[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 50 (Thursday, April 18, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3620-S3621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO CHARLES E. GRAINGER

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, one of the major reasons that Huntsville, 
AL, has been nationally recognized as one of the country's top high-
technology growth areas is the strength and vitality of its community 
leadership. One of these visionary leaders is Charles E. Grainger, vice 
president of administration at Teledyne Brown Engineering and 1992 
chairman of the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce. 
Recently, he received the chamber's Distinguished Service Award.
  As chairman of the chamber 4 years ago, Charlie Grainger expanded its 
economic development emphasis to create a coordinated Partnership for 
Economic Development. Madison County led all Alabama's counties in new 
plant and equipment investments that year.
  As vice president of administration at Teledyne Brown, a major 
defense contractor, Charlie is responsible for coordinating 
governmental relations activities with agencies and Congress. He has 
overall management responsibility for the departments of human 
resources, facilities, public relations, administrative services, 
security, technical communications, and computing resources and 
technology. He has held his current position since 1978, having served 
as director of administration from 1967 to 1978. He joined Brown 
Engineering as assistant to the director of administration in 1963.
  Charlie was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1968 
and 1970, and was an award-winning legislator. He sponsored a water 
pollution control act and a school bus safety act, both of which became 
national models. Both pieces of legislation were named after their 
sponsor by joint resolution, which is somewhat rare. As a member of the 
Ways and Means Committee, he secured funding to begin the University of 
Alabama in Huntsville nursing education program, to establish physical 
health facilities at Alabama A&M University, and to complete the 
Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Center. He served as an elected 
member of the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee from 1966 through 
1990, serving as a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention. 
He was a presidential campaign coordinator for

[[Page S3621]]

Senator John Glenn in 1984 and Vice President Al Gore in 1988.
  A native of Lawrence County, Alabama, Charlie grew up in Sheffield, 
attended Florence State College, and earned a master of science degree 
in management from Southeastern Institute of Technology. His work as a 
member of the Base Realignment and Closing Commission Community Task 
Force was invaluable during the base closure rounds of 1991, 1993, and 
1995. He has received the Governor's Air Pollution Control Award; 
Madison County Good Government Award; Alabama Water Conservationist of 
the Year Award; and Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health 
Distinguished Service Award.
  He was originally a journalist. He spent several years as a reporter 
for the Birmingham News. He served as editor and publisher of the 
Valley Voice, a weekly newspaper published in Tuscumbia.
  One of the secrets to Charlie Grainger's phenomenal success is that 
he truly understands that in order to thrive and grow, the various 
groups and resources within a community must be united in supporting 
the bottom-line economic imperatives. In Huntsville's case these are 
the defense and space industries. He is an instrumental unifying force 
who sees the big picture and Huntsville's role in that picture. He is a 
leader who brings people from divergent points of view to common 
understandings so they can work together for the common good.
  I congratulate and commend Charlie for all his accomplishments and 
for his superb leadership role in the development, growth, and vitality 
of the Hunstville area. He is a unique role model and a living 
testament to the tremendous results which can be realized through 
strong partnerships between government and industry.

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