[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 26, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1319]]



                        HONORING JAKE HARTZ, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 25, 2000

  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to a great Arkansan. Jake 
Hartz, Jr. celebrates his 80th birthday this week, and I think that 
this is a good time to recognize him in the Congress for his 
accomplishments and service to this country.
  Our national agriculture was profoundly impacted by Jake's promotion 
and development of soybean farming. His family brought the first 
soybean seed to the mid-South, and he achieved remarkable success 
through the Jacob Hartz Seed Co., a leader in the industry. More than 
just a businessman, Jake's long-standing service in State and national 
soybean organizations culminated in his tenure as president of the 
American Soybean Association; in the interim he founded the Arkansas 
Soybean Association, served as president of the Arkansas Seed Dealers 
Association, was named director and finance chairman of the Soybean 
Council of America, and was an active member of the Arkansas Plant 
Board. All this while sitting on the board of directors for the Little 
Rock branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and serving on 
the trust board of the Boy Scouts of America.
  Jake was ahead of his time in understanding the importance of 
research and technology in agriculture. He hired the first registered 
seed technologist in 1952. In 1973, Jake was appointed to the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture's Plant Variety Protection Board, and this 
experience led him to begin a research program to develop higher-yield, 
disease-resistant soybean varieties for the mid-South. Soon thereafter, 
the Hartz Seed Co. established the largest soybean research facility in 
the southern United States.
  Even further, Jake worked tirelessly to protect the valuable surface 
and groundwater supplies in the Grand Prairie region. Through the 
conservation measures and alternative water supplies he proposed, Jake 
contributed significantly toward achieving the re-authorization of the 
Grand Prairie Region and Bayou Meto Basin project.
  Numerous awards and honors have been bestowed upon Jake Hartz, 
including the Presidential ``E'' Certificate for Exports to recognize 
his outstanding contribution to export expansion in Japan, Mexico, and 
Spain; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander's Award for Public 
Service, in honor of his leadership in protecting natural resources; 
and special designations from Ducks Unlimited, the Boy Scouts of 
America, and St. Vincent Infirmary.
  As a veteran of World War II, a community activist, an outstanding 
businessman, a leader in agriculture, and a generous public servant, 
Jake Hartz deserves our respect and gratitude. On behalf of the 
Congress, I am proud to extend best wishes to my good friend on his 
80th birthday.

                          ____________________