[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 82 (Thursday, June 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO JOHN N. ARGER ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM 
                                TEACHING

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 4, 2003

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work and 
achievements of John Arger, a dear, close friend of mine who has 
challenged the thinking of literally thousands of students in his 
Marinette High School government and social studies classes since 1974.
  John retired June 2, after 29 years of inspired teaching at Marinette 
High, which is just a stone's throw across the Menominee River in 
Wisconsin from my 1st Congressional District of Michigan. We don't use 
passports to cross the river, and John has made many important 
contributions to the two communities of Marinette, WI, and Menominee, 
MI, over his many years of teaching and involvement in local politics.
  I have seen John in action when I visited his classes at Marinette 
High, and can testify from experience that he made the subjects of 
government and social studies come alive for his students. A favorite 
tradition for his students was a surreptitious after-midnight visit to 
the Arger yard at election time. The Argers would wake up to find one 
of every single candidate's yard signs displayed on their front lawn--
testimony to how well the students learned the value of becoming 
informed about local, State and national issues.
  One of John's special pleasures as a teacher was being able to re-
connect with students he taught as freshmen when they came back to him 
in senior government classes. He loved seeing how they had grown 
intellectually and become adult in their concepts of community and the 
world. Returning students who have graduated and left their hometown 
often seek him out on return visits from the ``bigger world'' that he 
has helped them to understand, and he cherishes these one-on-one 
exchanges.
  John grew up in Marquette, MI, where his mother Rose still lives. He 
attended Marquette High School and graduated from Northern Michigan 
University, NMU, in Marquette in 1970. He then earned his teaching 
certificate at NMU. In later years, he went on to earn two master's 
degrees, one in political science and a second in guidance and 
counseling.
  In 1994, John was honored as an outstanding alumnus when NMU 
presented him its Alumni Service Award. The award recognized his work 
in support of higher education, his service on the NMU Alumni Board and 
his tireless efforts as a regional NMU alumni coordinator.
  I have heard rumors that when John was in high school and college, he 
was a Goldwater Republican. John started to adjust this misguided but 
most likely well-intentioned position as soon as he began teaching. One 
morning--I imagine the sun was shining and bluebirds were singing--he 
woke up to the realization that the Republican party was not the party 
of the average American. He has been an unabashed liberal ever since.
  However, in his early years as a teacher, he also prided himself on 
the fact that none of his students could tell what his political 
preferences were, even after a year spent discussing government and how 
it works.
  John has contributed countless hours to the life of his community, 
through public service and in political campaigns at several levels. He 
and his wife Janice have lived in Menominee since their marriage in 
1984, when he finally coaxed Jan away from her teaching career in West 
Bend to Menominee after years of dating.
  Jan herself is a great asset not just to their happy and long-lived 
marriage, but to the Menominee community. She has been a special-
education teacher with the Menominee Intermediate School System since 
joining John in Menominee. She received her master's degree from the 
University of Wisconsin-River Falls and specializes in speech 
pathology.
  On Saturday, June 7, along with many other friends and colleagues of 
John's, I will be in Menominee to celebrate John's achievements and 
wish him well. Although his dad Nick passed away when John was still a 
young man, I know that Nick will be there in spirit, alongside Rose, 
Jan and a roomful of friends, to lift a glass of retsina with us as we 
say ``Opa'' to John in his retirement.
  Mr. Speaker, John Arger is the kind of American who inspires our work 
here in this House. I ask you and my House colleagues to join me in 
giving him our heartiest congratulations and best wishes for a full and 
happy retirement.

                          ____________________