[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 29, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H231-H232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING FORMER CONGRESSMAN LUCIEN BLACKWELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today with a 
very heavy heart as the passing of a dear, dear friend of mine and a 
dear friend of a lot of people, former Congressman Lucien Blackwell.
  Lucien Blackwell was a Korean decorated war hero. He was a Member of 
this body. He was a member of the Pennsylvania State Legislature, a 
member of city council, and he was a very famous labor leader. Lucien 
Blackwell was a champion for the little people.
  Two things come to mind when you talk about Lucien Blackwell: He was 
a warrior, and he had passion. He was a warrior and a fighter for the 
people who could not fight for themselves, and he spoke for people who 
could not speak for themselves.
  Mr. Speaker, in my 18 years as a party chairman for the city of 
Philadelphia, he was my vice chair. He stood beside me for 18 years, 
and for 18 years there was never a motion on the floor that he did not 
make or he did not second. He was without question a man of integrity 
and a man who will be missed.
  I was with him the day before he passed. We did our normal 
politicking and our famous back-room scheming, always to try to help 
somebody else.
  I would not be here today if it was not for Lucien Blackwell. When 
this seat became vacant, the first congressional seat of Pennsylvania, 
he was going to fill it. He was going to come back and resume his 
career as a Congressman. And then 2 days prior to submitting the name, 
he said to me that he met with his family, was having breakfast with 
his granddaughters and grandsons, and they said to him, Pop-Pop, if you 
went back to Congress we could not be doing this with you. So he 
thought better of it. He thought better to stay with his family and not 
to come back to this body, and that is why I am here. He nominated me, 
and I took that congressional seat.
  I feel a little responsible for allowing his family to have him for 5 
more years, which is a very short time.
  Mr. Speaker, the Nation, this body lost a good man. The State of 
Pennsylvania lost a good man. The city of Philadelphia and the labor 
movement lost a good man. His family, they lost a loving husband; his 
loving wife, city council lady Janey Blackwell. His family lost a 
father, a brother, a grandfather, a great grandfather. And, Mr. 
Speaker, I lost a good friend. He will never be forgotten, and for sure 
he can never be replaced.

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