[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 135 (Thursday, October 2, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       A POINT OF LIGHT FOR ALL AMERICANS: WILLIAM H. PEASE, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAJOR R. OWENS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 30, 1997

  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Prof. William H. Pease, Jr. 
as a Point of light for the citizens of New York City and for all 
Americans. Professor Pease is a teacher, a former engineer, and a 
forceful advocate of the study of African-American history. Tomorrow, 
October 2, 1997, Professor Pease will be 76 years old. He presently 
serves as professor emeritus, professor of electrical engineering and 
assistant dean of instruction at Suffolk Community College in Selden, 
NY.
  In his own right, William Pease is a Point of light; however, he 
would proudly acknowledge the fact that he is also a reflection of the 
flames left burning by two of his mentors, Rosetta Gaston and Carter G. 
Woodson. In addition to all of his other labors, the promotion of 
African-American history has always been a passion of Professor Pease. 
He was a teenage pupil of Mother Gaston who first introduced him to the 
work of Carter G. Woodson, the founder of the Association for the Study 
of Negro Life and History. It should be noted that Dr. John Hope 
Franklin, the current chairman of the President's Advisory Board on 
Race, was also a disciple of Carter G. Woodson.
  Professor Pease's great passion for the promotion of African-American 
history increases his effectiveness in his work with youth. Wherever 
possible, he is always ready to assist youth-serving programs. Together 
with his daughter, Denise Pease, he has sponsored a scholarship awarded 
through the Central Brooklyn Martin Luther King Commission to student 
winners of essay and art contests. As a teacher and a counselor he has 
directly inspired young people. In his quite and forthright 
presentations, he keeps the spirit of Frederic Douglass and Martin 
Luther King alive.
  Professor Pease is a graduate of Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn 
and Fordham University. Prior to assuming his position at Suffolk 
County Community College, he was a senior instructor at RCA Institute 
and a microwave engineer at Tungsol Electronics. At Suffolk, he has 
served as the director of the educational opportunities program and the 
facility advisor of the Black Students Organization.
  Numerous organizations has previously recognized William Pease as a 
great Point of light. He won accolades as the Tuskegee airmen welter-
weight champion in 1945. He was the first African-American president of 
the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Over the years he 
has received awards from: The Association for the Study of Negro Life 
and History; the New York University Weekend Tutorial Project; the 
Professional Achievement Award of the Brownsville Association for the 
Study of African American Life and History; the Teacher of the Year 
Award from the New York University Outreach Program for Mathematics and 
Science; the Mary McLeod Bethune Award for the motivation of black 
youth; and a proclamation from the Suffolk County Executive for 
outstanding service and leadership.
  Hundreds of the students and disciples of Professor Pease occupy 
leadership positions throughout the city and the Nation. For his 
community and for all Americans, Prof. William H. Pease, Jr. is a great 
point of light.

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