CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E1298 HON

E1298 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks June 20, 2008 HONORING HOUSTON WHITE agree to a measure congratulating and recog- It is with the deepest appreciation that I pay nizing Mr. Juan Antonio Chi-Chi Rodriguez for tribute to the long life of a hard-working, just HON. JEB HENSARLING his continued success on and off the golf and passionate man, Douglas Fraser. He lived OF TEXAS course, I would have voted ‘‘aye.’’ his years in service to his family, friends and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES f fellow United Auto Workers. May this ardent Friday, June 20, 2008 labor leader be showered with blessings into HONORING DOUGLAS A. FRASER eternity and receive a loving peace. Mr. HENSARLING. Madam Speaker, I rise f today to honor Mr. Houston White on the 60th HON. MARCY KAPTUR anniversary of his participation in the estab- OF OHIO CENTENNIAL OF THE INTER- NATIONAL BOUNDARY COMMIS- lishment of the Rotary Club of Rusk, Texas. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES If you’ve ever wondered what made individ- SION uals from the ‘‘Greatest Generation’’ so excep- Friday, June 20, 2008 tional, one must look no further than to Mr. Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker. I rise today HON. DON YOUNG White. Ninety-five years old, Mr. White recalls to recognize Douglas A. Fraser of Southfield, OF ALASKA surviving the Great Depression by spending Michigan. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES his days picking cotton in West Texas. During Douglas A. Fraser departed from this life World War II, Mr. White volunteered for the Saturday, February 23, 2008 at a fulfilling 91 Friday, June 20, 2008 Navy, but that was just the beginning of his years old. Douglas will forever be remembered Mr. YOUNG. Madam Speaker, I have the volunteerism. for his dedication to labor rights, as he con- pleasure of informing my colleagues that the Mr. White, a graduate of Jacksonville High stantly sought after fairness and justice in em- International Boundary Commission (IBC), the School and Jacksonville Baptist College, ployment practices. Douglas led the United entity responsible for making, maintaining and helped establish the Rotary Club in Rusk, Auto Workers (UAW), though a period of tran- mapping the Canada-U.S. border, is cele- Texas in 1948. Since then, Mr. White has sition in the 1970s and 1980s. As the chief of brating its centennial this month. been an active member and was selected to the United Auto Workers, he played an instru- Through the IBC, Canada and the United serve as District Governor for Rotary District mental role in saving the former Chrysler Cor- States have collaborated for over 100 years to 5910, one of the highest offices a Rotarian poration from bankruptcy. peacefully maintain the longest shared border can achieve. Mr. Fraser commenced his career with the in the world, 5525 miles long, from the Atlantic Mr. White’s public service includes count- auto industry by taking a job at a DeSoto plant to the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean. My state of less civic projects, volunteer efforts, and par- owned by Chrysler that had been organized Alaska shares more boundary with Canada ticipation in Rusk city government. In addition, by the UAW. He rose rapidly in the ranks of than any other State, 1540 miles (Water and Mr. White has served as a deacon and Sun- the union, eventually being elected of Local Land). Of those 1540 miles, 710 miles of land day school teacher at First Baptist Church. 227, in 1944, at the age of 27. After three is defined by 90 mountain peaks and 97 inter- Mr. White is a husband to Freddye Banks terms as president, in 1947 he was hired as mediate monuments from the Portland Canal Dear, a father to George White, and grand- a member of the union’s international staff. In to Mt. St. Elias. This summer, the field parties father to Christopher White. 1951, Mr. Fraser joined then UAW President for both the U.S. and Canadian sections of the Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘‘In the end, it’s Walter Reuther’s staff. Because of skills at ne- IBC will be surveying the land boundary in not the years in your life that count. It’s the life gotiation, he quickly became known for his Southeast Alaska (710 miles). The main goal in your years.’’ Well, Mr. White has certainly shrewd bargaining ability. of this project is to update the boundary posi- made the past ninety-five years count. Respected for being both an artful politician tions to the currently used coordinate ref- Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize and an impassioned activist, Mr. Fraser was erence system, as well as identify and mark Mr. Houston White as a resident in the fifth one of the first labor leaders to take on many the boundary points the original surveys were district of Texas and would like to thank him of the thorny issues facing the auto industry unable to physically occupy. for his tireless service to Cherokee County, today, from global competition to soaring The work of the IBC is fundamentally impor- Texas, and this great nation. health costs. tant to our national interest; to law enforce- f Without Mr. Fraser’s aggressive lobbying on ment—land administration, customs and immi- PERSONAL EXPLANATION Capitol Hill and among UAW rank and file, gration; and to the management of the Chrysler would not have been able to secure transboundary resources. The last 100 years HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY $1.5 billion in federal loan guarantees in 1979, of work of the IBC exemplifies the close and which saved the automaker from bankruptcy, enduring Canada-U.S. relationship. OF INDIANA according to labor historians and top UAW of- Madam Speaker, and my fellow members, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ficials. Also, in the 1979, as president of the join me in celebrating the centennial of the Friday, June 20, 2008 UAW, Mr. Fraser and his team achieved other International Boundary Commission. Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, I was breakthroughs: Incremental increases in pen- f absent from the House due to the funeral of sion benefits for current and future retirees, a a close friend and therefore missed rollcall substantial increase in reduced work time, im- RECOGNIZING THE COMMITMENT votes 430 through 433. provements in the cost-of-living allowance for- OF THE ALI FAMILY TO THE Had I been present for rollcall 430, H.Res. mula, and Chrysler agreement to union rep- COMMUNITY THROUGH THEIR 1230, on a motion to suspend the rules and resentation on its board of directors. BUSINESS, BEN’S CHILI BOWL agree to a measure condemning the post- In 1980, Mr. Fraser became the first Amer- election violence in Zimbabwe and calling for ican union official to sit on the board of a large HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL a peaceful resolution to the current political corporation. He even donated his board salary OF NEW YORK crisis, and for other purposes, I would have to Wayne State University in Detroit. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES voted ‘‘aye.’’ Current UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, Friday, June 20, 2008 Had I been present for rollcall 431, H.R. who has led the union through a period of 2262, agreeing to Senate Amendment to labor challenges in the face of the financial Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today House Amendment No. 1 on the Military Con- downturn of the automotive ‘‘Big Three’’, said to pay special tribute to the Ali Family for 50 struction and Veterans Affairs and Related he often turned to Mr. Fraser for guidance and years of contributing to the economic vitality Agencies Appropriations Act, I would have support. and culture of Washington, DC’s historic U voted ‘‘aye.’’ Once Mr. Fraser retired as UAW president Street corridor, the ‘‘Black Broadway.’’ Had I been present for rollcall 432, H.R. in 1983, he became a professor of labor stud- In each decade in which the Chili Bowl has 2262, agreeing to Senate Amendment to ies at Wayne State and launched another ca- been in operation, Ben and Virginia have House Amendment No. 2 on the Military Con- reer that spanned 25 years. In that capacity, faced challenges that for others contributed to struction and Veterans Affairs and Related he served as a guest faculty member at other the closing of their business. The violent un- Agencies Appropriations Act, I would have campuses, including the University of Michi- rest following the assassination of Martin Lu- voted ‘‘aye.’’ gan, Harvard University and Columbia Busi- ther King, Jr. in 1968, disinvestment in Wash- Had I been present for rollcall 433, H.Res. ness School, where he was labor leader in ington commercial districts throughout the 1029, on a motion to suspend the rules and residence for 3 years. 1970s and 80s, the complete upturning of the

VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:05 Jun 21, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\K20JN8.004 E20JNPT1 erowe on PRODPC61 with REMARKS June 20, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1299 1200 block of U Street to make way for Met- The Midwest continues to be ravaged by Rhode Island, nephews Noah Levy of New ro’s green line extension during the late flooding and broken levees, and our Civil Air Jersey and Amos Levy and wife Carla of New 1990s. Many entrepreneurs have come and Patrol is working with local first responders, York, and cousins, Adrian Levy of Galveston gone, but the Ali’s and that familiar long white providing digital photographs of flooded areas. and Gloria Herman of Houston. counter with red-vinyl stools have remained These images have been used to assess the Her life was devoted to various charitable stalwart and true. extent of the floods and the damage they and civic endeavors. She was president of the As we enter into a moment in time when the caused. Family Service Bureau and served on the possibility for change is right at our finger tips, In my home State of Michigan, the Civil Air boards of Galveston Public Health Nursing it is comforting to know that for which we hope Patrol flies missions from the Selfridge Air Na- Service, Galveston Community Council, and to attain is possible, and can be seen in our tional Guard Base where they supported the the League of Women Voters among many not too distant past. Ben and Virginia opened National Weather Service in the aftermath of others. a business to be part of a community, to con- tornados and heavy storms last fall. She was chairman of the Red Cross Dis- tribute. Through hard work and commitment, Shortly after the attack on 9/11, the Civil Air aster Relief Committee during the Texas City they have been able to raise a family, guide Patrol was the first in the skies over Ground disaster in 1947, and worked tirelessly on the young employees in the lessons of good busi- Zero, and assisted in the relief efforts. scene searching the wreckage for the dead ness, and make and keep appreciative pa- and injured, bringing home temporarily or- So I believe that it is only fitting that we ex- trons. The neighborhood has changed around phaned children at night. It was her nature to amine using the Civil Air Patrol for Homeland them, but their devotion to creating a place see a need and immediately accept the chal- Security Missions as they have already dem- where everyone feels welcome, where what is lenge to meet it. expected is what is served, and where you onstrated their capabilities to provide aerial She was president of Friends of Rosenberg can listen to the rhythms of what makes U support during emergencies around the Na- Library and volunteered in the library’s cata- Street so special. They created a place of tion. loging department for 20 years. She also character. It is in these things that for 50 years I look forward to viewing the final Govern- served on its board of trustees. we have seen the best part of ourselves when ment Accountability Office, GAO, report and From 1959 to 1960 Mrs. Kempner served looking through the plate glass window of examining the ways that the Civil Air Patrol on the Galveston City Charter Commission Ben’s Chili Bowl. It is with the next generation can assist the Department of Homeland Secu- and was instrumental in changing Galveston’s of Ali capable hands that the business moves rity, whether that includes assisting in our bor- form of government from a city commission to forward. der security efforts, or utilizing their search- a council-city manager operation. When the and-rescue capabilities in the aftermath of an f new charter was adopted, Mrs. Kempner was act of terrorism or natural disaster. elected to serve on the first Galveston City CIVIL AIR PATROL HOMELAND These brave men and women volunteer Council from 1961 to 1963. She thereby be- SECURITY SUPPORT ACT OF 2007 their time and deserve our gratitude for the came the first woman in Galveston’s history to vital work that furthers the security of this serve on any governing body of the city of SPEECH OF great Nation. Galveston. In this, as in many things, she pio- HON. CANDICE S. MILLER I urge my colleagues to support this legisla- neered the way for women in the city. OF MICHIGAN tion. Ruth Kempner was one of two lay persons IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES f appointed to the Texas Civil Judicial Council and served for 8 years, from 1965 to 1973. In Wednesday, June 18, 2008 TO HONOR A GREAT TEXAN—RUTH later years, she was active on the develop- Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, KEMPNER ment board of the University of Texas Medical I rise in strong support of H.R. 1333, Civil Air Branch in Galveston and was chairman of the Patrol Homeland Security Support Act of HON. NICK LAMPSON Breast Imaging Committee. She was a gen- 2007. erous benefactor to the UTMB mammography OF TEXAS The Civil Air Patrol is comprised completely and osteoporosis screening van, ‘‘the Ole- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of volunteers who provide air and ground sup- ander’’, and enthusiastically participated in its port for disaster relief, conducts search and Friday, June 20, 2008 dedication in 1999. In 2003, her grandsons es- rescue missions, perform counter drug mis- Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, I rise in tablished the Ruth Levy Kempner Professor- ship in Radiation Oncology at UTMB in honor sions and aerial damage assessment. honor of a great friend and Texan that passed of their grandmother’s dedication to the med- Shortly after being established on December away June 16, 2008. Ruth was an honorable 1, 1941, our Nation was drawn into World War ical branch and the Galveston community. woman who dedicated her life to charity and II with the attack at Pearl Harbor. And the Civil She was the recipient of many community helping others. Air Patrol began its vital mission patrolling the awards over the years including the Galveston Ruth Levy Kempner was born at John Sealy skies over our great Nation. Historical Foundation Steel Oleander Award Hospital in Galveston, Texas, on November Although originally intended to perform only and the 1894 Grand Opera House Community reconnaissance missions, the Civil Air Patrol 26, 1917, to Marion J. and Alma L. Levy. She Enrichment Award. found themselves carrying depth charges and died on June 16, 2008, at her home in Gal- She was delighted to list her profession on bombs as the deadly German U-boats at- veston. her passport as ‘‘Housewife and Civic Busy- tacked U.S. shipping in the Atlantic. Mrs. Kempner graduated from Ball High body’’, but she will be remembered for her in- During the war the Civil Air Patrol found 173 School in 1933, and earned a BA degree from telligence, her candor, and her dedication to German submarines, hitting 10, and sinking 2 the University of Texas at Austin, graduating every cause she believed in. Equality for all of them. cum laude in 1937. She was a Galveston people, regardless of sex, race or religion was A German commander later confirmed that school teacher prior to her marriage to Harris one of those causes, and she fought for it coastal U-boat operations were withdrawn L. Kempner on April 24, 1939. They had two staunchly at a time when it took much cour- from the United States ‘‘because of those sons, Harris L. ‘‘Shrub’’ Kempner, Jr., and age. She was particularly a role model for damned little red and yellow airplanes’’ of the Marion Lee ‘‘Sandy’’ Kempner. Sandy, a lieu- many women who responded to her gracious Civil Air Patrol. tenant in the United States Marine Corps, was toughness, and her willingness to express her- From this early beginning, the Civil Air Pa- killed in Vietnam in November 1966. self very directly. trol established itself as a provider of critical She is preceded in death by her parents, Mrs. Kempner was a courtly hostess, a support in times of crisis and emergency. husband, son, and brother, Marion Levy of steadfast friend, and a formidable enemy to in- Whether the danger comes from hurricanes, Princeton, New Jersey. She is survived by her justice of any kind. She took great pride in her downed or missing aircraft, wildfires or other son, Harris L. Kempner, Jr., and his wife Hetta family, and was passionate about Galveston disasters, the Civil Air Patrol can always be T. Kempner of Galveston, her grandchildren, and its citizens. Vice versa. counted on to provide the support our Nation Harris L. Kempner III and wife Kim of Knox- She occasionally admitted that she had poor needs. ville, Tennessee, and Randall T. Kempner of math skills. We believe that she thought one Even today, the Civil Air Patrol continues to Washington, DC, sister-in-law, Joy Levy of and one equals three because she always serve as a vital source of aerial reconnais- Princeton, New Jersey, niece, Dore Levy-Trill- knew that the whole was greater than the sum sance. ing and husband Jim Trilling of Providence, of its parts. We will miss her greatly.

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