[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 38 (Tuesday, April 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        HUGH CLELAND: A LONG ISLANDER WHO HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE

                                 ______


                      HON. GEORGE J. HOCHBRUECKNER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 1994

  Mr. HOCHBRUECKNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Hugh 
Cleland, an outstanding American and Long Island resident who is being 
recognized for his many efforts to improve his community.
  On March 19, 1994, the Long Island Progressive Coalition honored one 
of its founders with its award of A Long Islander Who Has Made a 
Difference. Hugh Cleland, professor emeritus at the State University of 
New York at Stony Brook, has enjoyed a career as a teacher, an 
outstanding historian, and an expert on the 1920's and 1930's in the 
field of the American labor movement. He is known to be a dedicated and 
innovative teacher, photographer, humorist, writer, speaker, and a 
caring husband, father, neighbor, and friend.
  As a professor, his clear, well-crafted lectures and personal 
magnetism have encouraged many students to pursue studies in the field 
of history. He has led his students into the neighboring community and 
gently nudged them to become involved in improving their world. Hugh 
received a Special Recognition Award from the Stony Brook Alumni 
Association ``for years of unselfish and professional service to the 
university and its alumni.'' He also received the university's 
Chancellors' Award for Excellence in Teaching.
  Born in Marion, OH, Hugh Cleland grew up in Akron, where he went to 
school and where, after a stint in the Army, he worked in an automobile 
factory for a year. He received his bachelor of arts from West Virginia 
University, a master of arts from the University of Pittsburgh, and a 
doctorate of philosophy from Case Western Reserve.
  Hugh is recognized by his unusual array of hats, and the many 
phillosophic, political, and humorous pins he regularly sports on his 
jacket. The anecdotes and jokes with which he greets his students, 
friends, and anyone who will listen are as much a part of him as his 
warm smile and pleasant demeanor. The Three Village and the Long Island 
community is fortunate to have Hugh Cleland as an active participant 
working to make needed changes. He has the gift of helping us see 
ourselves as we are without offending us. We look forward to his 
frequent letters to the editor that often point out our 
inconsistencies.
  Hugh Cleland's concern for the less fortunate and his inclination to 
help others is shared by those closest to him. His wife of 44 years, 
Celia, is an active community leader and a longtime advocate of housing 
for the poor. Their daughters Jane and Laura both chose careers that 
reflect their parents' concern for people.
  A longtime active leader in the Democratic Party, Hugh Cleland has 
been a committeeman, zone leader, and general party organizer. He 
brought into the Democratic organization a long list of active workers 
and candidates for office and then helped get them elected.
  Hugh Cleland's most recent efforts have been as a leader and lobbyist 
in support of legislation to establish a single-payer health care plan. 
He can be found at coalition meetings, meetings with his Congressman, 
dinner parties, and just about anywhere he can persuade the uninformed 
that the McDermott-Wellstone single-payer health care bill is the best 
answer to America's health care problem.
  Mr. Speaker, I am confident that Hugh Cleland will continue for many 
more years to make a difference every day, in every way. If you are 
lucky, he will call on you to join with him. I congratulate Hugh 
Cleland on his dedication and his many contributions, and I am proud to 
call him my friend.

                          ____________________