[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 115 (Monday, September 25, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8018-H8019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FREDERICK L. DEWBERRY, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4451) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1001 Frederick Road in Baltimore, Maryland, as the
``Frederick L. Dewberry, Jr. Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4451
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FREDERICK L. DEWBERRY, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 1001 Frederick Road in Baltimore,
Maryland, shall be known and designated as the ``Frederick L.
Dewberry, Jr. Post Office Building''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the ``Frederick L. Dewberry, Jr. Post Office
Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).
General Leave
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on H.R. 4451.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the bill before us, H.R. 4451, was introduced by the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings). This legislation designates the
post office located at 1001 Frederick Road in Baltimore, Maryland, as
the Frederick L. Dewberry Post Office. H.R. 4451 is cosponsored by the
entire House delegation of the State of Maryland.
Frederick L. Dewberry, Jr. was born and raised in the City of
Baltimore. He received his undergraduate degree from Loyola College and
his law degree from the University of Baltimore.
Mr. Dewberry served with distinction during World War II. He became
the chairman of the Baltimore County Council from 1964 and was
appointed deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation
from 1979 to 1984.
Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support H.R. 4451 and commend
the gentleman from Maryland for introducing this legislation. Mr.
Dewberry is most deserving of being honored by having a post office
named after him in the city which he grew up in and spent much of his
life.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
[[Page H8019]]
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois
(Mrs. Biggert), and I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr.
McHugh), our subcommittee chairman, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. Fattah), our ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform,
Subcommittee on the Postal Service, for their support in bringing this
bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that persons who have made meaningful
contributions to society should be recognized. The naming of a postal
building in one's honor is truly a salute to the accomplishments and
public service of an individual. H.R. 4451 designates the United States
Post Office building located at 1001 Frederick Road in Baltimore,
Maryland, as the Frederick L. Dewberry, Jr. Post Office Building.
Frederick L. Dewberry, Jr., was born and raised in Baltimore City. He
is a graduate of Loyola College and received a law degree from the
University of Baltimore.
A lieutenant in World War II, Dewberry served courageously in the
United States Navy on small ships and destroyers in the Pacific Ocean.
After returning from this war, Mr. Dewberry returned to Catonsville,
Maryland, where he and his wife, Anne, raised their five children. The
Baltimore County resident held the post of chairman of the Baltimore
County Council from 1964 to 1966. He was also Baltimore county
executive in 1974. From 1979 to 1984, he was the deputy secretary of
the Maryland Department of Transportation; and he served as secretary
of the Maryland Department of Licensing and Regulation from 1984 to
1986.
In addition to his government service, he was also involved in health
care, serving on the advisory board of St. Agnes Hospital for 20 years
from 1970 to 1990. He also served as president of Blind Industries and
Services of Maryland from 1986 to 1989 and held positions on the
various boards and commissions far too numerous to mention at this
time.
Frederick Dewberry was a tremendous administrator. People loved to
work for him because he was fair. He also used to tell his employees
that he wanted no surprises and all work needed to be done above board.
This philosophy stemmed from his days in the service. In the Navy,
where he was given the name ``Ping,'' he was a sonar operator checking
for submarines in the water.
He served this country with valor and with the expectation that all
work would be done with pride and excellence. In fact, his son,
Delegate Tom Dewberry, who, by the way, is speaker pro tem of the
Maryland House of Delegates, said that his father always told his
brothers and his sister that ``if you do what is right, then you will
be all right.'' He certainly lived by this motto.
{time} 1515
This veteran and public servant died on July 9, 1990. Service to the
Nation and community is to be commended. Without such service, many
would be left without a voice or advocate and our Nation would not be
the world leader it is today.
Citizens like Frederick Dewberry, who give such service by giving of
their time and talents, should be saluted. I urge my colleagues to
support this postal naming bill that salutes a person from my district
who has spent his life giving service to others and lifting up his
neighbors and lifting up his country.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), the chairman of the Subcommittee
on Postal Service, of the Committee on Government Reform.
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs.
Biggert) for yielding the time to me.
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to her for
being here for filling in so capably in my absence, and we certainly
want to thank her for the very eloquent job she did in speaking about
this very deserving individual.
Mr. Speaker, I also wanted to rise and express my appreciation to the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for bringing this bill to our
attention, for bringing this man and his wonderful life to our
attention. This is a rare honor. It is one that we try to protect and
we try to preserve in a way that when it is extended, it is bestowed
upon those individuals who in their lives have made a difference and
who have by example helped us all to learn a little bit more about our
lives and our proper perspective and role in those lives.
I think Mr. Dewberry, as was so very thoroughly and eloquently
expressed by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), has lived that
life; that kind of example, starting with his service to his country
during World War II and spanning decades and decades of service to his
neighbors, to his community, to his county and State, not just in an
official capacity, but in those kinds of organizations and those kinds
of efforts we heard about just a few moments ago.
I think most significantly in this kind of an endeavor, we find the
primary good of someone's existence in one of the comments the
gentleman made in speaking about their father, how a son says he, or it
certainly could have been a daughter, she learned to do the right
thing, to be a good citizen. It is those kinds of perhaps less
publicized but so very important ways that this country becomes a
better place.
Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for
bringing us such a deserving individual, and I certainly want to add my
words of encouragement to all of our colleagues here on both sides of
the aisle in urging their acceptance and vote in favor of this very,
very worthy designation, and also a final word of appreciation, again,
to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to vote and pass
this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4451.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________