March 11, 1997 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE H863 the average American worker is very a one-person agency located in Chi- during legacy with the Leadership Con- well placed. cago. Discrimination against Jews at ference on Civil Rights which he co- Mr. GUTKNECHT. If I could, gentle- that time was overt and widespread. founded with NAACP President Roy men, our time is just about expired. We Help wanted ads specifying gentile only Wilkins. In 1950, he and Mr. Wilkins will have to wrap it up here, but I do were commonplace, and employment convened over 4,000 delegates from all want to thank my colleagues for par- agencies accepted and filled orders in over the country to urge the Congress ticipating tonight. accordance with such specifications. to enact employment, antidiscrimina- I want to say, in part, with the spirit Rather than attempting to deal with tion, and antilynching laws. of what transpired in Hershey, PA, that the problem as it affected Jews alone, Along with Martin Luther King, Jr., we do look forward to an honest and he decided to attack employment dis- Arnold Aronson was one of the 10 orga- civil debate about the great issues fac- crimination per se, no matter the vic- nizers of the 1963 March on Washing- ing this country, and nothing can be tim. Accordingly, he organized the Chi- ton. During the Leadership Con- more important than stopping the cago Council Against Religious and Ra- ference's first 13 years, Arnold Aronson business of mortgaging our children's cial Discrimination, a coalition of reli- served as its secretary and directed the future and, in the end, it provides real gious, labor, ethnic, civil rights and so- day-to-day operations of the organiza- benefits. cial welfare organizations. As council tion. Along with NAACP Washington Not only is it the morally right thing secretary, Arnold Aronson directed the bureau director Clarence Mitchell, to do to balance the budget, but it is campaign that led to the first munici- Aronson and the Leadership Conference the economically smart thing to do. I pal Fair Employment Practices Com- coordinated the successful lobbying ef- think if we work together and have a mission in the Nation. forts which resulted in the passage of civil debate, then I think we ulti- In 1943, he organized a statewide coa- the 1957 and 1964 Civil Rights Acts, the mately can succeed in that. lition, the Illinois Fair Employment 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the 1968 Important now is that we all begin to Council, and initiated the campaign for Fair Housing Act. speak the same language. If the Presi- a State FEP legislation. Arnold Aronson's lasting legacy, I be- dent is speaking OMB and we are In 1945, he became program director lieve, is summed up in a quote of his, speaking CBO, it is going to make that of the National Jewish Community Re- and I would like to quote it. Arnold job even more difficult. So in the next lations Advisory Council, a coalition of Aronson once wrote: The struggle of several weeks, what we hope to do is civil rights cannot be won by any one try to get the White House and the national and local Jewish agencies. He developed policies and programs for group acting by or for itself alone, but Congress to at least be speaking the only through a coalition of groups that same language. Jewish agency involvement on issues of civil rights, civil liberties, immigra- share a common commitment to equal Then we can have that civil debate justice and equal opportunity for every and, ultimately, I think we can reach tion reform, church and State separa- tion, Soviet Jewish immigration and American. an agreement during this Congress Mr. Speaker, Arnold Aronson's life is support for Israel. which will be historic, which will leave a model for us all. I consider it a privi- In 1946, Arnold Aronson became sec- a legacy that we can all be proud of lege to have known him and to have retary of the National Council for a and ultimately lead to a stronger eco- worked with him. I am honored to join Permanent FEPC, a coalition which nomic growth, more jobs, better jobs, with my colleagues this evening in sa- and the ability of more American fami- was headed by A. Philip Randolph, and luting this giant on today, his 86th lies to have the American dream. together they directed campaigns for birthday. Happy birthday, Arnold So again I want to thank my col- Federal civil rights legislation in the Aronson, and we thank you. leagues for joining me. 79th and 80th Congresses. Mr. Speaker, joining with me in this f In 1949, he became the secretary of special order this evening are Congress- the National Emergency Civil Rights woman ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, Con- TRIBUTE TO ARNOLD ARONSON, A Mobilization, which was chaired by gresswoman SHEILA JACKSON-LEE, and GREAT CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER Roy Wilkins, and together they orga- Congressman JOHN LEWIS. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under nized a lobby in support of President It is my pleasure at this time, Mr. the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- Truman's proposed civil rights pro- Speaker, to yield to Congressman JOHN uary 7, 1997, the gentleman from South gram. LEWIS. Carolina [Mr. CLYBURN] is recognized Around this same time, Mr. Speaker, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, for 60 minutes. Arnold Aronson and a few men, a small I want to thank my colleague and GENERAL LEAVE group, set out to professionalize people friend from the great State of South Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask who were working in civil rights and Carolina for yielding. I want to thank unanimous consent that all Members allied fields by establishing the Na- the gentlewoman from the District of may have 5 legislative days within tional Association of Intergroup Rela- Columbia [Ms. NORTON] for organizing which to revise and extend their re- tions Officials. The name of that group this special order in honor of our friend marks and to include therein extra- has since been changed, and today it is Arnold Aronson. It is fitting and appro- neous material on the subject of my called the National Association of priate that we gather here on the floor special order this evening. Human Rights Workers. of the House of Representatives to pay The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Arnold Aronson held many offices in tribute to this great man on this, the objection to the request of the gen- that organization, including a term as occasion of his 86th birthday. I want to tleman from South Carolina? president. In fact, it is my great honor personally wish Mr. Aronson a happy, a There was no objection. to have been one of his successor presi- very happy birthday. Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to dents in this organization, and I was As Americans, we owe a debt of grati- pay tribute this evening to one of our pleased to meet with them in Shreve- tude to Arnold Aronson. We live in a Nation's greatest civil rights leaders: port, LA, 3 weeks ago, and look for- better country, a better society, and a Arnold Aronson. Arnold Aronson has ward to their annual meeting in Octo- better world because of the work of been active in civil rights for nearly 60 ber of this year. this civil rights pioneer. I would not be years. b here, I would not be a Member of Con- In 1941, he, along with A. Philip Ran- 2000 gress but for the hard work, dedication, dolph, mobilized a campaign that led During Arnold Aronson's term as and commitment by Arnold Aronson to President Roosevelt's Executive president, he established the Journal of and others like him. order which banned discrimination on Intergroup Relations, which continues These were people who took up the the basis of race, creed or national ori- to the present time and is an organiza- cause of equal rights and civil rights gin in war-related industries. This Ex- tion to which I very often contribute. long before they became politically ecutive order established the first Fair Mr. Speaker, I think that Arnold popular, before they became the fash- Employment Practice Committee. Aronson's lasting legacy, although he ion of the day. Arnold Aronson was one In 1941, Mr. Aronson headed the Bu- has been involved in every major civil of the original founders of the Leader- reau of Jewish Employment Problems, rights effort in this century, is his en- ship Conference on Civil Rights, and H864 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE March 11, 1997 for this he should be commended and Mr. CLYBURN. I thank the gen- tant that at the time that Mr. Aronson remembered. But Mr. Aronson was tleman from Georgia [Mr. LEWIS] for made the commitment to continue more than that, I can tell you. He was his statement. work with the Leadership Conference, the glue that held the civil rights Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentle- he was not just sitting by with idle movement together. woman from Texas [Ms. JACKSON-LEE]. time. He was working full time as pro- I remember many meetings during Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank gram director of the National Commu- the 1960's, many meetings here in my esteemed colleague from South nity Relations Advisory Council, a coa- Washington during some heated discus- Carolina both for his leadership and his lition of major Jewish organizations. sion, sometimes heated debates. It was long service in the area of human and Mr.