[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 176 (Tuesday, December 1, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H13366-H13368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF FRANK McCOURT

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 743) honoring the life of Frank McCourt for his 
many contributions to American literature, education, and culture.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 743

       Whereas Frank McCourt, a great American author, passed away 
     on July 19, 2009;
       Whereas Frank McCourt was born on August 19, 1930, in 
     Brooklyn, New York;
       Whereas Frank McCourt returned to his parents' homeland of 
     Ireland during the Great Depression where he remained until 
     the age of 19;
       Whereas Frank McCourt returned to the United States and 
     served in the United States Army where he was stationed in 
     Germany during the Korean War;
       Whereas following his service in the United States Army, 
     Frank McCourt attended New York University on the GI Bill 
     despite never having attended high school;
       Whereas following his graduation from New York University, 
     Frank McCourt began teaching English and creative writing in 
     the New York City Public School system where he remained for 
     27 years;
       Whereas Frank McCourt authored an autobiography titled 
     ``Angela's Ashes'' which vividly tells of the poverty, 
     hunger, and alcoholism that challenged his family and others 
     in the town of Limerick, Ireland, where he grew up;
       Whereas ``Angela's Ashes'' won the Pulitzer Prize for 
     Biography, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the ABBY 
     Award among others, and has sold over 4,000,000 copies, has 
     been published in 27 countries, and has been translated into 
     17 languages;
       Whereas Frank McCourt also authored other award winning 
     books including, ``Tis'', the follow up to ``Angela's 
     Ashes'', and ``Teacher Man'', about his work in the New York 
     School system;
       Whereas his contributions to American literature, 
     education, and culture have impacted millions; and
       Whereas Frank McCourt was beloved by his family, friends, 
     and neighbors for his kindness, wit, and generosity: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life 
     of Frank McCourt for his many contributions to American 
     literature, education, and culture.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and add any extraneous materials.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present House Resolution 743 for 
consideration. This resolution honors the life of Frank McCourt for his 
many contributions to American literature, education and culture.
  The measure before us was introduced on September 14 by my 
colleagues, Representative Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Mr. Joseph 
Courtney from Connecticut, and was favorably reported out of the 
Oversight Committee on October 29, 2009 by unanimous consent. Notably, 
this measure enjoys the support of over 50 Members of Congress.
  At this point, I would like to yield 5 minutes to one of the lead 
sponsors of this resolution, Mr. Courtney of Connecticut.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts 
for his efforts to bring this resolution to the floor today honoring a 
great American, a great writer and a great human being. As the 
cosponsorship indicates, there is a Connecticut thread through this 
resolution because at the time of his passing, Frank lived in Roxbury, 
Connecticut, where a memorial service was held just a few weeks ago. 
Congressman Chris Murphy attended that service and would have liked to 
be here but had some business back in his district, so I want to at 
least convey his strong support for this resolution because of the 
strong feeling within northwestern Connecticut where Frank resided and 
just the love and affection that the people of that State, which was 
kind of his adopted State, had for Frank.
  As the resolution indicates, Frank had an amazing American life. He 
was born in the U.S. but moved as an infant back to Ireland. He was 
raised in Limerick which became the subject of ``Angela's Ashes,'' a 
book that won prizes from all over the world, was translated into 17 
languages and was read in over 27 countries. He later moved back to the 
U.S., served in the U.S. Army, actually through the GI bill got his 
education, became a teacher, and then, again, an amazing story of 
becoming an undiscovered pearl as a writer late in life when he 
published ``Angela's Ashes'' in his sixties, and again became an 
internationally acclaimed author.
  It's a book that's about a very sort of small slice of humanity. It 
is a story about childhood poverty in Limerick, a relatively small to 
medium size city in Ireland back in the 1950s. You would think it would 
have a very small audience. But because of Frank's amazing gifts, he 
was able to write a story that really touched people from all over the 
world about the challenges that families face under the most difficult 
circumstances. And ultimately, although a very harsh account of his 
life, it is an inspiring book as well about his mother, Angela McCourt.
  He then wrote a second book called ``Tis'' which was a story really 
about immigration coming back to the U.S. really as almost a native 
Irish citizen at the time and fending his way through America. Again, 
it is a story which was full of some pretty rough scenes, but at the 
end of the day, it really is an American story about

[[Page H13367]]

someone coming to this country, being able to have the opportunity to 
pursue their dreams and to have the tools and opportunity, again, to 
become an extremely successful teacher.
  And that was the third book, ``Teacher Man,'' which is a story about 
him going into the public school system of New York City. His story 
about his first day in the classroom is something that every teacher I 
have ever talked to has described as one of the most amazingly accurate 
accounts of the fear that you feel walking into a classroom and trying 
to figure out a way to connect and in his instance, again, someone with 
a heavy Irish brogue, a kind of a timid soul going into a tech school 
to teach creative writing and English composition, it is hilarious. I 
recommend it to anyone who has the time to read that amazing story.
  Frank, again, as someone who had a second career in life as a writer, 
was somebody who shared that experience. He raised money for charities 
all over the U.S. He supported people in the community like Chris 
Murphy and myself out on the campaign trail.
  I would just close by saying that one of my most vivid moments as a 
new Member of Congress is the day we invited Frank to come to the Hill. 
We set up a little breakfast at the Members' dining room and invited 
Members to come. He sat there in a room with complete strangers. 
Obviously, Members of Congress have pretty big egos and like to talk 
themselves. But you could have heard a pin drop. He told stories, told 
jokes and charmed people for an hour and a half. And it was just magic.
  That really was what Frank was. He was somebody who because of his 
amazing imagination and his humanity and sense of humor was able to 
walk into a room full of strangers and just completely charm them and 
transform them. It's a memory that I think the Congress does well to 
memorialize and honor today. As we deal with issues like immigration 
and education, his example, I think, is an inspiring one for all of us 
who are involved in these challenges. His life really tells us that we 
are a great country and we can succeed if we give people the 
opportunities to blossom and show what they are really made of.
  With that, I urge support of the resolution.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join us in honoring the late 
Frank McCourt, best remembered for his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, 
``Angela's Ashes.''
  Born in 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. McCourt was actually a public 
school teacher for nearly 30 years who taught English. He was a 
veteran, drafted into the Army during the Korean War, and used the GI 
bill to enroll in New York University. He also earned a master's degree 
from Brooklyn College.
  Throughout his nearly 30-year career teaching, Mr. McCourt taught at 
McKee High School in Staten Island, Stuyvesant High School in New York 
City, at New York City Technical College and at the City University of 
New York.
  It was only in his mid sixties that Mr. McCourt finally sat down and 
chronicled his childhood memories. Despite Mr. McCourt's insistence 
that it was ``a modest book, modestly written,'' ``Angela's Ashes'' 
became an overnight, word-of-mouth success. It was made into a motion 
picture in 1999. Mr. McCourt received the Pulitzer Prize and the 
National Book Critic Circle Award for his work.
  Mr. McCourt passed away this past July 19, and today, we honor the 
contributions he made not only to America's educational system but also 
to American culture and American literature.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, the measure before us, as eloquently reported 
by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) and also cosponsored 
by Chris Murphy, honors Francis ``Frank'' McCourt who was born on 
August 19, 1930, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn where 
his Irish immigrant parents had hoped to make a better life. In the 
midst of the Great Depression, Mr. McCourt and his family relocated to 
Limerick, Ireland, when he was 4 years old, only to sink deeper into 
poverty.
  As noted by Mr. McCourt, his family's circumstances were so dire that 
he often dreamed of becoming a prison inmate so that he would be 
guaranteed three meals a day and a warm bed. The death of three of Mr. 
McCourt's six siblings in early childhood, his father's abandonment, 
and his family's continued poverty are only some of the hardships that 
plagued Mr. McCourt's childhood at the age of 19, when Mr. McCourt took 
his savings and boarded a ship for New York.
  Following a number of jobs, Mr. McCourt joined the United States Army 
and was subsequently stationed in Germany during the Korean War. While 
his formal education ended at the age of 13, Mr. McCourt nonetheless 
gained admission to New York University and earned a degree in English 
education in 1957 on the GI bill. One year later, Mr. McCourt began 
teaching at the age of 28 at Ralph McKee Vocational High School on 
Staten Island, thus beginning his 30-year career teaching in the New 
York City public school system.
  After earning a master's degree in English from Brooklyn College in 
1967, Mr. McCourt began teaching creative writing at Manhattan's highly 
selective Stuyvesant High School in 1972 where he remained until his 
retirement in 1987. Through his popular teaching style and his initial 
literary endeavors, Mr. McCourt became a beloved teacher at Stuyvesant 
and was known throughout the school as someone that you needed to meet 
if you wanted to become a writer. The fact that several of his former 
students went on to become writers stands as a testament to the impact 
of Mr. McCourt's teaching.
  In 1977, Mr. McCourt and his brother, Malachy, adapted their series 
of autobiographical sketches into a two-man play that opened off 
Broadway, and they subsequently took the play to several other cities. 
This project motivated Mr. McCourt to continue his reflections on his 
past, and he put pen to paper and began work on his childhood memoirs 
following his retirement from teaching.
  1996 marked the publication of Mr. McCourt's Pulitzer-Prize winning 
memoir, ``Angela's Ashes.'' Detailing the challenges and impact that 
his childhood had on his life and the life of the people of Limerick, 
Mr. McCourt's beautifully written and honest tale struck a powerful 
chord with people of all ages and backgrounds.
  The book's most famous passage begins with Mr. McCourt saying, ``When 
I look back on my childhood, I wonder how I survived at all. It was, of 
course, a miserable childhood: The happy childhood is hardly worth your 
while.''
  Not only did his story have an effect on his readers, it also touched 
Mr. McCourt himself. He said of writing ``Angela's Ashes'' that he 
``learned the significance of my own insignificant life.'' He followed 
``Angela's Ashes'' with two more books detailing his life, including 
``Teacher Man'' about his life as a public school teacher.
  Regrettably, Mr. McCourt passed away on July 19, 2009, at the age of 
78. He is survived by his wife, Ellen Frey McCourt; his brothers, 
Malachy, Alphie and Mike; his daughter, Maggie McCourt; and his three 
grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, let us remember and honor Frank McCourt for inspiring 
and influencing millions with his works and for his contributions to 
education through the passage of this resolution.
  I urge all my colleagues to join us in supporting House Resolution 
743, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1515

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. At this time I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Bishop).
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for 
yielding, and I thank the authors of this resolution.
  Frank McCourt is justifiably known to the country and to the world 
primarily as a writer. I knew him as a teacher. Prior to coming to the 
Congress, I was the provost of South Hampton College of Long Island 
University, and we offered a master's in the fine arts program in 
creative writing. We hired Frank McCourt to teach in that program. He 
taught in that program every summer from 2002 through 2008, and he was 
preparing to teach in the summer of 2009 when he died.
  To describe him as a great teacher is to not do him justice. He was 
an extraordinary teacher. He was inspiring,

[[Page H13368]]

he was inspired, he was engaging, and he was incredibly effective. The 
workshop that he offered was called Memoir Writing, and it was always 
the most heavily subscribed of all of the workshops we offered. There 
was always a waiting list. Alan Alda worked on his memoirs as a student 
in Frank McCourt's memoir writing class. Anne Bancroft, prior to her 
passing, was a student in Frank McCourt's memoir writing class.
  That class was really a textbook in how much to teach, how to engage 
students, how to turn them on to a subject matter, and how to get the 
most out of them--the very essence of teaching--and he did it with 
enormous humor, with great charm, and was almost effortless in his 
ability to connect with students.
  So I certainly hope that the Congress will unanimously pass this 
resolution. He was a man richly deserving of any accolade that he might 
receive. He will be terribly missed. He serves as an example of what 
good teaching is and how valuable good teaching is to our Nation's 
students.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, we have no additional speakers, but I 
would urge the passage of House Resolution 743. It's an honor for me to 
participate in these proceedings, and I urge the adoption of this 
resolution.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. I thank the gentleman from Utah for his kind remarks, and 
I want to thank both the gentlemen from Connecticut, Mr. Courtney and 
Mr. Murphy, and also the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop) for their 
wonderful work and leadership on this resolution.
  Mr. McMAHON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 743 which 
honors the life and work of accomplished Pulitzer-prize winning author 
Frank McCourt. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important 
resolution.
  Frank McCourt was an exceptional author and educator whose 
contributions are valued throughout America. He is remembered for his 
great literary masterpieces, including his well known autobiography, 
``Angela's Ashes,'' which tells his story of growing up in the slums of 
Brooklyn, New York and Limerick City, Ireland.
  Frank McCourt's life is the story of a true American Dream. As a 
child of Irish immigrants, McCourt grew up during the depression and 
faced many grave challenges. McCourt was abandoned by his father, who 
was an alcoholic, at an early age. The family had seven children, three 
of whom died from disease. McCourt found himself struggling to hold 
down a job in order to feed his mother and surviving siblings. He 
worked to provide a stable and healthy environment for his family 
during a time of worldwide economic depression.
  McCourt dropped out of school at the age of 13 and worked a series of 
janitorial jobs in New York hotels. After serving in the United States 
Army, Frank McCourt was granted a formal education at New York 
University even though he never received the required high school 
diploma.
  Frank McCourt's professional career began as an educator in 1958 when 
he landed his first job teaching English at Ralph R. McKee Career & 
Technical High School (McKee) located in my district of Staten Island, 
New York. McCourt went on to teach in the New York City Public school 
system for 27 years. McCourt always had a passion for creative writing 
and storytelling, and it was through his work at McKee high school 
where he developed the idea for ``Angela's Ashes.''
  Frank McCourt was once quoted in an interview saying that, ``children 
are the most precious material we have in our country.'' McCourt was a 
great example of a dedicated teacher and was an outspoken advocate for 
education. McCourt viewed teaching as the single most important 
profession in the country because teachers pave the way for our 
children's future and enhance their lives.
  When Frank McCourt passed away earlier this year, our Nation lost a 
great man, teacher, author, and friend. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my 
colleagues to support H. Res. 743 to honor the life, work and 
contributions of Frank McCourt.
  Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
life of author and educator Frank McCourt.
  As many know, Frank McCourt died on July 19 at the age of 78. As an 
author, he was best known for his best-selling series of memoirs, 
including the Pulitzer-prize winning 1996 work Angela's Ashes. Years 
before he became a literary icon, however, he was best known among 
thousands of New York City high school students as a passionate and 
committed teacher, holding his classes spellbound with his rapturous 
stories. But to me, and to so many others who call Northwest 
Connecticut home, he was a friend.
  While Frank was an Irishman and a New York City native to the last, 
it was in Roxbury, Connecticut, that he spent years with his beloved 
wife, Ellen, at his side. Frank was dearly-loved throughout his 
community as a warm, friendly neighbor who was always willing to roll 
up his sleeves and get involved in local causes and charities. The wit 
and generous spirit that defined his writing was familiar to anyone who 
knew Frank--he was a fiery, vital presence.
  Frank spent his life shaping young people's minds as a teacher and 
sharing his writings with the world. This resolution before us today is 
dedicated to his memory, and to Ellen and the McCourt family. On behalf 
of myself and Representative Courtney, who helped make this resolution 
possible, as well as the millions around the world whose lives he 
touched, Frank McCourt will be missed.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 743.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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