[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 71 (Thursday, June 9, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS TO MARLAN AND ROSEMARY BOURNS

                                 ______


                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 9, 1994

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, our country has achieved many great things 
because Americans have had the vision to dream great dreams and the 
courage to make these dreams come true. And, once their dreams have 
become realities, they have not stopped dreaming. Rather, they have 
dreamed newer, bolder dreams and reached out to help others achieve 
dreams of their own.
  My State of California has always been home to many of America's most 
daring dreamers and entrepreneurs. It is the home of pioneers in the 
fields of aviation, electronics, and computers. And, it is home to many 
of America's greatest universities where research into today's dreams 
produces tomorrow's technologies.
  Today in Riverside, CA, the University of California at Riverside 
will become the beneficiary of a gift of $6 million in honor of two 
California dreamers who solved the problem of accurate electrical 
measurement of position which was critical to the growing aerospace 
industry. Their invention was a device called a linear-motion 
potentiometer.
  The couple who developed this technology, Marlan and Rosemary Bourns, 
began building prototypes of the instrument in their garage in 
Altadena, CA, and in 1950 they moved their new company, Bourns, Inc., 
to Riverside. And over the last 40 years, the Bourns have never stopped 
dreaming. The little business they started in their garage is now a 
$250 million international corporation specializing in the design, 
manufacture, and marketing of high technology products for the 
computer, telecommunications, appliance, automotive, medical, 
instrumentation, and audio markets. With world-wide headquarters in 
Riverside, it has design centers and manufacturing facilities in 
California, Utah, Illinois, Mexico, Ireland, Scotland, Taiwan, and 
Costa Rica.
  The gift to UCR's college of engineering from the Bourns Foundation 
was the idea of Rosemary's and Marlan's four children, Gordon Bourns, 
Linda Bourns Hill, Anita Bourns Macbeth, and Denise Bourns Moyles. They 
wanted to recognize the significant contributions their parents have 
made to the electronics industry and to the advancement of technology, 
and to honor them as role models.
  Throughout their lives, the Bourns have demonstrated the spirit of 
entrepreneurship and generosity that have made America the great 
country that it is. In addition to contributing their own ideas and 
talents to advance technology, they have also given freely of their 
time, talents, and financial resources to help young Americans develop 
their own talents. By providing engineering scholarships at UCR and 
sponsoring events such as Science and Engineering Day for bright high 
school students, the Bourns have tried to encourage others to achieve 
their visions for the future.
  On behalf of the citizens of California's 43d Congressional District, 
I want to add my heartfelt congratulations and thanks to Marlan and 
Rosemary Bourns for their long-time support of the University of 
California at Riverside, and particularly for their gift of $6 million 
for use at UCR's new Bourns College of Engineering. This gift will 
enable a new generation of Californians to dream great dreams and 
accomplish great things.

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