[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JAMES HENLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 2, 2007

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of James 
Henley's 41 years of public service as Sacramento's city historian. Mr. 
Henley leaves a lasting legacy in Sacramento and he will be deeply 
missed.
  In 1965, the then city historian and Sacramento State professor 
Aubrey Neasham asked Mr. Henley to read archived blueprints. As a 
graduate student in the pursuit of a masters degree in history, James 
was inspired to not only teach history but to also work with it. Mr. 
Henley's career began in a three-person city department that focused on 
the Old Sacramento Historic District, now known as Old Sacramento. 
Designated as a State Historic Park, Old Sacramento portrays the time 
of the Gold Rush with cobblestone streets and wooden sidewalks, shops, 
restaurants and museums that attract 5 million visitors annually. Upon 
the retirement of Ms. Neasham, only one person could truly continue her 
work, and Mr. Henley took over the department. Under his leadership, 
the Sacramento Archives and Museum Collection Center, also known as, 
SAMCC, was born.
  The SAMCC acquires, preserves, and promotes the study of Sacramento's 
history through city and county historical records. These collections 
include personal manuscripts, business records, official records of the 
city and county, photographs and other artifacts relating to the 
region's history. The records are the heart of Sacramento's history as 
James has preserved them for future generations to enjoy.
  The preservation achievements of Mr. Henley and his staff are evident 
in the 5\1/2\ miles of movable shelves that house objects, photographs 
and documents at SAMCC. This includes parts of a Gutenberg Bible, 
negatives from The Sacramento Bee, and archived news film shot by KCRA 
3. All in all, the records that Mr. Henley has preserved make the SAMCC 
collection the largest city archives in California and second only to 
the state archive. This has been a truly wonderful achievement.
  Mr. Henley has not only served as a strong leader in preserving the 
history of the great Sacramento region, but also is a champion for the 
conservation of the City of Sacramento. He oversaw the publishing of 
Vanishing Victorians; a book that led to preservation efforts of 
Sacramento's historic Victorians in the 1960s and 1970s, when many were 
destroyed for redevelopment projects. His preservation efforts also 
contributed to the restoration of the historic Memorial Auditorium, the 
B.F. Hastings Building, as well as establishing the California State 
Railroad Museum. That museum is now a crown jewel in Old Sacramento and 
attracts thousands of families each year.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Mr. James Henley's 
distinguished commitment to the preservation of Sacramento's 
distinguished history. Mr. Henley always has stood as an instrumental 
force behind the protection of Sacramento's history for generations to 
come. We all are thankful for his efforts. As James Henley's colleagues 
and friends gather to honor his service for the city, I ask all my 
colleagues to join me in wishing him continued good fortune in his 
future endeavors.




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