[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 24, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           VIRGINIA R. SAUNDERS, 50 YEARS OF FEDERAL SERVICE

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                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 24, 1995
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Virginia 
Saunders, congressional document specialist at the Government Printing 
Office, for reaching 50 years of dedicated and enthusiastic Federal 
service on Friday, May 26, 1995.
  Ms. Saunders was born Virginia R. Frisbie in Darlington, MD, on 
October 11, 1926. After working briefly at the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation, she came to the Government Printing Office on February 
4, 1946, as a war service junior clerk typist in the division of public 
documents, stock section. Two years later, she was promoted to the 
division of public documents reference section. In February 1951, Ms. 
Saunders was promoted to indexing clerk and earned subsequent 
promotions in the same classification. In July 1958, she was promoted 
to library technician. Becoming a congressional documents specialist in 
April 1970, she was then promoted to supervisor of the congressional 
documents section in July 1974. In October 1983, Ms. Saunders assumed 
her current position of congressional documents specialist in the 
congressional printing management division, customer services.
  Although one may not yet recognize the name of this outstanding GPO 
employee, the end product of her dedicated efforts is certainly 
familiar. Ms. Saunders has primary responsibility for the Congressional 
Serial Set, which is a compilation of all the House and Senate 
documents and reports issued for each session of Congress. Dummy 
volumes establishing the format for each edition are prepared and 
assigned a serial number following each session of Congress. The actual 
books are produced by GPO's binding division, often as many as 100 
volumes per set for each session of Congress. As a chronicle of events 
of the U.S. Congress over the years, the Congressional Serial Set is 
rivaled only by the Congressional Record. While the Serial Set records 
behind-the-scenes legislative activities for the United States, the 
Congressional Record reflects the ``in session'' proceedings. 
Distributed to the House and Senate libraries, the Archives, the 
Library of Congress, and depository libraries, the Congressional Serial 
Set joins the Congressional Record in offering students and historians 
a rich insight into the American system of government.
  In late 1989, Ms. Saunders drew upon her indepth knowledge of 
depository library program responsibilities in informing the Nation, 
and her then-43 years of GPO experience, to submit an employee 
suggestion regarding the appendix to the Iran Contra Report to 
Congress. She suggested that this 40-volume publication, which was 
printed as both a Senate and House report, be bound only once for the 
serial set volumes of House and Senate reports that are sent to 
depository libraries. She further suggested that the Schedule of 
Volumes, which is a listing of the bound volumes, contain a notation 
explaining the mission serial number voluments. The implementation of 
this suggestion resulted in a reduction of 13,740 book volumes to be 
bound, saving the Federal Government over $600,000. In recognition of 
these efforts, she received GPO's top monetary Suggestion Award for 
that year. In ceremonies held on January 9, 1991, Ms. Saunders was 
awarded a Presidential letter of commendation under the Presidential 
Quality and Management Improvement Award Program. In his letter to Ms. 
Saunders, President Bush noted, ``You have demonstrated to an 
exceptional degree my belief that Federal employees have the knowledge, 
ability, and desire to make a difference.''
  I know my colleagues and Ms. Saunders' family, friends, and coworkers 
join me in congratulating her on 50 years of exemplary Federal service.


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