[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 65 (Monday, May 23, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                ALVARO DE LUGO UNITED STATES POST OFFICE

  Miss COLLINS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 4190) to designate the U.S. post office located 
at 41-42 Norre Gade in Saint Thomas, VI, as the ``Alvaro de Lugo United 
States Post Office'', as amended.

                               H.R. 4190

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The building located at 41-42 Norre Gade in Saint Thomas, 
     Virgin Islands, shall, for the period of time during which it 
     houses operations of the United States Postal Service, be 
     known and designated as the ``Alvaro de Lugo Post Office''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the building referred 
     to in section 1 shall, with respect to the period referred to 
     in section 1, be deemed to be a reference to the Alvaro de 
     Lugo Post Office.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mazzoli). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentlewoman from Michigan [Miss Collins] will be recognized for 20 
minutes, and the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Petri] will be 
recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan [Miss Collins].
  Miss COLLINS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the passage of H.R. 4190, which will designate 
the U.S. post office building located at 41-42 Norre Gade in Saint 
Thomas, VI the ``Alvaro de Lugo United States Post Office''.
  Mr. de Lugo was a former Postmaster General of the Virgin Islands and 
served on the police and fire commission. His dedication to the 
community is further illustrated through his works as an acting 
postmaster at Charlotte Amalie and chairman of the land authority.
  I am pleased to join Congressman de Lugo and the citizens of Saint 
Thomas, VI in their desire to name the postal facility located at 41-42 
Norre Gade in Saint Thomas, VI the ``Alvaro de Lugo United States Post 
Office.'' I support the passage of H.R. 4190, and urge my colleagues to 
support the measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4190, legislation designating 
the post office located at 41-42 Norre Gade in Saint Thomas, VI. as the 
``Alvaro de Lugo United States Post Office.''
  Alvaro de Lugo served as Postmaster General of the Virgin Islands 
from 1933 until his death on February 5, 1958.
  Mr. de Lugo was the first native son to serve as Postmaster General 
of the Virgin Islands. Under Alvaro de Lugo's leadership, the postal 
service in the Virgin Islands was built to a peak of efficiency and 
service, which won him praise from his supervisors, respect from his 
employees, and the community.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. de Lugo was a dedicated civil servant, civic, and 
community leader, who worked diligently to improve not only the postal 
service but the way of life in the Virgin Islands.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Miss COLLINS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to my colleague, the gentleman from the Virgin Islands [Mr. de 
Lugo].
  Mr. de LUGO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me 
this time and for the gracious manner in which she has handled this 
legislation. I want to thank you on behalf of the people of the Virgin 
Islands, and I also want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for the 
manner in which this bill and other bills were handled on behalf of the 
people of the Virgin Islands.
  Mr. Speaker, the late Alvaro de Lugo was an older cousin of mine. 
This should not bar him from his rightful due, I hope. He was the first 
native Postmaster of Saint Thomas. He was very well known and very 
admired.
  There are many post offices on Saint Thomas now, thanks to this 
Congress, I must say, and this committee, but somehow this is the 
historic post office. It is down there near the Emancipation Garden, 
and it is a post office that Alvaro de Lugo helped to design. He was 
the Postmaster there until the time of his death.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4190, a bill to 
designate the historic Emancipation Gardens Station on St. Thomas, VI, 
the ``Alvaro de Lugo United States Post Office Building,'' in 
recognition of the first native-born Postmaster of Charlotte Amalie on 
St. Thomas, VI.
  Born on St. Thomas in 1906, Alvaro de Lugo began his career with the 
U.S. Postal Service in 1925, shortly after his graduation from High 
School, as a clerk in New York. He enjoyed success, but longed for his 
native Virgin Islands and returned home in 1933.
  At the youthful age of 26, Alvaro de Lugo was appointed as the Acting 
Postmaster General of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. He served with such 
distinction that he was appointed Postmaster of Charlotte Amalie in 
1934.
  Alvaro de Lugo supervised the construction of the Emancipation Garden 
facility of the U.S. Postal Service, where he relocated postal 
operations upon its completion in 1938.
  Alvaro de Lugo was known for working long hours and for his 
propensity to assist postal customers personally to assure they 
received the best possible service.
  Once, while assisting with the unloading of mail from a ship, Alvaro 
de Lugo slipped and broke several ribs. Yet he defied his doctor's 
orders to remain in bed to return to the work he loved.
  H.R. 4190 recognizes the accomplishments of Alvaro de Lugo an 
outstanding Virgin Islander and names the facility that he saw to 
completion in his honor. Therefore, I urge passage of this bill.
  Miss COLLINS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Michigan [Miss Collins] that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4190, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to 
designate the building located at 41-42 Norre Gade in Saint Thomas, 
Virgin Islands, for the period of time during which it houses 
operations of the United States Postal Service, as the Alvaro de Lugo 
Post Office.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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