[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 203 (Monday, December 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H14976-H14977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MAX ROSENN UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1718) to designate the U.S. courthouse located at 197 South 
Main Street in Wilkes-Barre, PA, as the 

[[Page H14977]]
``Max Rosenn United States Courthouse.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1718

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse located at 197 South Main 
     Street in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``Max Rosenn United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Courthouse 
     referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``Max Rosenn United States Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the 
gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] will be recognized for 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest].
  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Judge Rosenn is a life long resident of the Wilkes-
Barre, PA area. He was a gifted student who graduated from college at 
age 19 and received his law degree at the age of 22. He commenced his 
law practice in Wilkes-Barre. He was appointed to the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1972. Judge Rosenn has had a long and 
distinguished career in public service. He was chairman of the 
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, chairman of the Governors 
Council for Human Services, and former member of the Pennsylvania State 
Council on Civil Defense. Judge Rosenn is a veteran of World War II 
where he served in the South Pacific. He is active in civil, religious, 
fraternal, and business affairs. It is a fitting tribute that we pass 
this bill in his honor and I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.

  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1718, introduced by Congressman Paul Kanjorski, 
will honor the judge Max Rosenn, whose contributions to the judicial 
system and to this community span decades and include literally dozens 
of charitable and religious organizations. In addition to being a 
Federal Judge, Max Rosenn is a World War II veteran, and has served at 
the county and State levels of government. He is particularly to be 
recognized for his efforts as the chairman of the Wyoming Flood 
Recovery Task Force which aided his community during the Hurricane 
Agnes floods. I join my colleague Mr. Kanjorski in honoring Judge Max 
Rosenn and urge your support for H.R. 1718.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania [Mr. Kanjorski], the sponsor of H.R. 1718.
  (Mr. KANJORSKI asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Ohio for 
yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure to rise in support of H.R. 1718, a 
bill to rename a Federal courthouse in Wilkes-Barre after the Honorable 
Max Rosenn, a man who has been a tremendous asset to the people of 
northeastern Pennsylvania and to the United States of America.
  I wish to thank Chairman Gilchrest and ranking member Traficant for 
their assistance in bringing the bill to the floor today. In a show of 
tremendous bipartisan support and a mark of the high regard Judge 
Rosenn commands, the entire Pennsylvania delegation has co-sponsored 
the bill.
  The Rosenn and Kanjorski families have been personal friends and 
professional colleagues for more than 60 years. I have the highest 
respect for Judge Rosenn as a judge, a lawyer, a community leader, and 
a friend.
  Judge Rosenn was born in Luzerne County, PA. A gifted student, Judge 
Rosenn graduated from Cornell at the age of 19 and received his law 
degree from the University of Pennsylvania 3 years later. The judge 
returned home to Luzerne County and entered private practice.
  Judge Rosenn's long and distinguished career in public service began 
in 1941 when he became assistant district attorney for Luzerne County. 
Max served in the South Pacific during World War II as a member of the 
Judge Advocate General Corps. After the war, he again returned home to 
Luzerne County where he continued his active civic life.
  Given the time constraints of my testimony today, I am unable to list 
all of the organizations for which Judge Rosenn played a leadership 
role. They include Wyoming Valley Hospital, Wyoming National Bank, 
Franklin Federal Savings and Loan Association, the Shriners and Masons. 
Judge Rosenn is a trustee emeritus of Wilkes University and a former 
trustee of B'nai Brith. Northeastern Pennsylvania owes a tremendous 
debt of gratitude to Judge Rosenn for his tremendous work as chairman 
of the Wyoming Flood Recovery Task Force which performed so well in 
assisting our community after the devastating Agnes flood.
  In addition to his local service, Judge Rosenn has an outstanding 
record of service to the State of Pennsylvania. He served as a member 
of the State Welfare Board from 1964 to 1966 and was appointed by 
Governor Scranton to become Secretary of Public Welfare. He performed 
so well as administrator of this agency of 33,000 employees charged 
with responsibilities for health, aging, youth, and public assistance 
that he was reappointed by Governor Shafer. During the Shafer 
administration he also served as a member of the Governor's commission 
to revise the public employee laws, chairman of the executive-
legislative task force to restructure human delivery services, and the 
Committee on Children and Youth for the 1970 White House conference.
  On October 7, 1970 Judge Rosenn was appointed to the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the Third Circuit where he has excelled. Judge Rosenn is 
renowned for his fairness and wisdom and is widely respected by his 
colleagues and the bar. Naming this courthouse for Judge Rosenn is a 
fitting tribute to a man who has given so much to his community.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to concur with the statement made here by my good 
friend from Pennsylvania [Mr. Kanjorski], and I wanted to recognize him 
for his efforts in distinguishing the career of Judge Rosenn and the 
fine job he has done in the Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILCHREST. I want to reiterate what the gentleman from Ohio has 
said. We worked together on this. it is an opportunity that should not 
be passed up.
  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 
gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] that the House suspend the rule 
sand pass the bill, H.R. 1718.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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