[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 70 (Thursday, May 19, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S3166]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING GEORGE ROGERS

 Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I wish to memorialize one of 
Alaska's greatest pioneers and statesmen, Mr. George W. Rogers. Born to 
immigrant parents in 1917, George Rogers died on October 3, 2010, in 
the Juneau home he designed. By his side were Jean, his wife of 68 
years, their children, and several close friends.
  Often described as a ``Renaissance man,'' George devoted his adult 
life to the spirit of the Territory and State of Alaska. As an 
economist, politician, educator, author, architect and artist, his 
contributions shaped the state and he will always be part of Alaska's 
story.
  Armed with a B.S. in economics from University of California at 
Berkeley, George began his long and historic Alaskan career in 1945. 
With the hope of feeding U.S. troops with less expense, the Office of 
Price Administration sent him up to negotiate reduced prices for raw 
fish. The job ended with the close of WWII, but George stayed on to 
advise several territorial governors, among them Ernest Gruening, who 
later would become one of Alaska's first U.S. Senators. It was Governor 
Gruening who encouraged George to attend Harvard for an MPA and a Ph.D.
  Dr. Rogers saw in economics the effects of dynamic forces of change, 
largely those related political, bureaucratic, and technical 
conditions. To George, Alaska was the perfect petri dish to study his 
``real world'' of economics, and to that study he devoted his life.
  At Governor Gruening's request, George created a revenue system for 
the Territory of Alaska. Later, during the fight for statehood, 
Territorial Governor B. Frank Heintzelman sent him as a consultant to 
the Alaska Constitutional Convention where he also served as the stand-
in for the convention's secretary. He considered his greatest 
contribution to the convention his work on apportionment to ensure 
Alaska's rural people are fairly represented.
  Of the convention he said:

       We had been through a decade-long . . . worldwide 
     depression. We had World War II, and so Republicans and 
     Democrats both realized that we've got to put aside political 
     differences and look at the construction of our government. 
     And it was such a wonderful, uplifting experience to have the 
     two competing parties sit together and work this out. . . . 
     it's one of the high points of my whole life because it was a 
     period of great hope.

  George applied this experience of hope and optimism to the rest of 
his professional and personal life. Believing in the possible, he 
influenced the fair development and treatment of Alaska's fisheries, 
timber, and oil for the benefit of all. He was involved in circumpolar 
research, the development of the Alaska Permanent Fund, and he helped 
to establish the Institute of Social and Economic Research at the 
University of Alaska. The Institute observes its 50th anniversary this 
year, dedicating the celebration to Dr. Rogers.
  Much of George's personal time was shared with the city of Juneau. 
Elected to the assembly both before and after statehood, he served on 
numerous committees and as a member of the Juneau Rotary Club. His 
architectural skills provided the design for the Zach Gordon Youth 
Center, a vibrant recreation facility dedicated exclusively to Juneau's 
youth.
  George was a great enthusiast and supporter of the arts. He designed 
sets for local productions, created the art for program covers and 
posters, and acted and sang on the stage. His abilities and openness of 
heart encouraged others to greater heights. He was a lifetime member of 
the Juneau Symphony Foundation, a member of the Juneau Lyric Opera, and 
the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council.
  A loving and caring husband and father, George and his wife Jean were 
a unit. With the addition of six adopted children, George redesigned 
and expanded their two-room, 1948 miner's cabin until it became a five-
bedroom, two-bath home. The house burned in 2000, but the irrepressible 
George began designs for the new one the following day.
  As we bid farewell to his physical presence, George's many 
contributions live in perpetuity. Whether through his advisory work, 
his scholarly work, or the seven books he wrote--some of which have 
been adapted as educational textbooks--he made a lasting difference.
  George's friends not only realize the depth of his impact on Alaskan 
life, they will also always remember the twinkle in his eye, his quick 
wit, his honesty, and his ability to best them at dominos.
  George Rogers was a great man, a role model, an Alaskan, and he has 
left an enduring legacy.

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