of portance and responsibility under title 10, tion in sending my thoughts and pray- Police. He was a veteran of the streets U.S.C., section 601: ers to those in grief. whose years of experience became the To be vice admiral Mr. President, in addition, it is im- source of his good judgment and de- Rear Adm. Gordon S. Holder, 0000 portant to recognize the bravery, her- pendability. He was a well-trained cop IN THE AIR FORCE oism, and citizenship of those that whose background and skill ensured The following named officers for appoint- tried to come to Jake’s rescue. that, as Chief, he led with a steadfast ment in the Reserve of the Air Force to the The man who stole the car took off and reliable hand. Moreover, Chief grade indicated under title 10, U.S.C., section on Interstate 70 at high speed. All Toscano was an innovative leader, with 12203: along the way, people honked and the uncanny ability to incorporate his To be major general shouted from their cars for him to specialized skills with his personal in- Brig. Gen. Ralph S. Clem, 0000 stop. The driver was stopped and appre- sight and creativity. Under his leader- Brig. Gen. John M. Danahy, 0000 hended, not by the police, but by ap- ship, the Wilton Police Force intro- Brig. Gen. Joseph G. Lynch, 0000 proximately four gentlemen who man- duced such initiatives as D.A.R.E. and Brig. Gen. Jeffrey M. Musfeldt, 0000

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