[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 146 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN HONOR OF SERGEANT LOUIS J. MACHOVEC

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 3, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Sergeant Louis J. 
Machovec, an iconic police officer from the Cleveland Police Department 
(CPD), as he celebrates his 100th birthday on September 29, 2011.
  Sgt. Machovec was born on September 29, 1911 in Cleveland's North 
Broadway neighborhood. He was one of three sons born to Jan and Anna 
Machovec, immigrants from Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. He attended Our Lady 
of Lourdes school and later graduated from Thomas Edison High School. 
After high school, during the Great Depression, Louis worked various 
jobs including working as groundskeeper at Lakeview Cemetery, in a 
railroad boiler factory and as a Cleveland taxi driver.
  In 1937, Sgt. Machovec took the qualifying test to become a Cleveland 
police officer. After Eliot Ness became the city's Safety Director, the 
entire police force was given the exam again. Sgt. Machovec scored 
sixth out of more than 800 applicants and was asked to become a member 
of the first Cleveland Police Academy Class. After working on accident 
prevention for a short time, Sgt. Machovec was asked to join in the 
investigation of the Kingsbury Run murders; the Cleveland Torso 
Murderer was never caught.
  He worked in various departments, ultimately joining the CPD's 
communications division. He worked as the voice of the Cleveland Police 
Department for many years, through the 1950 Thanksgiving snowstorm and 
the Hough Riots in the 1960s. Later, Sgt. Machovec ran the police 
internal telephone exchange and bank alarm departments until his 
retirement. He served with the Cleveland Police Department for 39 
years.
  Following his retirement, Sgt. Machovec moved to Solon, Ohio to be 
closer to his wife, Margaret, and their daughters, Mary Lou and 
Margaret. Today, he enjoys spending time with his children and 
grandchildren and still wears his grey CPD shirt.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in wishing Sgt. Louis 
Machovec a very happy 100th birthday and thanking him for his dedicated 
service with the Cleveland Police Department.

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