[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 86 (Monday, June 21, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H4602-H4603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NEWELL GEORGE POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
[[Page H4603]]
and pass the bill (H.R. 4222) to designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 550 Nebraska Avenue in Kansas City,
Kansas, as the ``Newell George Post Office Building.''
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4222
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. NEWELL GEORGE POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 550 Nebraska Avenue in Kansas City,
Kansas, shall be known and designated as the ``Newell George
Post Office Building''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the Newell George Post Office Building.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Miller) and the gentlewoman from the District of
Columbia (Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).
General Leave
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks on H.R. 4222, and to include extraneous material
on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume, and I rise in support of H.R. 4222, which names the postal
facility in Kansas City after former Congressman Newell George.
Congressman George represented the second district of Kansas for one
term in this House, from 1959 to 1961. Congressman George was the last
resident of the City of Kansas City, actually, to represent the State
of Kansas in the Congress. He later served as United States Attorney
for the District of Kansas during the 1960s, after being appointed by
President John F. Kennedy.
Newell George was a devoted, caring, vigorous public servant, who is
highly deserving of this post office naming. It is a pleasure to
support this meaningful measure, and I am hopeful and confident the
entire House will as well.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform,
I am pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H.R. 4222,
legislation naming a postal facility in Kansas City, Kansas, after
Newell George. The measure was introduced by the gentleman from Kansas
(Mr. Moore) on April 27, 2004, unanimously reported by our committee on
June 3rd, 2004, and enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire
Kansas delegation.
Newell A. George had a distinguished career serving the citizens of
Kansas. He served as a member of the 86th Congress from 1959 to 1961,
representing the second congressional district. This district was later
redesignated as the third congressional district following the 1960
congressional reapportionment.
While serving in Congress, Representative George served on the House
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. After his defeat, former representative
George served as U.S. Attorney for Kansas from 1961 to 1968. After
that, he practiced law until his death in 1992.
Newell George was an exceptional public servant and active member of
his community. Naming a postal facility after the late representative
from Kansas honors his legacy and dedication to public service. I
commend my colleague, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore), for
sponsoring this bill and I urge its passage.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, as the author of H.R. 4222, I want to thank
Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Waxman of the Government Reform
Committee for expediting the floor consideration of this legislation.
In introducing H.R. 4222, I was joined by Representatives Todd
Tiahrt, Jim Ryun and Jerry Moran. This legislation would designate the
United States Postal Service facility located at 550 Nebraska Avenue in
Kansas City, Kansas, as the ``Newell George Post Office Building.''
Newell Adolphus George served as a member of the 86th Congress, from
1959-61, representing the Second District of Kansas, which was
redesignated as the Third District following the post-1960
congressional reapportionment. He was a member of the House Veterans'
Affairs Committee. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1904, he attended
Hawthorne Grade School and Wyandotte High School in Kansas City,
Kansas, as well as Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri,
and Park College in Parkville, Missouri.
After studying law at the University of Kansas City School of Law,
Newell George obtained employment as a Capitol Hill elevator operator
through the patronage of Senator George Mcgill of Kansas and graduated
from the George Washington University Law School.
He then was an attorney for the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in
Washington, D.C., from 1935-1937, a regional counsel for the War
Manpower Commission from 1942-43, and a regional attorney for the
Bureau of Employment Security and the Federal Security Agency from
1937-52. After the Democratic Party lost control of the Executive
Branch, George served as first assistant Wyandotte County Attorney from
1953-58.
At that point, he began running for Congress, losing to incumbent
Republican Errett Scrivner in 1954 and 1956. In 1958, however, a strong
anti-Republican tide ran through the farm and western states, resulting
in the defeat of numerous incumbent Senators and Representatives,
including the defeat of Representative Scrivner by Newell George.
With Republican dominance returned to Kansas in 1960, Representative
George was defeated for re-election by Robert Ellsworth of Lawrence,
making Newell George the most recent resident of Kansas City to
represent Kansas in the U.S. Congress.
After his defeat, however, George was the first U.S. Attorney
nominated for appointment by the new Kennedy-Johnson Administration.
Newell George served as U.S. Attorney for Kansas from 1961-68. After
losing another congressional race in 1968 to Representative Larry Winn,
Jr., George practiced law privately in Kansas City, Kansas, and died in
1992.
Married to the former Jean Hannan of Kansas City, Kansas, Newell
George was an intrepid public servant and active, concerned citizen. In
addition to his political activities, he was a member of Abdallah
Shrine, Scottish Rite; a master of the West Gate Masonic Lodge;
president of the Kansas City, Kansas, Hi-12 Club; a member of the
Kansas State Hi-12 Association; a member of the Breakfast Optimist
Club; a member of the Wyandotte County, Kansas and American Bar
Associations, the American Judicature Society, Delta Theta Phi law
fraternity, the American Academy of Political And Social Science, the
Kansas City, Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the Terrace Club, the Top o'
the Morning Club, and the First Presbyterian Church of Kansas City,
Kansas.
Newell George's other public service included membership on the
Kansas Public Disclosure Commission; the Civil Service Commission of
Kansas City, Kansas; the Kansas State Government Ethics Commission; and
service as a director of the Kansas Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Nicknamed ``Punk'' by his friends, George's other activities included
managing a string of boxers, after boxing himself at Wentworth Military
Academy; bowling; and adding to a collection of old books--mainly
Bibles and McGuffey readers--begun by his father.
In short, Mr. Speaker, Newell A. George was the kind of community
oriented, politically active individual who made things happen on the
state and local level in so many American cities during the middle
third of the twentieth century. With regard to Kansas and Kansas City,
he was one of a small but hardy group of Democratic activists who kept
two-party government alive in one of our country's most Republican
states. It is fitting, therefore, that the House today approves
legislation introduced by the bipartisan Kansas House delegation that
will designate Kansas City, Kansas', civil center post office in memory
of U.S. Representative Newell George.
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4222.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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