[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H1401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1115
                          SALUTE TO ENGINEERS

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my fellow 
Members of Congress to join me in saluting the contributions of 
engineers to America.
  Last week was National Engineers Week celebrated annually since 1951. 
The timing recognizes the role played by our first President, George 
Washington. Washington's education and experience as a land surveyor 
and promoter of invention, education, and the construction of roads, 
canals, docks, and ports earned him the recognition as our Nation's 
first engineer.
  February is also Black History Month and African-American engineers 
invented some of our most important and best-known inventions 
including: blood banks, the four-way traffic signal, and potato chips.
  Engineering is our Nation's second largest profession with more than 
1.8 million working engineers according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor 
Statistics.
  Every day, engineers are creating new ways to use technology to 
improve our quality of life. The contributions of engineers surround us 
and are so pervasive that we sometimes take them for granted.
  National Engineers Week offers us the opportunity to stop, take 
notice, give thanks for the work of engineers, and encourage our young 
people to study science and math and consider engineering as a career.
  Engineers build a better future every day.

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