27324 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS August 4, 19·70 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS CRUSADER KHACHADOORIAl{ wear for the general" public, as well as for students using laboratory and shop facilities in schools. HON. F. BRADFORD MORSE Alaska was the first state to enact a law OF MASSACHUSETTS based almost verbatim upon the two bills which Representative Khachadoorian had IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES filed in the Massachusetts Legislature in 1967. OF CALIFORNIA Monday, August 3, 1.E70 Sponsored by ophthalmologist • Milo H. Fritz, a member of the Alaska House of Rep­ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES Mr. MORSE. Mr. Speaker, in the early resentatives, this law, which became effective Tuesday_, Augusi 4, 1970 1950's, when I was teaching law at Boston in May 1969, provides that "no person may University, I had the privilege to meet fabricate, distribute, sell, exchange, or have Mr. CRANS'.l'ON. Mr. President, an and get to know a young law student, now in his possession ... eyeglasses or sunglasses impressive proposal for a family health State representative to the Massachu­ unless they are fitted with plastic lenses or clinic in a small, agricultural community setts General Court, Gregory B. Kha­ with glass lenses which are tempered or qase in the San Joaquin Valley of California, hardened." The bill also outlaws frames was recently funded with a migrant chadoorian. manufactured of cellulose nitrate or other Mr. Khachadoorian's performance as health grant by the Public Health Serv­ highly flammable materials. ice. I supported the proposal and was a student, his career, and his achieve­ Connecticut was the second state to enact OP.:­ ments as a dedicated and effective public almost identical legislation, also based on Mr. pleased that it was approved. Some servant are especially notable, for he has Khachadoorian's ·original texts. "This ts just position had peen expressed by various been almost totally blind since the age the beginning," says Mr. Khachadoorian: He individuals, many of whom are associ­ of 14. fervently hopes to see such"·legislation passed ated with the medical professton. But I was greatly impressed with his abil­ 'in all 50 states, and there are increasing indi­ the merits of the proposal clearly out­ cations that such hopes are justified. weighed the criticisms. ity, his drive and courage, and the con­ Meanwhile, he continues to press for safety cern he displayed for others, despite his In a recent editorial, the Fresno Bee eyeglass legislation in Massachusetts, his na­ endorsed the clinic and made so.me wise own handicap, when I first met him al­ tive state. The present bills were filed in De­ most 20 years ago, and I was privileged cember 1969 fo.r action by the 1970 Legis­ suggestions about how the decision to to have had a hand in his decision to lature. Actually, three bills will be proposed go ahead should be greeted by the var­ enter politics. ' to the Legislature: 1) mandatory use of ious interested parties. I am not surprised that he has been hardened glass or plastic lenses, 2) a ban on I believe that Senators will be inter­ cellulose nitrate based frames, 3) a bill ·in- ested in this example of local response enormously effective in his role as legis­ corporating both provisions. · lator, nor that his efforts for eye safety to a Federal project. I ask unanimous Although Mr. Khachadoorian would of consent that the editorial be printed in legislation have had an effect far beyond course prefer legislation covering all eyeglass the RECORD. the boundaries of the Commonwealth of and suuglass wearers in 50 states, he bellev.es Massachusetts. Indeed, he provides a that a state-by-state approach may possibly There being no objection, the editorial demonstration of courage and public be more realistic. was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, devotion from which every man-with or In the course of his continuing campaign as follows: without the benefit of sight-can draw ln support of hi.s legisli:i.tive proposals, he ad­ ORANGE COVE CLINIC CAN SUCCEED great admiration. dresses indUiStrlal. cllurch, sc,hool, civic and After a flurry of resistance from local phy­ other community groups. Opposition in the sicians, plans are going forward f-0r a. fed.er- It is, therefore, with the deepest re­ past he says, came mainly from a few oph­ r ally subsidized clhilc which wiir mainly spect, and with enormous pride and sin­ thalmic manufac~urers, although this has serve families of season.al farm workers 1n the cere warmth in being able to call Gregory lessened considerably. Orange Cove-Dinuba areas of Fresno and Tu­ Khachadoorian my good friend, that I His staunchest &upporter and coll.aboraoor lare Counties. share with my colleagues today the fol­ is his wife, Mary, a vivacious brunette. They The clinic will be operated initially by the lowing article from News, the publication met at the National Braille Press, Inc. in Fresno County Economic Opportunities ·eom­ of the NationaJ Society for the Preven­ Boston, where she is. chief stereotypist. He mlssion, with a policy board which will in­ tion of Blindness, Inc.: recal)s tpat he ~s sell1ng tickets for a bene­ clude workers, physicians and community fit ball and, as 8.n inducement, offered to representatives. CRUSADER KifACHADOORIAN dance with any takers. Mary took him up on Local physicians, health officers and oth­ Gregory B. Khachadoorian, State Repre­ his offer, and then on his proposal of .mar­ ers have argued• that the clinic proposal was riage, which was celebrated in 1959. sentative to the Massachusetts General Court hastily! developed ~d .111-concelved and a from the 7th Middlesex District Arlington Queried about his hobbies, the 41-year­ clinic would be much more useful elsewhere and Lexington, and one of the Massachusetts old legislator unhesitatingly named eating -and besides, they were not adequately con­ Society's most active and newest board mem­ and reading-in that order. His husky, .slx­ sulted. Their annoyance is understandable bers, credits his legislative career to a blind­ foot frame ·testifies, to the pursuit of the up to a point, although the criticism of· the ing accident incurred when he was 14 years former. Mary even attended an Armenian project appears to be overstated. It is likely old. cookin~ school to learn how to prepare his the clinic will, indeed, fill a need and-prop­ • Mr. Khachadodrian was working in a garage ~avorite dishes. His wide scope of interests erly operated-will gre.atly expand health checking the a~ pressure }n a tire when the and knowledge reflect extensive use of the care opportunities. split rim flew off the wheel and struck him variety .of materials now .available in braille. The US Department 9f Health, Education, across the bridge of his nose and eyes causing An eloquent speaker, he ls equally at home and Welfare has acknowledged that the pri­ -almost total blindness. in Armenian and Turkish, the former being vate practitioners an<J health planners have HiS dreams _of a West Point cat:eer were his·mother's native-tongue. · - a grievance. It has pro~ised more locai par­ ' brusquely- shattered~ Undaunted, young Kha­ Mr. Khachadoorian ls a member of the ticipation in the future. chadoorian, or "Khachy," as scme of his Massachusetts Bar, United States Supreme But it wisely has refused to delay the friends call hilll,p_ursued his.studies with the Court Bar and the United States (Boston) project. help of readers and braille, and graduated District, and Court of Appeals. He ls also a The decision should be acceptea in good from the BostQ.n 1Jnlversity Law School. Shriner, Aleppo Temple, anci a mem~r of grace. The physicians have made their point. A Boston Unlv~Slty law professor, F. Brad­ the Lions Club in Arlington, Massachusetts. The most positive thing they can do now ls ford Morse, J10W a United States Representa­ In summing up his remarkable career at to work closely with the clinic to make .sure tive from Massachuset-ts, and :B:arold Putnam, the halfway mark. Mr. Khachadoorlan not it does the best possible job. Policy differ­ a legiSla'tive &!de to Lever.ett Saltonstall, only attributes his .success to the _efforts he ences wm arise, but they can be worked out former U.S. Senator :from .Massachusetts, .en­ ·made to overcome his handicap, but states, with good wm on both side's. couraged the young l~wyer to enter ,politics. "You could almost say that my ha.ndicaP. be­ And if, as the local medical men contend, Mr. Khachadoorian, now serving his sixth c11-me my profession,'' since he is Chairman a heal•th center for seas0nal workers is needed term as Representative since his 1'959 elec­ of the Advisory Bo~rd of the Massachusetts more in other sectors than in Orange Cove­ tion, has campaigned tirelessly for the enact­ Commission for the Blind, a State Dinuba, they should be working to get the ment of leg'islation to require protective eye- Oommisslon. system expanded. August 4, 1970 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 27325 COMPUTERIZING INFORMATION But on Washington's Capitol Hill, even the on existing systems to attain the objective in FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS most ardent supportets of introduction of a a rational manner anct in context with polit­ sophtsticated ADP system concede that It lcal reality. will be years, perhaps 10, before this can be ' 1But," concludes Chartrand, "the devel­ HON. FLOYD V. HICKS accompllshed. Who are these supporters and opment will be under Wff.y for many years." why do tlley,._ and others, believe it will take Among the authorities id~ntitled earlier OF WASHINGTON so long? none wm disagree that establishment of an IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES First, to name the outstanding supporters, efficient ADP syste;m for Congress will take Tuesday, August 4, 1970 whose expertise and opinions will comprise a long tlme--even longer than Chartrand, much of the remainder of this article: Rep.