[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 21, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S14318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Obama):
  S. 2156. A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 332 South Main Street in Flora, Illinois, as the 
``Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building.''; to the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2156

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

     SECTION 1. ROBERT T. FERGUSON POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 332 South Main Street in Flora, Illinois, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Robert T. Ferguson 
     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 ``Robert T. Ferguson Post Office 
     Building''.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation to designate the U.S. Post Office at 332 South Main Street 
in Flora, Illinois as the ``Robert T. Ferguson Post Office Building''.
  Mr. Ferguson was a distinguished public servant who began his postal 
career at the Harvey, Illinois Post Office, where he worked as a city 
carrier from 1954 to 1957. He then moved to the Flora, Illinois Post 
Office where he worked his way up from clerk/carrier to Assistant 
Postmaster to Postmaster in 1986. During the final three years of his 
career before he retired in 1988, Robert Ferguson served as Postmaster 
in Collinsville, Illinois.
  In recognition of his hard work and dedication, Mr. Ferguson received 
five Outstanding Superior Accomplishment Awards and qualified as a 
Postmaster Trainer on October 1, 1976. He worked tirelessly on behalf 
of postal workers and traveled throughout Southern Illinois training 
newly appointed Postmasters. He was well liked by his colleagues who 
knew they had a leader they could trust.
  In addition to his active professional life, Robert Ferguson found 
time to serve his community. As President of the Clay County Shrine 
Club in 1992, he organized events to raise thousands of dollars for the 
Shriner's Hospital for Children. In 1996, he raised money to assist a 
local family after a storm destroyed their mobile home. In 2002, Mr. 
Ferguson created a Hospital Directory for Southern Illinois, which aid 
local citizens by providing phone numbers and addresses of local 
hospitals.
  In 1996, the Flora Chamber of Commerce named Robert Ferguson the 
``Outstanding Citizen of Flora''.
  Mr. President, post offices are often designated in honor of 
individuals who have made valuable contributions to their community, 
State, and country. I can think of no more fitting way to permanently 
and publicly recognize Robert Ferguson's work than to name the Flora, 
Illinois post office in his honor. It would be a most appropriate way 
to commemorate his exemplary service to the Flora community and to 
postal workers and patrons throughout Southern Illinois.
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