[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 101 (Thursday, July 10, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H6589-H6591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO ANTHONY CELEBREZZE, JR.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, tonight I come to the floor with a heavy
heart because Ohio has lost one of her favorite sons on the 4th of
July. I have asked for this time to say a few words on behalf of the
people of our great State on the life of Anthony J. Celebrezze, Jr.,
who died of a heart attack last Saturday at age 61.
Tony had just finished a heated race in his replica 1937 Chevy at a
speedway in central Ohio. He loved competition, he loved turning a
wrench, and he loved getting behind the wheel of his Legends car.
No one would have known that he came from one of the most
distinguished political families in Ohio history.
Tony's father, Anthony J. Celebrezze, was mayor of Cleveland for 5
years and then served in President John F. Kennedy's cabinet as
Secretary of what was then called Health, Education, and Welfare.
Tony was a graduate of John Marshall High School in Cleveland and
went on to the U.S. Naval Academy class of 1963. He served 5 years in
the Navy and earned the Naval Commendation Medal.
He received his law degree from Cleveland State University and
launched his successful political career in 1974, winning election to
the Ohio Senate.
In 1978, he was elected Secretary of State and served one term. In
1982 he won the election as Ohio's Attorney General and won reelection
in 1986. Tony was a very popular Ohio figure. He ran unsuccessfully for
Governor in 1990.
As Attorney General, Tony Celebrezze won accolades for his efforts to
protect consumers and the environment. He made our State a better
place.
As the Columbus Dispatch noted, what those of us who knew Tony
remember most about him was his decency, his warmth, and his humanity.
[[Page H6590]]
``Celebrezze,'' the Dispatch said, ``may not have won every race he
entered, but he was a winner in every way that counted: as a man and as
a public servant.''
He will be missed by his fellow Ohioans, as we extend our condolences
to the Celebrezze family, his widow, Louisa; his 5 children, Anthony,
III, Catherine, Charles, David, and Maria; his sisters, Jean and Susan
and their husbands.
Mr. Speaker, I will enter into the Record this warm tribute that was
written by the Columbus Dispatcher by Michael Curtin, along with a
longer news story that details the accomplishments of this decent,
community-minded family man whose intellect and good heart raised the
character of our beloved State.
As the articles state, as Ohio's chief law enforcement officer,
Celebrezze negotiated a landmark court judgment against the U.S. Energy
Department, giving the State the right to regulate nuclear and chemical
waste at the Feeds Materials Production Center in Fernald, near
Cincinnati. He also brought the first criminal prosecutions under
Ohio's hazardous waste laws, expanded consumer protection, and helped
bring the DARE program to Ohio.
Mr. Speaker, I know that my time has almost expired, but let me just
end by saying the words of the Dispatcher editorial: ``At a time when
civility in politics seems virtually nonexistent, Celebrezze is
remembered fondly by his many friends on both sides of the political
fence.''
{time} 1945
He understood that politics is a contact sport, but he never adopted
the win-at-any-cost philosophy that does permanent damage and creates
permanent enemies.
Though his death came far too early, the date on which it occurred,
Independence Day, is fitting considering how much of his life was
devoted to service to his State and our Nation. Tonight we honor
American patriot Anthony J. Celebrezze of Ohio.
[From the Columbus Dispatch, July 6, 2003]
Anthony J. Celebreeze Jr.; Ohio's Former Attorney General Dead of Heart
Attack at 61
(By Mike Curtin and Joe Hallett)
Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr., a former Ohio attorney general,
secretary of state and state senator, died Friday night of
cardiac arrest. He was 61.
Celebrezze, a lifelong fan of auto racing and part of a
Legends racing crew, was stricken after racing his replica
1937 Chevy sedan to a third-place finish at the Shady Bowl
Speedway in DeGraff, in southwestern Logan County.
Legends cars are five-eighths scale, fiberglass replicas of
1930s and 1940s NASCAR cars. Celebrezze's car was No. 63,
marking the year he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy.
Those who knew him best say Celebrezze was happiest when he
was around cars and racetracks. After leaving elective office
at the end of 1990, he devoted himself more to the sport.
``He loved racing through and through. I don't think he
would have wanted to go any other way,'' said his son,
Anthony J. Celebrezze III. ``He enjoyed the daylights out of
it.''
``When we were campaigning together and the subject of
racing would come up, he could go on and on about the fine
points of engines and transmissions and gear reductions,''
recalled Eugene Branstool, who ran for lieutenant governor in
1990 when Celebrezze was the Democratic nominee for governor.
After completing his eight-lap race in a preliminary heat
Friday, Celebrezze complained of feeling ill, said Wayne
Hill, a family spokesman.
``He said he was going to go rest in the truck for a little
bit,'' Hill said. A short while later, his racing partners
found him dead. Celebrezze had no known history of heart
problems, Hill said.
Celebrezze was pronounced dead about 9 p.m. by emergency
medical personnel at the track, said Dr. Joshua Richards,
coroner of neighboring Champaign County.
``A lot of drivers are going to be upset to hear the
news,'' said Tim Williams of Columbus, who competed both with
and against Celebrezze on the track.
``Everybody liked Tony. Here was a guy who was attorney
general and who ran for governor, and yet he would do any
task. He would do the grunt work. He quickly became one of
the guys because he could talk the language. He knew the
technical aspects.''
Before losing the 1990 governor's race to Republican George
V. Voinovich, Celebrezze had risen steadily to become one of
Ohio's leading Democrats.
He began his political run in 1974 by winning election to
the Ohio Senate, representing western Cuyahoga County. In
1978, he was elected secretary of state, ousting Republican
Ted W. Brown, who had held the office for 28 years. In 1982,
Celebrezze won his first of two terms as attorney general.
As Ohio's chief law-enforcement officer, Celebrezze
negotiated a landmark court judgment against the U.S. Energy
Department, giving the state the right to regulate nuclear
and chemical waste at the Feeds Materials Production Center
in Fernald, near Cincinnati.
Celebrezze also brought the first criminal prosecutions
under Ohio's hazardous-waste laws, expanded consumer
protection and helped bring the DARE program to Ohio.
He was born into politics--the oldest of three children and
only son of five-term Cleveland Mayor Anthony J. Celebrezze
Sr. After serving as mayor from 1953 to '62, Celebrezze Sr.
was appointed secretary of health, education and welfare by
President Kennedy. From 1965 to '96, Celebrezze Sr. was a
judge of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Paul Corey, a former teacher at Newton D. Baker Junior High
School in Cleveland, remembers the young Celebrezze ``being
badgered all the time if the garbage wasn't being picked up''
while his father was mayor.
``Tony was a beautiful human being,'' said Corey, who now
lives in Columbus. ``What you see was what you got. He was a
good, very quiet, well-mannered young man.''
Celebrezze graduated from John Marshall High School and
entered the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1963. He served
five years of active duty and earned the Naval Commendation
Medal. For many years thereafter, he served as a captain in
the U.S. Naval Reserve.
Celebrezze earned a master's degree in 1966 from George
Washington University and a law degree in 1973 from Cleveland
State University.
In June 1965, he married Louisa Staton Godwin of
Williamson, N.C. They met while both worked at the U.S.
Department of Defense. They are the parents of five children:
Anthony J. Celebrezze III of Columbus; Catherine Celebrezze
of New York City; Charles Celebrezze of Plantation, Fla.;
David Celebrezze of Leesburg, Va., and Maria Celebrezze of
Columbus.
Mrs. Celebrezze, a licensed social worker, is known for her
knowledge and appreciation of classical music. ``We have an
agreement,'' her husband said in 1999. ``I don't go to her
operas, and she doesn't go to the races.''
``Actually, he did go to some of those (operas and
concerts),'' Celebrezze's oldest son said. ``And she (his
mother) went to a number of his races, although the only
thing she knew was that they were going around in a circle.''
Throughout his political career, Celebrezze had no closer
associate and friend than his chief of staff, William H.
Chavanne. They met in 1974, when Chavanne worked on
Celebrezze's state Senate campaign.
``I think he'll be remembered as somebody who was always
concerned about doing a good job. He was hardworking and
smart. He tried to never leave a job undone.''
Voinovich, said Celebrezze's industriousness impressed
Republicans and Democrats: ``The thing that impressed me was
that he was so conscientious with the work he did in state
government.''
Voinovich, said he also noticed that Celebrezze, after
leaving government, continued to work for community and civic
causes.
Since 1991, Celebrezze has practiced law. For the past two
years, he practiced with the Columbus firm of Kegler Brown
Hill & Ritter. He founded the firm's national regulatory and
government-affairs area and was active in administrative law.
Celebrezze ``was a true mentor. He took a lot of younger
people under his wing.'' said law partner Kevin Kerns. ``He
also was a friend, a tremendously loyal individual.''
James M. Ruvolo, Ohio Democratic chairman from 1983 to '91,
said much of Celebrezze's political success stemmed from
being genuine.
``Tony was a decent guy, and that came across,'' Ruvolo
said. ``In politics, you run into people you respect, but you
don't often run into people you respect and like. People
respected and liked Tony.''
Besides his wife and children, Celebrezze is survived by
his sisters, Jean Porto of Chevy Chase, MD., and Susan
Sullivan of Boston.
Calling hours in Columbus will be 4-8 p.m. Monday at
O'Shaughnessy Funeral Home, 405 E. Town St. Calling hours in
the Cleveland area will be 4-8 p.m. Tuesday at Corrigan's
Funeral Home, 20820 Lorain Rd., Fairview Park.
A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in St.
John Cathedral in downtown Cleveland. Burial will be in Holy
Cross Cemetery.
____
[From the Columbus Dispatch, July 6, 2003]
Obituaries
Anthony J. Celebrezze, Jr., age 61, died Friday July 4,
2003. Preceded in death by his parents Anthony J. and Anne
Celebrezze. Survived by his wife of 38 years, Louisa (Godwin)
Celebrezze; children and their spouses, Anthony and Stephanie
Celebrezze III, Catherine Celebrezze, PhD and Blake Baxter,
Charles Celebrezze, David Celebrezze and Maria and Jim
McBride; sister and brothers-in-law, Jean and Ben Porto of
Washington, DC and Susan and David Sullivan of Boston, MA;
nieces and nephews. He was an attorney with Kegler, Brown
Hill & Ritter. Graduate of John Marshall High School, the
U.S. Naval Academy and Cleveland State University Law School.
Served in the Ohio Senate,
[[Page H6591]]
as Ohio Secretary of State and as Ohio Attorney General. The
family will receive friends at the O'Shaughnessy Funeral
Home, 405 E. Town St. Monday 4-8 p.m., where prayers will be
offered at 8:00 p.m. Further visiting hours at the Corrigan
Funeral Home, 20820 Lorain Road, Fairview Park, OH Tuesday 4-
8 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial St. John Cathedral,
Cleveland, OH, Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Interment at a later
date in Holy Cross Cemetery, Cleveland. The family would
welcome contributions to the US Naval Academy Class of 1963
Foundation, P.O. Box 64740, Baltimore, MD 21264-4740 or the
Celebrezze Endowment Fund, Development Office, Ohio Northern
University, 525 S. Main St., Ada, OH 45810-9989.
____
[From the Columbus Dispatch, July 8, 2003]
Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr.; Former Ohio Attorney General Served His
State and Nation With Honor and Decency
Some sense of Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr.'s, impact on Ohio
can be found in the electronic archive of The Dispatch, where
a search for his name produces more than 1,800 citations.
As a state senator, Ohio secretary of state and Ohio
attorney general, Celebrezze played an influential part in
Ohio's history between 1974 and 1990.
But only a few of those many news stories dealt with what
people remember most about Celebrezze, who died of cardiac
arrest on Friday at age 61: his decency, warmth and humility.
At a time when civility in politics seems virtually
nonexistent, Celebrezze is remembered fondly by his many
friends on both sides of the political fence. He understood
that politics is a contact sport, but he never adopted the
win-at-any-cost philosophy that does permanent damage and
creates permanent enemies.
Though his death came far too early, the date on which it
occurred--Independence Day--is fitting, considering how much
of his life was devoted to service to his state and the
nation.
After high school, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy, where
he graduated in 1963. He spent five years in active duty and
many more as a captain in the Naval Reserve.
Choosing a political career like his father, former
Cleveland Mayor Anthony J. Celebrezze Sr., the younger
Celebrezze entered public service with his election to the
state Senate in 1974 and continued with one term as Ohio
secretary of state and two as attorney general. In the latter
office, he expanded state regulations of the environment,
cracked down on polluters and enhanced consumer protections.
He was one of the state's leading Democrats when he lost a
hard-fought campaign against George V. Voinovich in the 1990
governor's contest.
Since then, Celebrezze had devoted himself to his law
practice and to his beloved hobby, racing Legends cars. He
had just placed third in a race at Shady Bowl Speedway near
DeGraff when his fatal heart attack occurred.
Celebrezze may not have won every race he entered. but he
was a winner in every way that counted, as a man and as a
public servant.
____________________