[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 19 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E290-E291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MICHAEL E. FOX, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2005

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, today I rise on my behalf 
and the behalf of Mr. Michael Honda to pay tribute to Mr. Michael E. 
Fox, Sr. and his lifelong dedication to community service and the 
public good.
  Michael E. Fox, Sr. was born on September 23, 1936 in Chicago, 
Illinois. Mike graduated high school in 1954 from Campion Prep School 
in Prairie DuChein, Wisconsin. From there he earned his bachelor's 
degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1958 and continued on to do 
his post-graduate work at the Siebel Institute of Technology studying 
Brewing Science. That training foreshadowed Mike's eventual 
establishment of M.E. Fox & Company in 1965, a major distribution 
company in the Silicon Valley. Before Michael made his great 
entrepreneurial leap, he married Mary Ellen Croke. Mike and Mary Ellen 
have been married for almost forty-six years and have six children.
  Mike is known throughout the Bay Area for his generosity and 
willingness to help those less fortunate. In countless instances, Mike 
has used his name to support worthy causes that simply needed the 
recognition of a respected member of society to open doors to a wider 
audience. Much of Mike's generosity is due to an upbringing which 
stressed charity and caring of those around him, regardless of whether 
he knew them well or not.
  Mike's devotion to community is never more apparent than in his 
service to San Jose's East Side Union High School District. Whether it 
was providing flatbed trucks for floats, paying SAT testing fees for 
students who could not afford them, or spearheading the Animation 
Studio project, Mike used his professional

[[Page E291]]

and personal network to assist staff and students achieve their goals.
  Mike's interests are varied and far flung as evidenced by his many 
board memberships and chairmanships. His main interest centers around 
his beloved family, his Roman Catholic faith, educational matters at 
all levels, medical issues, and alcoholism prevention and abuse. From 
his hard work he built a successful family business, renown throughout 
the region.
  If there is a task force or committee seeking to improve life in 
Santa Clara Valley, Mike Fox, Sr. is sure to be a valued member, using 
all his resources to bring about change. Mike served as Chair of United 
Way Silicon Valley's
  Board of Directors in 1997 and 1998. His guidance and expertise were 
instrumental in seeing United Way successfully through a period of 
financial difficulty and organizational restructuring. He served as 
Chairman of the Regional Healthcare Consortium where he worked with 
hospital administrators, colleges, and healthcare providers to protect 
the quality of healthcare in Santa Clara County. Mike participated in 
the Silicon Valley Blue Ribbon Task Force on Aviation Security.
  Mike is a man who cares about others. I know this first hand, because 
in the 1970's my father, who was a beer truck driver, found himself out 
of a job. My dad was recording secretary of Teamster's local 888. He 
was a hard worker and never missed a day's work. He was renowned for 
his honesty. But he was having trouble finding employment for two 
reasons: first, the reluctance of some employers to hire a driver in 
his 50's and also, he believed, his history of union activism.
  Mike Fox gave my dad a job and it made all the difference for our 
family. So while the public knows of Mike's philanthropy and 
generosity, I know him from the perspective of the families of those he 
employed. He was and is a fair man willing to give others a chance to 
succeed.
  My parents have both passed away, but my brother and I will never 
forget Mike Fox's lasting impact on our lives as have been others in 
our community who were not so personally connected to the Fox family
  His generosity of spirit afforded opportunities to so very many in 
our community. We hold a debt of gratitude to Mike and an obligation to 
continue his work by following his personal philosophy which states, 
``You can change the world''.

                          ____________________