[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 8, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING HARVEY ZEIGLER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 8, 2010

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a remarkable 
American on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
  Mr. Harvey Zeigler, the sixth of thirteen children, grew up amid the 
de facto segregation of the 1920s in Damascus, Maryland, where his 
grandfather settled in 1863 after escaping slavery via the Underground 
Railroad. Three years after graduating from an all African-American 
high school, on December 8, 1941 Mr. Zeigler was drafted into the 
United States Army.
  A member of the 329th segregated unit of the U.S. Army, Mr. Zeigler 
courageously fought for his country, only to return home to face 
oppressive discrimination. An early advocate of civil rights, Mr. 
Zeigler battled the discriminatory practices of local banks after he 
was denied funds for a start-up business venture because of his race. 
Even after securing a loan from a local bank, Mr. Zeigler continued to 
fight for equal treatment until all bank services were opened to all 
African-Americans in his community.
  In 1959, Mr. Zeigler was hired as a custodian for the new Atomic 
Energy Commission in Germantown, Maryland. After he and other minority 
employees were passed over for numerous promotions, Mr. Zeigler, with 
the assistance of the NAACP, sued the AEC. Despite overwhelming odds, 
Mr. Zeigler and the NAACP won the case and forced the AEC to offer 
African-Americans opportunities for advancement to the higher-paying 
skilled-labor jobs.
  Mr. Zeigler continued to play a critical role in his community in 
numerous ways. He organized Montgomery County community members' 
involvement in the historic March on Washington. He led protests to 
integrate public facilities, including movie theaters, amusement parks, 
and country clubs. He was instrumental in enabling African-American 
teachers and counselors to obtain positions in the Montgomery County 
Public Schools and for African-Americans to become firefighters in 
Damascus.
  Mr. Zeigler retired from federal service in 1977. In retirement, Mr. 
Zeigler worked tirelessly with the NAACP, leading youth services, 
organizing church activities, and integrating many of the United 
Methodist Churches in Montgomery County.
  Mr. Zeigler, a man of extraordinary conviction and perseverance, has 
been a role model throughout his inspirational life of service to our 
Nation and to the African-American community. His brave leadership 
helped to change our Nation's history in critically important ways.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize Mr. Harvey Zeigler on his 
90th birthday and to thank him for his courageous leadership and 
service to our country.

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