[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 71 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E968-E969]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE DEDICATION OF THE JOHN D. ONG LIBRARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM SAWYER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 9, 2000

  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, June 10, Western Reserve 
Academy in Hudson, OH, will dedicate a new building, the John D. Ong 
Library. I am pleased to note, that it is not a memorial service, but 
one of celebration. For John Ong, when he is not tending to his 
Pennsylvania farm, continues to contribute his time, wisdom, and 
service to our community and to our Nation.
  John Ong has described himself as ``the World's Most Flexible Man.'' 
But that flexibility does not mean inconsistency. Since his college 
days, John Ong has recognized that a knowledge of history and the 
humanities is essential for well-rounded citizenship. So, while John 
embraces change, he values the principles that guide and strengthen our 
Nation. He understands that committed corporate activism strengthen 
communities as much as it does corporate ledgers and the national 
economy. He is a reminder of the good things that come about when 
businesses and their leaders see themselves as part of the community 
rather than as self-interested, self-contained entities.
  John Ong's career in business is a well documented story of 
accomplishment and service. A graduate of the Ohio State University and 
the Harvard Law School, John spent 36 years at the BFGoodrich Company, 
rising from assistant counsel in 1961 to chairman and CEO from 1979 to 
1997. At a time when the tire and rubber industry was buffeted by 
global change, John Ong demonstrated remarkable vision and leadership 
as he guided and transformed his company from a tire manufacturer into 
a leading provider of aircraft systems and specialty chemicals.
  Today, as chairman emeritus, John has not rested on his laurels, but 
looks to the future, most notably through his work with New American 
Schools, a non-profit corporation dedicated to raising student 
achievement through comprehensive school reform.

[[Page E969]]

  That devotion to the highest values in education also abides in his 
long relationship with Western Reserve Academy, one of the Nation's 
oldest and most respected independent schools. The school, like John 
Ong, reveres and respects the past, while keeping pace with educational 
innovation. Both John Ong and Western Reserve Academy are committed to 
excellence and high personal standards.
  The founders of Western Reserve Academy hoped to create ``the best 
institution for learning in the world.'' John Ong has done his part to 
make that vision a reality. John's service to the academy includes 20 
years as a board member and 18 years as board president, directing 
renovations and chairing capital campaigns. During his tenure as 
president the school's endowment more than tripled.
  For all of his business and civic good works, I think it is 
especially appropriate to honor John Ong by affixing his name to a 
library. Libraries preserve the past, the record of our Nation, the 
fundamentals of our culture and our society. Libraries enable us to 
share ideas over time and distance with great minds from the past and 
the present.
  Most important, libraries are concrete manifestations of a commitment 
to our fellow citizens, to learn from the past and to look to the 
future. We cannot know where we are going as individuals, communities, 
or as a nation, if we do not first know where we have been.
  Libraries today face growing challenges as they continue their 
honored role as guardians of free speech and inquiry, and as providers 
of information. The new John Ong Library at Western Reserve Academy 
answers that challenge--built with an appreciation of the past, but 
incorporating the digital technology that is daily challenging and 
changing how we gather and manage information.
  No name could be more appropriate for such a library than that of 
John Ong.
  Mr. Speaker, John's own words drawn from a commencement address he 
delivered at the Ohio State University a few years ago serve well on an 
occasion like this. Towards the end of his speech, he echoed the 
timeless words of an earlier age: ``My message is . . . ask not what 
your rights and freedoms are in society, ask rather what duties and 
obligations you have toward society. Focus not on your rights but on 
your responsibilities. As graduates of a great university you will have 
plenty of opportunities for rewarding and fulfilling careers. As you 
pursue those careers, however, please keep in mind the larger social 
context in which you will be operating.''
  Mr. Speaker, John Ong not only spoke those words, he has lived them. 
His leadership has extended across the nation, but his legacy endures 
at home. I am proud to call him a friend, and I can think of no more 
fitting tribute to him than a library, dedicated to learning, dedicated 
to the community, and grounded in the past but dedicated to the future.

                          ____________________