[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 98 (Thursday, June 15, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1249]]

           A TRIBUTE TO JOHN H. ADAMS FOR 25 YEARS OF SERVICE

                                 ______


                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 14, 1995
  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, today I want to honor John H. Adams, 
executive director of the Pittsburgh Regional Minority Purchasing 
Council, who will be retiring after 25 years of distinguished service.
  John Adams has devoted his energy and skills over the past quarter 
century to increasing opportunities for minorities to participate fully 
in the U.S. economy as entrepreneurs and business leaders. He had been 
a driving force in the Pittsburgh area in the struggle to sweep away 
the still lingering effects of racial discrimination. His work has been 
instrumental in opening doors to men and women who for too long had 
been denied a chance to compete fairly in our society.
  Mr. Adams will be honored at a luncheon on Friday, June 16, in 
Pittsburgh at the Allegheny Club. He has served longer than any other 
council director in the 47-member national organization and is highly 
regarded around the country as the dean of directors. The Business 
Resource Center was formed in 1972 under the auspices of the Allegheny 
Conference on Community Development to develop a program for 
corporations to increase their purchasing with minority businesses. The 
conduit organization, The Regional Minority Purchasing Council, has 
served as the catalyst for purchasing agents in Pittsburgh to increase 
minority participation in providing and bidding on goods and services 
contracts. The corporate membership of 100 firms includes Westinghouse, 
ALCOA, Allegheny General Hospital, The University of Pittsburgh Medical 
Center, and the major area financial institutions.
  John Adams has also been active in the Pittsburgh area as a civic 
leader. He made Pittsburgh and Rotary International history, when in 
1979 and 1980, he served as president of the Pittsburgh Rotary Club, 
one of the largest rotary clubs in the United States. Throughout his 
life, John Adams has excelled at breaking through longstanding barriers 
and providing a role model for others in his community.
  Mr. Speaker, John Adams deserves to be commended for his outstanding 
effort to break down barriers to African-Americans, women, and others 
in our society who have long been denied fair opportunities to 
participate fully in the benefits of our Nation's free enterprise 
system. It is fitting that the U.S. House should have this time to 
reflect on the work of John Adams and the continuing need to ensure 
that all Americans can compete fairly for a chance to succeed as 
businessmen and women.


                          ____________________