[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 73 (Friday, May 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN MEMORY OF ROBERT E. EBERLY, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2004

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of an 
extraordinary individual, Mr. Robert Eberly Sr., of Uniontown, 
Pennsylvania.
  As with all great humanitarians, it is impossible to fully assess the 
impact Robert Eberly's life has had on his community and our country. A 
true gentleman and tireless philanthropist, known for his grace and 
humility as well as his passion for bettering the lives of others, 
Robert Eberly's generosity is legendary not only in Pennsylvania but 
across the country.
  Bob often said that others worked just as hard as he did, but were 
not as fortunate because of circumstances beyond their control. Guided 
by this basic belief, he donated tens of millions of dollars to support 
education and economic development.
  Robert Eberly was a man of incomparable energy and was actively 
involved in many of the projects he funded. Though he could have 
resided anywhere in the world, his heart and home remained in Fayette 
County, Pennsylvania where his father, a coal miner, raised him on the 
importance of education. His desire to help the economically depressed 
region in the wake of the downsizing of the steel and coal industry led 
him to found Fay-Penn Economic Development Council to support economic 
development in his home county.
  He believed that education is a key to economic development--that the 
two are intertwined. He therefore donated heavily to colleges and 
universities throughout Pennsylvania as well as across the United 
States to promote education in the sciences and to make education 
accessible to those who could least afford it.
  Robert Eberly passed away yesterday at the age of 85. He will be 
remembered for the example of true character he set for everyone who 
knew him as well as for the profound legacy of his work. His was a life 
well spent in the effort to help others. He will be missed by all whose 
lives he touched--and we will never know all of them.

                          ____________________