[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 150 (Friday, October 31, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11569-S11570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING SENIOR JUDGE ABRAHAM LINCOLN MAROVITZ

 Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, it is my great pleasure to 
join the celebration of the 75th anniversary of American ORT, and to 
congratulate Senior Federal Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz on being 
American ORT's Diamond Jubilee Award winner.
  Each year, American ORT provides high-technology vocational training 
and education to over 6,000 students in cities across the country, 
including Chicago at the Zarem/Golde ORT Technical Institute. 
Worldwide, ORT teaches comprehensive technical skills to over 250,000 
students in 60 countries. As a private, nonsectarian, nonpartisan, 
nonprofit organization, ORT has provided hope and opportunity to 
hundreds of thousands of people through high quality vocational 
education.
  The stunning success of American ORT during the past 75 years 
certainly would not have been possible without the presence of its 
brightest star, Senior Federal Court Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz. 
The contributions made by Judge Marovitz to American ORT, the State of 
Illinois, and our Nation are, quite simply, without peer.
  Judge Marovitz overcame humble beginnings amidst the poverty of 
Chicago's west side to lead a remarkable life of public service. After 
graduating from Chicago-Kent College of Law at the age of 19 in 1927, 
Judge Marovitz went on to serve as an Assistant Illinois states 
attorney and an Illinois State senator. In 1943, at the age of 38, 
Judge Marovitz waived his senatorial deferment and enlisted as a 
private in the U.S. Marine Corps. After seeing combat and being wounded 
in the Pacific Theater, he retired from the Marines with the rank of 
sergeant major.
  In 1950, Abraham Lincoln Marovitz was elected judge of the Superior 
Court of Illinois. From 1958 to 1959, he served as the chief justice of 
the Criminal Court of Cook County. Judge Marovitz received national 
recognition for his jurisprudence in 1963 when President Kennedy 
appointed him as the U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern 
District of Illinois. In 1975, Judge Marovitz assumed senior status as 
a U.S. District Court Judge, a position in which he continues to serve 
the people of Illinois and the Nation.
  Judge Marovitz has not been content to focus solely on his career. 
Instead, he has freely given both his time and talents to a wide range 
of community organizations. In addition to his association with 
American ORT, he has served groups including the Jewish War Veterans of 
the United States, the National Conference of State Court Trial Judges, 
and the American Legion. Moreover, Judge Marovitz served as chairman of 
the board of the Lincoln National Bank for 17 years, was a board member 
and trustee of Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Chicago Medical 
School, the Chicago Bar Association, and numerous other civic, 
religious, and veterans organizations.
  For his voluntarism, Judge Marovitz has been honored by organizations 
such as the Variety Club, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the 
Anti-Defamation League, the United Neighborhood Organization of 
Chicago, the Jesse Owens Foundation, the Chicago City Council, the 
State of Illinois, and the State of Israel. These awards are but a few 
of the many testaments to his unyielding devotion to and enduring love 
for his fellow man and woman.
  For all his civic commitments, Judge Marovitz has never lost his 
common touch and regard for individuals no matter their station in 
life. Specifically, I am personally ever indebted to him for the many 
kindnesses he showed me years ago, when I was a young assistant U.S. 
attorney.

[[Page S11570]]

  Without a doubt, the city of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and our 
country have benefited greatly from the many selfless contributions 
that Judge Marovitz has made over the years. He is not only a Chicago 
treasure, but a national treasure as well. I take great pride in 
congratulating him on his American ORT Diamond Jubilee Award. It is 
also my distinct honor to celebrate 75 wonderful years of ORT in the 
United States.

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