[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H9938-H9939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H9938]]
                  MERVYN DYMALLY POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2348) to redesignate the Federal building located at 701 
South Santa Fe Avenue in Compton, California, and known as the Compton 
Main Post Office, as the ``Mervyn Dymally Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2348

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REDESIGNATION.

       The Federal building located at 701 South Santa Fe Avenue 
     in Compton, California, and known as the Compton Main Post 
     Office, shall be known and designated as the ``Mervyn Dymally 
     Post Office Building''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``Mervyn Dymally Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. McHugh) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh).


                             General Leave

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on 
this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  As I alluded to in my opening remarks on the previous bill, we indeed 
have here a very different but equally important story about the 
expansion and about the growth of this great country and its path to 
become the longest-lived democracy in the history of the world.
  This bill, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2348, was introduced by our 
distinguished colleague the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-
McDonald) on July 31, 1997. There have been 86 Members who cosponsored 
this legislation which even when you consider that 51 are as required 
under House committee rules from the State of California, it is an 
extraordinary number to find on this kind of proposal. I think that 
fact in and of itself reflects very highly both on the sponsor who has 
made the great effort to bring together so many in support of this 
measure but also obviously is a statement on the achievements and the 
worthiness of the recipient.
  This legislation designates the Federal building located at 701 South 
Santa Fe Avenue in Compton, California, presently known as the Compton 
Main Post Office, as the Mervyn Dymally Post Office Building. Like so 
many Americans before him, Mervyn Dymally was born not directly in the 
United States but rather in Cedros, Trinidad, British West Indies. 
After he attended government school there and graduating from secondary 
school in San Fernando, Trinidad, he came to the United States like so 
many before him to study at the Lincoln University in Jefferson City, 
Missouri. After completing his education, including earning his 
doctorate in 1969 from United States International University, he then 
began a career of distinguished public service. He became a California 
State Assemblyman from 1963 to 1966, then became a California State 
Senator from 1967 to 1975, and then Lieutenant Governor of the great 
State of California from 1975 to 1979.
  To those in this body, though, he is probably best remembered as a 
Member of the 97th Congress where he served for five succeeding terms. 
He was a member indeed of the then Committee on Post Office and Civil 
Service. Presently our former colleague resides in Los Angeles.
  As I said, Mr. Speaker, this is a story of America. It is a story of 
what makes this country great. In this nominee and in this gentleman, I 
think we have an extraordinarily worthy individual, one again that I 
commend our colleague from California for bringing to our attention and 
thank her and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the others on 
the subcommittee for their efforts in bringing this to the floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I am proud to join the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) in 
bringing to the House floor H.R. 2348, legislation naming the United 
States Post Office located at 701 South Santa Fe Avenue in Compton, 
California, as the Mervyn Dymally Post Office Building.
  A Member of Congress from 1980 until his retirement in 1992, 
Congressman Mervyn Dymally represented the 31st Congressional District 
with both distinction and honor. During his time in Congress, he served 
on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chairing the Subcommittee on 
International Operations, the Post Office and Civil Service Committee, 
and the District of Columbia Committee. He also served as Chair of the 
Congressional Black Caucus. Congressman Dymally sponsored legislation 
advocating the causes of many human rights groups and devoted 
particular attention to United States policies toward nations in Africa 
and the Caribbean. A few days ago, I had the pleasure of meeting his 
son, who is following in his footsteps as a public servant as a member 
of a local commission.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the sponsor of 
this legislation, the former mayor of the City of Compton, California, 
the honorable Congresswoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald).
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the great 
gentleman from Illinois for his kind words and for yielding time to me. 
I would like to thank the chairman for his sensitivity in the support 
of the bill and for the kind words that he has given and extended to 
the recipient.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to my dear friend, former 
Congressman Mervyn Malcolm Dymally and redesignate the Post Office 
located at 701 South Santa Fe Avenue in Compton, California, currently 
known as the Compton Main Post Office, to the Mervyn Dymally Post 
Office Building.
  Jet Magazine, a prominent African-American publication, once wrote, 
``Few black elected officials were more aggressive, uncompromising and 
daring than representative Mervyn Dymally.''
  Mervyn Dymally was elected to the United States House of 
Representatives in 1981 as the body's first foreign born member. Mervyn 
came to this country in 1945 from Cedros, Trinidad, British West Indies 
as a 19-year-old student to attend Lincoln University in Jefferson 
City, Missouri and to study journalism. After attending Lincoln 
University, Dymally traveled to California to attend Chapman College in 
Los Angeles before transferring to California State University, Los 
Angeles where he graduated in 1954 with a bachelor of arts in 
education. After graduation, Mervyn taught educationally handicapped 
children in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
  In addition to a bachelor's degree, Dymally also holds a master's in 
government from California State University, Sacramento and a Ph.D. in 
human behavior from the United States International University. Mervyn 
is also a distinguished member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and a 
member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Scholastic Society.
  Mervyn's political career began in 1960 when he worked as a field 
coordinator for then presidential candidate John F. Kennedy.

                              {time}  2030

  Building upon his success in the Kennedy campaign, Dymally was 
elected to the California State Assembly in 1963 and then to the State 
Senate in 1967 where he served for 8 years. As a State Senator, Dymally 
chaired the committees on social welfare and veterans affairs, 
elections and reapportionment, and a select committee on medical 
education and health. In 1975, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of 
the State of California and was the State's first and highest-ranking 
African American elected official to have been voted statewide in an 
election.
  On January 3, 1981, following a diverse career in education and 
government, Mervyn Dymally was sworn in as a Member of the 97th 
Congress, representing California's 31st District,

[[Page H9939]]

where he served his constituents for six terms.
  Congressman Dymally served on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs 
where he was the Chair of the Subcommittee on International Operations. 
Dymally also became the only other black to chair the Subcommittee on 
Africa, succeeding former Detroit Representative Charles Diggs who held 
the post 20 years earlier than that. In his first year he traveled to 
20 African countries. He launched the drive to increase the number of 
minority business investments on the continent and paid particular 
attention to the United States policies toward assistance levels to 
African and the Caribbean nations. In addition to his position on the 
Foreign Affairs Committee, Mervyn also served on the Post Office and 
Civil Service Committee and the Committee on the District of Columbia, 
chairing its Subcommittee on Judiciary and Education. While in 
Congress, Dymally sponsored legislation advocating several human rights 
issues. One of his crowning achievements was the passage of legislation 
authorizing relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in war-torn 
Liberia.
  When Mervyn retired in 1992, he was praised for leadership in raising 
the Congress' awareness of the suffering and misery in Africa and his 
ability to devise new initiatives for remedies.
  Since his retirement from Congress Mervyn was quoted as saying, ``In 
retirement I am busier now than ever.'' Indeed he is. Since leaving 
Congress, Mr. Speaker, he has traveled extensively to Africa and to the 
Caribbean. His duties as President of the Grace Home for Waiting 
Children and Chairman of the Caribbean Action Lobby keep the time on 
his schedule at a premium.
  Former Congressman Dymally is also a distinguished professor at the 
Central State University in Ohio and is also the President of the 
Dymally International Group, a consulting and financial advisory firm.
  If these activities were not enough to keep him busy, former 
Congressman Dymally serves as Honorary Counsel to the Republic of 
Benin, West Africa, and Vice President of the Pacific Century 
Institute.
  At every step in his career Mervyn has made his family proud. He has 
demonstrated to us what hard work and dedication to one's belief can 
accomplish. He dedicated his life to serving the people of the State of 
California and was the pride of his native Trinidad.
  In an age of 30-second sound bites, Mervyn rarely held press 
conferences and often steered clear of glitzy words. He was a diligent 
and capable advocate for the needs of his constituents and will also be 
known as an industrious, savvy politician. Designating the post office 
located in Compton, California, as the Mervyn Dymally Post Office 
Building is a honor befitting his service to his community and to the 
State of California.
  I would like to thank his wife, Alice, his children, Mark and Lynn 
Dymally, and his grandchildren, Maya, Christian and Cameron, for 
sharing him with us. I would also like to thank the members of the 
California delegation and other members for joining me in cosponsoring 
this legislation and paying tribute to one of California's political 
giants and one of the most distinguished statesmen I have ever known 
and had the privilege of knowing, the gentleman of California, 
Congressman Mervyn Dymally.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  We have no further speakers, and so I commend once again the chairman 
of this subcommittee for the outstanding work that he and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), did. It has been 
a pleasure working with them and other members of the committee 
throughout this past session, and we look forward to another great time 
beginning in January.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me return the fine and very gracious compliment of 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). I, too, thoroughly enjoyed 
working with him and with his colleagues on the minority side, but also 
I think it really speaks well of our colleagues on both sides. It has 
been a pleasure, and, with the vagaries of democracy aside, I am 
looking forward perhaps to working with him in the future.
  So with that, Mr. Speaker, and a final word of praise to the 
gentlewoman from California who sponsored this very worthy measure, I 
would urge our colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2348.
  The question was taken.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gutknecht). Pursuant to clause 5 of rule 
I and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this 
motion will be postponed.

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