[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 151 (Tuesday, November 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO MS. ELAINE HARRINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2005

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call your attention to the 
life and work of an outstanding individual who I feel fortunate to call 
my friend, Ms. Elaine C. Harrington. She was recognized on Saturday, 
November 5, 2005, for her years of unwavering dedication and service as 
a Professor to the Passaic County Community College.
  After 33 years of committed service to the Passaic County Community 
College (PCCC), Professor Elaine Harrington retired from the College on 
July 1, 2005. Her tenure at PCCC is a remarkable story of one person's 
belief in the power of education and its transforming effect on the 
lives of others. It is only fitting that Elaine Harrington be honored 
for her commitment to improving the quality of life in Paterson and 
Passaic County through education in this, the permanent record of the 
greatest freely elected body on earth.
  Arriving at PCCC in 1972, at the earliest stages of the College's 
existence, Professor Harrington shared her many talents generously. She 
began by teaching the Music Appreciation course and Cultural Field 
Surveys. She later began teaching courses in Mathematics, English, 
Public Speaking and African American Literature. She worked closely 
with the College's most disadvantaged students, nurturing them from the 
lowest levels of developmental education to the heights of academic 
achievement.
  While at the College, Professor Harrington was tireless in her 
pursuit of making PCCC a beacon of educational excellence. She served 
as President of the Academic Council and the Faculty Association, and 
Association secretary for more than a decade. For two years, she served 
as Acting Dean of Student Affairs. She provided leadership to numerous 
college committees such as Commencement, Convocation, Instructional 
Resources, Policies and Procedures, Retention and Accreditation. She 
rarely missed a Board of Trustees' meeting and became one of the PCCC 
Foundation's most staunch advocates, earning her the Foundation's 
``Distinguished Service Award'' in 2000.
  Professor Harrington's accomplishments on campus were rivaled only by 
her important work in the community. As Past President of both the 
Paterson Branch of the NAACP and the New Jersey State Conference of 
NAACP Branches, she strongly advocated for improved economic, 
educational, social, and political opportunities for disenfranchised 
persons. In her role as State President, she provided leadership to 38 
NAACP branches and 20 youth units. Based on the quality and the breadth 
of the programming that occurred under her watch, the NAACP recognized 
New Jersey as the number one State Conference in all of Region II. In 
1999, Professor Harrington became a member of the National Board of 
Directors of the NAACP. In addition to her work with NAACP, she has 
faithfully served organizations such as Concerned Parents for Head 
Start, Inc., the Paterson YWCA, and the Paterson Board of Education. 
She is a charter member of the Christ Church United Methodist.
  Born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, Professor 
Harrington was an honors graduate of Tuskegee Institute High School, 
earned her B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Tuskegee Institute 
(University), and later her M.A. degree in Education, Supervision, and 
Administration from the University of Connecticut, where she graduated 
Magna Cum Laude. She received certification in Developmental Education 
from Fairleigh Dickenson University, and is listed in ``Who's Who Among 
African Americans''. Upon her retirement, Professor Harrington has 
returned home to Tuskegee, Alabama.
  Mr. Speaker, the job of a United States Congressman involves so much 
that is rewarding, yet nothing compares to recognizing the efforts of 
devoted educators and public servants like Ms. Elaine Harrington. I ask 
that you join our colleagues, the faculty and students of Passaic 
County Community College, Ms. Harrington's family and friends, and me 
in recognizing Elaine Harrington for her years of outstanding service 
to the students of Passaic County.

                          ____________________