[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 26 (Wednesday, March 3, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E286-E287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING CHARLES L. HORN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARK R. KENNEDY

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 3, 2004

  Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, rise today to call attention 
to the accomplishments of a great man and a great Minnesotan, Charles 
L. Horn.

[[Page E287]]

  As a businessman, he set standards. As a philanthropist, he 
transformed a community. Indeed, it is safe to say rarely has one man 
made himself so singularly important and particularly indispensable as 
Charles L. Horn made himself to the city of Anoka, and the state of 
Minnesota as a whole.
  In 1922, despite the fact that he ``knew nothing of ammunition,'' 
Charles Horn had built up such an impressive record as the young 
President of the American Ball Company that he was asked to come to 
Anoka to run the defunct Federal Cartridge Corporation. He accepted 
this opportunity with characteristic eagerness.
  Through his innovative marketing and distribution techniques, 
ambitious agenda for growth, and his revolutionary ``dealership 
network,'' Horn guided F.C. Corp from a startup straining for market-
share among such goliaths as Remington and Winchester, to a leadership 
role in the industry. In doing so, he helped bring hundreds of jobs and 
stimulate the economic growth of an entire community.
  Perhaps more impressive than his storied successes in business are 
his wonderfully generous philanthropic efforts through which he 
established himself as a pillar of the community in the city of Anoka 
and beyond. As the chairman of the Olin Foundation, Horn directed 
donations in excess of $425,000 for college scholarships and 
educational buildings, a feat impressive enough to lead 12 different 
colleges and universities to award him with honorary doctorates. In 
1951, Horn began a long relationship establishing himself as one of the 
most important benefactors in community history by donating funds on 
the behalf of F.C. Corp to help pay for lighting a recreational field. 
Thereafter he established the George Green Scholarship award for 
deserving seniors from Anoka High, created two Charles L. Horn Math 
Scholarships at St Cloud University, donated $50,000 to the Mercy 
Hospital fund drive, and sponsored a yearly Christmas party for the 
children of the community. Finally, further cementing his invaluable 
role in community life, Horn authorized $635,000 to complete a new City 
Hall for Anoka.
  Mr. Speaker, Charles L. Horn was a true American icon. A successful 
businessman who gave generously to his community, Horn will long be 
remembered in Anoka and throughout our state as an innovator and a 
dedicated philanthropist who truly embodied the values Minnesota holds 
so dear.

                          ____________________