[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 54 (Thursday, April 28, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S4536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            MR. GEORGE FUMICH, AN OUTSTANDING WEST VIRGINIAN

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes to say goodbye 
to a remarkable friend, and an outstanding West Virginian, Mr. George 
Fumich, who passed away last week.
  George Fumich was born in Pennsylvania, but he grew up in Morgantown, 
WV, and graduated from the West Virginia School of Law. Like so many 
who come to our State from elsewhere, he developed a passion for West 
Virginia that lasted a lifetime.
  As an officer in the United States Army during World War II, he 
served in the Italian campaign. His division was the first to move into 
Rome and was instrumental in the liberation of that magnificent city 
from Nazi occupation. He was later captured by the Germans in Northern 
Italy, but Italian partisans liberated him from his Nazi captors.
  For his distinguished military service, George Fumich was awarded two 
Bronze Stars, a Silver Star, the European African Middle Eastern 
Service Medal, a POW medal, and as Presidential Unit Citation.
  After the war, Mr. Fumich became corporate counsel for the 
Christopher Coal Company, and then began a successful political career. 
His political accomplishments included being elected to the West 
Virginia House of Delegates and serving as Senator John F. Kennedy's 
campaign manager for northern West Virginia during the historic 1960 
West Virginia Democratic primary.
  After Kennedy's election, Mr. Fumich began a successful career with 
the Federal Government. He served as Director of the Office of Mineral 
Exploration at the Department of Interior, as the first Director of the 
Office of Coal Research at the Interior Department, and from 1975 to 
1977, he was the Director of Fossil Energy at the Energy Research and 
Development Administration. In 1977, he was appointed Assistant 
Secretary for Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.
  After leaving the Federal Government, he was appointed Dean of the 
College of Mineral and Energy Resources, and then served as president 
of George Fumich Associates, an energy consulting firm.
  His interest in coal, his love of West Virginia, and his devotion to 
West Virginia University all merged. Over the years, it has been rare 
to attend any event at which the coal, the State, and the university 
converge, without seeing George Fumich. He was an enthusiastic booster 
of anything he set about to promote, yet he had a gentle way about him 
that earned the trust and respect of others.
  I will miss seeing George making the rounds at coal events here in 
Washington. His was a remarkable career for a remarkable man. This 
kind, brave and honorable man had been a military officer, a 
politician, a POW, a dean, an administrator, an attorney, a politician, 
and a Federal official. But above all else, he was a loving and caring 
father and husband who will be deeply missed by his multitude of 
friends, and his wonderful family, of which he was so proud.
  West Virginia University alumni have lost an energetic supporter for 
all things WVU. The people of Clarksburg and Morgantown have lost a 
good neighbor. The State of West Virginia has lost an outstanding 
citizen. I have lost a dear friend.
  My wife Erma and I extend our deepest heartfelt condolences to his 
wife of 46 years, Marie Fumich, and their children and grandchildren.

                          ____________________