[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E331-E332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            IN MEMORIAM--THE HONORABLE FRANCISCO CASTRO ADA

                                 ______
                                 

                  HON. GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN

                    of the northern mariana islands

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2010

  Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a man who served 
our country, and who served the Northern Mariana Islands, with great 
honor and distinction. The Honorable Francisco Castro Ada passed away 
on March 2nd; and he is being accorded a state funeral this week on the 
island of Saipan.
  Francisco Ada was born in 1934 during the Japanese administration of 
the Northern Marianas. He came from humble beginnings, but always 
strove to improve himself--and in the process contributed much to our 
community.
  Following World War II he went to Guam to attend high school. This 
was before there was any high school in the Northern Mariana Islands. 
To obtain more than a basic education required leaving home.
  Diploma in hand, Mr. Ada returned to Saipan and taught for two years 
in a public school. But convinced of the need for a college education 
Mr. Ada secured a scholarship to the University of Hawaii at Manoa and 
earned a Bachelor's degree in political science. There, he also 
demonstrated the political skills that would serve him throughout his 
life: he won election as president of the International Students 
Association.
  Upon his return from college in 1961, Mr. Ada again took up teaching 
at Saipan Intermediate School, but within a year his education and 
charisma landed him a position as public affairs officer for the 
Marianas District Government. The Marianas District was one of the 
geographical components of the United Nations Trust Territory of the 
Pacific Islands, administered by the United States.
  Promotion came quickly. Over an eight year period Francisco C. Ada 
moved from economic and political programs officer to district 
political affairs assistant, then to assistant district administrator 
for public affairs. Trust Territory officials took due regard of Mr. 
Ada's work ethic, his administrative savvy, and his exemplary 
leadership skills. And in 1969 he was appointed Administrator for the 
entire Marianas District, overseeing all the operations of local 
government.
  Arguably his most important and far-sighted achievement during his 
seven years as District Administrator was building the Saipan 
International Airport. This modern facility on the capitol island 
ushered in our next thirty-five years of development, allowing Saipan 
to grow as a business center and as a destination for tourists from 
around the Pacific. To manage this critical piece of public 
infrastructure Ada set up an airport authority, independent of the need 
for local government support, that continues to be a model in our 
islands. Fittingly, on the airport's 25th anniversary, it was named 
Francisco C. Ada International Airport.
  Francisco Ada's years as Administrator coincided with a yearning for 
self-government and a change of political status in the Marianas. 
People wanted closer political ties with the United States and twice 
tried to restore the historical unification with Guam. Then, a 1975 
plebiscite overwhelmingly approved commonwealth status under the 
sovereignty of the U.S.
  Ada oversaw the subsequent transition from Trust Territory Government 
to Commonwealth. But he also saw that he could have a place in the 
newly forming government. He left his post with the Trust Territory and 
ran, successfully, on the Democratic Party ticket to be the first 
Lieutenant Governor of the new Commonwealth.
  Those early years set the course for the fledgling government. Mr. 
Ada was an active participant in the passage of new laws; negotiations 
and agreements with Federal agencies; the design and construction of 
public infrastructure; and adjustment by all to self-governance.
  For the first time in anyone's memory, the islands' prospects for 
success or failure squarely rested on the shoulders of the people and 
new leaders of the Commonwealth. Francisco C. Ada lived up to that 
historical challenge and fulfilled the people's trust.
  But it is easy to say of government officials that they served the 
general good. Let me tell you of my own experience of Francisco Ada 
working for the good of individuals, as well. I recall Mr. David 
Indalecio, who worked on Mr. Ada's staff, keeping the office clean and 
maintained. Mr. Indalecio did not have a high school diploma. Maybe he 
didn't need one to do his job. But Francisco C. Ada had a commitment to 
education--for himself and all those around him. Mr. Ada encouraged Mr.

[[Page E332]]

Indalecio to complete his schooling, and with that support Mr. 
Indalecio did graduate from high school. The story does not end there, 
however. Because Mr. Indalecio himself then went on to leadership in 
our community. He was elected to the Saipan and Northern Islands 
Municipal Council, where he served with distinction.
  Francisco C. Ada served the public throughout his career, but he 
never lost touch with the personal aspect of life--his family. His wife 
and seven children kept him anchored during the stormiest of times; and 
he gave them an example and the guidance that make the Ada family one 
of our most distinguished: a doctor, lawyers, public servants, each 
leaders in their own right, and in many ways Francisco C. Ada's 
greatest legacy.
  Madam Speaker, thank you for this time to remark on the honorable and 
much esteemed Francisco Castro Ada. He will always be remembered for 
his dedication, fairness and tireless capacity to make the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands a better place for all.
  God bless him and his family.

                          ____________________