[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 80 (Monday, June 1, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO ERIC F. ROSS

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Madam President, I wish to pay tribute to Eric 
F. Ross who will celebrate his 90th birthday on June 25, 2009. A loving 
grandfather, great-grandfather, and husband, Eric has been dedicated to 
educating the public about the Holocaust and is a passionate supporter 
of educational and cultural institutions in the United States, Germany, 
and Israel.
  Born in Dortmund, Germany, Eric fled Nazi Germany and arrived in the 
United States when he was 20 years old. He courageously returned to 
Europe in 1942 as a soldier in the U.S. Army and a member of the 
``Ritchie Boys,'' a group of young men who escaped Nazi Germany and 
joined the Army. These men were specially trained to fight the Nazis 
and because of his service, Eric was awarded a Bronze Star. He went on 
to become a successful businessman, establishing Alpha Chemical & 
Plastics in Newark, New Jersey and Mercer Plastics Company, which is 
based in Florida.
  Holocaust remembrance and education are extremely important to Eric. 
In 2003, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the U.S. 
Holocaust Memorial Council and he remains actively involved with the 
museum. He and his beloved wife Lore, who recently passed away, are the 
museum's largest individual donors and the museum's Ross Administrative 
Center is named in memory of his parents, Albert and Regina Rosenberg, 
who perished during the Holocaust.
  I am pleased to ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 
90th birthday of this remarkable man. His passion for education and 
dedication to philanthropy has touched countless lives and should serve 
as an example to others. I thank him for his tireless work and would 
like to extend my warmest wishes on this momentous occasion.

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