[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 137 (Tuesday, October 25, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H9061-H9062]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CONGRESSMAN JAMES GROVE FULTON MEMORIAL POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3256) to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, as the ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial Post 
Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3256

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CONGRESSMAN JAMES GROVE FULTON MEMORIAL POST 
                   OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 3038 West Liberty in Pittsburgh, 
     Pennsylvania, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial 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 ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial 
     Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3256, introduced by the 
distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy). This bill would 
designate the post office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the James 
Grove Fulton Memorial Post Office Building. James Grove Fulton was born 
in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on March 1, 1903. He attended the 
public schools in South Hills and the fine arts department of the 
Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1928 
he was admitted to the bar after graduating from Harvard Law School and 
began to practice law in Pittsburgh.
  He served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in many capacities. He was 
a member of the Allegheny County board of law examiners from 1934 to 
1942, he served in the State Senate from 1939 to 1940, he served as 
solicitor for Dormont Borough in 1942, and finally as the publisher of 
the Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania News. Mr. Fulton was also a member of 
the United States Naval Reserve after enlisting in 1942. He served in 
the South Pacific as a lieutenant until 1945 when he was discharged. 
James Grove Fulton, while still serving in the Navy, was elected to the 
79th Congress. Mr. Fulton was a 14-term Member whose time in Congress 
spanned nearly 30 years. This respected Member of Congress will be 
remembered for his passion for science as a member of the Science and 
Aeronautics Committee as well as a delegate to the United Nations as an 
adviser on space from 1960 to 1969.
  James Grove Fulton served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania his entire 
life at all levels of government. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 
3256, and I salute the sponsor, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, for 
his work on this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Government Reform Committee,

[[Page H9062]]

I am pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H.R. 3256, 
legislation naming a postal facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after 
Congressman James Grove Fulton. This measure, which was sponsored by 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy), was introduced on July 
12, 2005, and unanimously reported by our committee on October 20, 
2005.
  James Grove Fulton was a native of Pennsylvania and practiced law in 
Pittsburgh before serving in the State senate in 1939 and 1940. Prior 
to enlisting in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Mr. Fulton published the Mount 
Lebanon News and other newspapers.

                              {time}  1500

  While still serving in the Naval Reserve, Mr. Fulton was elected to 
the 79th Congress. He was reelected to 13 succeeding Congresses, and 
served from 1945 until his death in 1971.
  Former Representative Fulton will be remembered for his work with the 
United Nations where he served as an adviser on space and delegate on 
trade and employment.
  Mr. Speaker, I would urge swift passage of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. 
Schmidt) for yielding me time and for her work and the work of the 
Committee on Government Reform on this bill.
  We are here to remember and consider a Congressman beloved in the 
hearts of those in southwestern Pennsylvania, James G. Fulton. Now, 
there were two things you were not allowed to say in the congressional 
office of James Fulton. The first was, ``I can't,'' and the second was, 
``I don't know,'' this according to Congressman Fulton's long-time aide 
Richard Beeman, who wrote these words in the eulogy that were included 
in the Congressional Record on October 21, 1971.
  Consistent with these simple mottos, warm-hearted, thoughtful, plain-
spoken James Fulton represented the Pittsburgh area in Congress with 
great charm and distinction and a vibrant can-do spirit for 27 years.
  James Fulton was born in Dormont Borough in Allegheny County in March 
of 1903, and it was the elected officials in Dormont who recommended 
that we consider him for naming this post office. He graduated from 
Pennsylvania State College, now known as Penn State University, and 
later from Harvard Law School.
  He pursued many diverse interests in his young adulthood; went on to 
private practice in Pittsburgh; as it was noted before, became the 
publisher of the Mount Lebanon News; earned a seat on the Allegheny 
County Board of Law Examiners; and then served 2 years in the 
Pennsylvania State senate in 1939 and 1940.
  At the relatively advanced age of 39, he enlisted in the United 
States Naval Reserve in 1942, and heroically served in the South 
Pacific as a lieutenant. What is perhaps most remarkable about Fulton's 
service was that he actually ran for Congress while still fighting the 
war abroad.
  Indeed, in November 1944, while still in the service, Fulton was 
elected as a Republican to the 79th Congress to represent the 
Pittsburgh area. When he was honorably discharged in early 1945, he 
began what became a nearly 27-year career in the U.S. House of 
Representatives.
  His primary interest in the House was to facilitate U.S. innovation 
in science technology. He rose to become ranking member of the House 
Committee on Science and Astronautics. Sadly, he died in office on 
October 6, 1971, at the age of 68. But among his accomplishments is 
something that is still remembered today in our region. He worked 
tirelessly in dealing with some of the many flood control issues in the 
hilly areas of southwest Pennsylvania. Still today when we are 
beleaguered by huge storms in our area, people note that it was his 
work on flood control projects which to this day have a lasting legacy 
of saving many homes in the region.
  In the years following his death in 1972, the James G. Fulton Fellows 
Program was established as a living memorial to Congressman Fulton. 
This program remains today open to undergraduate students who 
permanently reside in Allegheny County who want to work for a 
Pennsylvania Member of Congress. The program reflects the fact that 
Congressman Fulton mentored more than 100 college students during his 
tenure in Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, last but not least, I thank my good friends from the 
Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Davis), the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for helping me to 
honor such an esteemed former Member of this body as Congressman 
Fulton.
  I also want to recognize Sara D'Orsie on the committee's majority 
staff and Denise Wilson of the staff of the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Waxman) for their important efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, with enactment of this legislation, this post office 
building will stand as a prominent tribute to the public service career 
of a Pittsburgh icon, Congressman James Fulton. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in support of this measure.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage 
of H.R. 3256.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3256.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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