[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E55]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING VICTORIA CRISTIANO MARION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 2, 2000

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
a woman who is a woman who has made a difference in her community.
  Victoria Cristiano Marion was born to immigrant parents in Pueblo, 
Colorado. She knows that as long as there is family and education, 
little else matters. From the first day of school, Victoria knew that 
respect for education and for teachers was very important. She always 
knew she wanted to be a teacher and after she graduated from high 
school, Victoria attended summer classes at Western State College in 
Gunnison, Colorado. She passed the state exam that qualified her to 
teach in Colorado.
  Victoria's first teaching position was in Pueblo County at Pleasant 
View School. After that, she worked at Danforth School and became a 
full-time teacher when she received her life certificate in teaching in 
1929. She taught at Bessemer for four years and then accepted a 
position at Strack School.
  In 1943, Victoria passed the principal's exam and was appointed 
teacher-principal at Strack. Victoria was principal at Strack, Edison 
School, Washington School, Goodnight School and Sunset Park School. She 
retired from Sunset in 1973.
  During World War II, Victoria was called upon to sponsor Italian 
prisoners of war who were stationed in Pueblo. She taught them about 
life in America and also about the democratic form of government. Many 
of those soldiers immigrated to the United States after the war. One of 
those soldiers eventually became her husband. Victoria married Vincent 
Marion and they shared 40 years together.
  Victoria taught naturalization classes for Italians that wished to 
become American citizens after the war. She also helped organize the 
local Dante Alighieri Society, an organization dedicated to preserving 
the Italian language. She received the honor of Cavaliere of the 
Italian Republic for her many years of service to the Italian people.
  It is with this, Mr. Speaker, that I would like to offer a tribute to 
Victoria Cristiano Marion. She is a great American, dedicated to 
education and people.

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