[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 40 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E577-E578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO GEORGE J. COLLINS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 8, 1997

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call my colleagues' attention 
to the passing of a dedicated public servant, Mr. George J. Collins. 
Mr. Collins served in the Marine Corps and in the private sector before 
beginning his career with the Government Printing Office in 1962. Mr. 
Collins served his Government and country with distinction. His 
commitment to public service serves as a model for all who knew him.
  Mr. Collins was a devoted husband, father of 5 daughters, and 
grandfather of 14 grandchildren. He was a beloved constituent and an 
outstanding public servant. Please join with me in honoring his memory.

                           George J. Collins


manager, quality control and technical department, government printing 
                                 office

       George J. Collins, Manager of the Quality Control and 
     Technical Department of the Government Printing Office (GPO), 
     died March 23, 1997. Mr. Collins had a distinguished career 
     of public service at the GPO, and at the time of his death he 
     had general responsibility for the development of product 
     standards and quality attributes, testing, and inspection, as 
     well as the supply of inks, adhesives, and other materials 
     used in Government printing.
       A native of Springfield, OH, Mr. Collins served in the 
     United States Marine Corps. He received his bachelor of arts 
     degree from Wittenberg College and pursued additional studies 
     at the University of Cincinnati, Pennsylvania State 
     University, North Dakota State College, the National Cash 
     Register (NRC) Company, and with international correspondence 
     schools. He earned certification in a variety of technical 
     specialties, including high polymers, paint technology, water 
     and waste treatment, industrial chemistry, and statistical 
     methods.
       Before entering Government service, Mr. Collins worked at 
     NCR as senior research chemist in charge of their polymer 
     group. Earlier experiences included service as a research 
     chemist with the Commonwealth Engineering Company of Ohio, 
     the Chadaloid Corporation, and New Wrinkle, Incorporated. He 
     also worked for the City of Springfield, Ohio, and the Oliver 
     Corporation as a laboratory technician.
       Mr. Collins began his career at the GPO in 1962 as 
     supervisory chemist in the Ink and Reprography Division of 
     the Quality Control and Technical Department. He was promoted 
     to Deputy Manager of the Department in December 1974 and to 
     Manager in 1982. During his service with the GPO, Mr. Collins 
     contributed to the development of plastic printing rollers, 
     automated bank checks, and U.S. mail processing based on 
     tagged inks. He chaired the interagency task group that 
     developed the Federal Information Processing (FIPS) Standard 
     for optical character recognition (OCR) form design, which 
     proved to be the most popular FIPS standard ever published.
       Mr. Collins initiated the GPO's environmental testing and 
     control program. He established the organization that 
     promulgated the GPO's Quality Assurance Through Attributes 
     (QATAP) Program. The QATAP program was a singular achievement 
     that resulted in the use of quantifiable attributes for 
     measuring qualify in Government printing, and it is central 
     to the GPO's program of procuring more than 75 percent of all 
     printing annually from the private sector.
       Mr. Collins served on the Joint Committee on Printing's 
     Advisory Council on Paper Specifications, which establishes 
     standards for the acquisition of printing and writing papers 
     for government use, including recycled paper. In 1994 he 
     assisted the enactment of legislation requiring that all 
     Federal lithographic printing be performed utilizing 
     vegetable oil-based inks. Today, the Congressional Record and 
     other congressional information products are produced on 
     recycled paper with vegetable-based inks, products that Mr. 
     Collins was instrumental in helping to introduce for 
     Government use. He also worked on increasing the use of 
     permanent papers for the production of records with enduring 
     educational and research value.
       Mr. Collins was a member of numerous professional and 
     industry groups, and he represented the GPO on several 
     advisory boards and committees. He was affiliated with the 
     Franklin Technical Society of Washington, DC, the National 
     Association of Litho Clubs (NALC), the Technical Association 
     of the Graphic Arts (TAGA), the Technical Association of the 
     Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), the American Chemical 
     Society (ACS), Toastmasters International, and the Committee 
     for Graphic Arts Technologies and Standards (CGATS). He was 
     the recipient of various awards for his professional 
     activities, including the Award of Excellence from the 
     Printing Institute of America's Executive Development 
     Institute, and several GPO awards.

[[Page E578]]

       Mr. Collins was a devoted husband to his wife Eleanor, 
     father to five daughters, and grandfather to fourteen 
     grandchildren.
       Throughout his career, Mr. Collins exemplified skill in his 
     profession and dedication to public service, and his 
     contributions have made Government printing more cost-
     effective, efficient, and environmentally sound.

                          ____________________