[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 8 (Monday, January 30, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF CHARLES F. CUMMINGS

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Charles F. Cummings, the official historian of Newark, NJ. Mr. Cummings 
passed away on December 21, 2005, at the age of 68.
  Mr. Cummings was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Virginia, but it 
was Newark, NJ, to which he pledged his life's work. With a master's 
degree in American History from Vanderbilt University, Mr. Cummings 
arrived in New Jersey in 1963 to begin a job with the Newark Public 
Library. He adapted quickly to his new home, studying the history and 
traditions of both the city and the State. Before long, Mr. Cummings 
was renowned for having an encyclopedic knowledge of all things New 
Jersey.
  Not content to keep this information to himself, Mr. Cummings sought 
to make the State's history public knowledge so that the people of 
Newark would love his adopted home as much as he did. As an employee of 
the Newark Public Library for over 40 years, Mr. Cummings took pride in 
curating public exhibitions that shed light on the history of Newark 
and brought to life the stories of those who lived there. Mr. Cummings 
shared the history and accomplishments of Newark with thousands of New 
Jersey residents by conducting walking tours of the city and writing a 
regular column for the The Star Ledger of New Jersey called ``Knowing 
Newark.'' He also served as an affiliate member of the Rutgers 
University Federated Department of history, where he taught a popular 
undergraduate course on the history of Newark.
  There has hardly been a person, past or present, who has cared about 
the history of Newark the way Mr. Cummings did. He was an indispensable 
resource for journalists, historians, and citizens alike. While Mr. 
Cummings will be missed by the people of New Jersey, he will be forever 
cherished as a loyal friend, a great man, and a true Newark treasure.
  Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to 
Charles F. Cummings and the immeasurable contributions he has made to 
the city of Newark and the State of New Jersey.

                          ____________________