[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E207]]
                    RECOGNIZING R.S. OWENS & COMPANY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RAHM EMANUEL

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2006

  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exceptional 
craftsmanship of R.S. Owens & Company, the manufacturers of the Academy 
Awards for over 20 years. I am proud to have ``Oscar'' as a 
constituent, and I hope my colleagues will join me in watching the work 
of R.S. Owens & Company arrive in Hollywood from Chicago.
  With the Oscars soon approaching, television sets around the Nation 
will be tuned in to watch movie stars as they stroll down the red 
carpet, hoping to receive the Academy Award, an internationally 
recognized symbol of excellence in film. While the main attraction of 
the night may be the directors, actors, and film makers receiving the 
awards, the 13\1/2\ inch, gold-plated statuettes hold an important 
place in the night's event and traditions.
  R.S. Owens is the Chicago-based award-manufacturing company 
responsible for producing the world-renowned Academy Award. Since they 
were recommended for the manufacturing of the award in 1983, the 
academy has selected R.S. Owens to produce the statuettes year after 
year, in recognition of their fine work in the field of award design 
and production and of their exemplary dedication to the craft.
  R.S. Owens has been involved in awards manufacturing since 1938. It 
began, as many great things do, as a small idea from an enterprising 
man, Owen Siegel. His idea has grown from a small dream into one of the 
most successful award manufacturing companies in the United States.
  While so many companies in the manufacturing field have turned to 
automated machine work, R.S. Owens has remained grounded primarily in 
handwork. The company employs workers who are masters in their craft, 
and take great pride in their work--pride that is evident in the 
quality of award they continually produce in a field where the product 
is so closely scrutinized as to allow no errors in workmanship.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I recognize the excellent 
craftsmanship of R.S. Owens & Company in their production of the 
Academy Award. The company's fine work and dedication make it an 
excellent example of flourishing businesses throughout Chicago. It is 
an honor to know that such an innovative and responsible company calls 
Chicago its home. On behalf of the Fifth District of Illinois and the 
city of Chicago, I congratulate R.S. Owens on their continued 
excellence in their field, and look forward to the showcase of this 
year's batch of awards at the ceremony this March.

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