[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H2594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HURFF A. SAUNDERS FEDERAL BUILDING

  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill (S. 453) to designate the Federal building 
located at 709 West 9th Street in Juneau, Alaska, as the ``Hurff A. 
Saunders Federal Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 453

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF HURFF A. SAUNDERS FEDERAL BUILDING.

       The Federal building located at 709 West 9th Street in 
     Juneau, Alaska, shall be known and designated as the ``Hurff 
     A. Saunders Federal 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 ``Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Franks) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Shows) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks).
  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 453 designates the Federal building in Juneau, Alaska 
as the ``Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building.''
  Hurff A. Saunders was a resident of Alaska who played an instrumental 
role in the State's history both as a territory and as a State. Prior 
to World War II, he emigrated from South Dakota to Ketchikan, Alaska, 
where he accepted a civilian engineering position with the United 
States Coast Guard. During the war he played a critical role in the 
ability of the United States Navy and Coast Guard to navigate the North 
Pacific waters by correctly determining the latitude and longitude of 
various key aids to navigation that were misidentified on official 
charts at that time.
  Following the war, Mr. Saunders returned to a civil engineering 
position with the Federal Government. In this position, he supervised 
several public works projects, completing the projects on schedule and 
within budget.
  In 1966, prior to his retirement, Mr. Saunders successfully completed 
his final Federal construction project, the Juneau Federal Building, 
Post Office and United States Courthouse, which is the building we 
designate in his honor today.
  This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant. I support 
this act. I urge my colleagues to support it as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 453 is a bill to designate the Federal 
building in Juneau, Alaska in honor of Hurff A. Saunders. Mr. Saunders 
was a lifelong Alaskan who helped write chapters of Alaska's history.
  He was a civil engineer for the United States Coast Guard in charge 
of constructing the Juneau Federal Building which was completed on 
budget and on schedule. Mr. Saunders later supervised many public works 
projects for the territory and later the State of Alaska. His work on 
correcting the navigational charts for the waters in southeast Alaska 
aided the Navy and the Coast Guard during World War II.
  Mr. Saunders was widely respected and viewed as a dedicated public 
servant, a devoted father, and beloved husband who lived a full life 
and died peacefully at the age of 94.
  Mr. Speaker, the City of Juneau and the Juneau Rotary Club both 
passed unanimous resolutions supporting this designation. Also, the 
American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of Professional 
Engineers adopted resolutions urging this distinction be bestowed upon 
Mr. Saunders.
  It is fitting and in recognition of his outstanding contributions to 
Alaskan life that the Federal building in Juneau, Alaska, be designated 
the Hurff A. Saunders Federal Building.
  Mr. SHOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Franks) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 453.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________