[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 29, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          WISHING OLIVER (OLLIE) SPERAW A HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY

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                         HON. DANIEL E. LUNGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 29, 2011

  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize and honor an old friend, Oliver (Ollie) Speraw, who on March 
26, 2011 turned 90 years of age. Ollie has lived a life full of notable 
accomplishments where he became a captain of industry and a humble 
public servant.
  Ollie grew up in Long Beach after moving there at a young age with 
his family from Minnesota. As a young man Ollie worked in a number of 
different trades and contributed to the early war effort, riveting P-
38s, before finally coming of age to enlist in the Army Air Corps and 
serve during WW2. After returning home he entered the Real Estate 
Business, starting Sparrow Reality, and became one of the original 
pioneers of Century 21 Real Estate. Throughout his life, Ollie has been 
actively involved in his home town of Long Beach and the surrounding 
region, participating in multiple organizations such as the Long Beach 
Jaycees, Oceanside Chamber of Commerce and the Oceanside Rotary. In 
1954, he began his first position in civilian public service as a 
member of the Long Beach Water Board, and served there until 1969. 
Ollie was inspired by Ronald Reagan, California's Governor at the time, 
and his message of an efficient, cost-cutting government. He 
subsequently volunteered for one of the Governor's citizen committees. 
Out of this inspiration, Ollie became more active in politics, which 
led him to become a Board Member on the 31st Senate District Republican 
Central Committee, of which I was also a member at the time. Ollie 
moved on to win his first election in 1979, where he joined the 
California State Senate and served there until 1984. While in the 
Senate he gained a reputation as a protector of the taxpayer who sought 
to make government leaner, effective and more efficient. Californians 
who have a little red organ donor sticker on their Drivers Licenses can 
be reminded daily of just a small piece of his legislative legacy.
  Ollie served his country with honor in World War II, helped pioneer 
one of the largest employers in the Real Estate industry and has 
honorably served the people of California as one of their elected 
officials. It has been my pleasure to know Ollie Speraw and more 
importantly, to call him my friend. Please join me in wishing him a 
happy 90th birthday.

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