[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 151 (Tuesday, October 11, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN MEMORY OF MR. GEORGE CONDON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 11, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Mr. George 
Condon, an iconic journalist, author and historian that truly loved the 
City of Cleveland.
  Born in Falls River, Massachusetts, George was the youngest of eight 
children. At the age of six, his Irish family moved to Cleveland's Ohio 
City neighborhood. He attended St. Patrick's on the Bridge and later 
West Tech High School during the height of the Great Depression. He 
left high school and began working at Atlas Display Fixture Company and 
later Blocks Clothing Store. After several years of working and saving 
money, George enrolled in the Ohio State University and graduated in 
1941 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. It was during 
college that George met his future wife, Marjorie Smith. The two 
married in 1942 and had seven children together.
  Following graduation, George became the editor of the Mount Pelier, 
Ohio newspaper. Shortly after, he took a public relations job at Mount 
Union College before being hired by the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1941. 
He started at the Plain Dealer as a general assignment reporter and in 
1948 became the first radio critic. He would later move to the 
editorial page, where he remained for the rest of his 41-year-long 
career. In addition to being a unique voice for the Plain Dealer, 
George became a respected historian for the City of Cleveland. He wrote 
nine books throughout his life including Cleveland: The Best Kept 
Secret and Yesterday's Cleveland.
  George loved the City of Cleveland and, in return, he was honored and 
recognized countless times throughout his illustrious career. In 
addition to having been inducted in the Cleveland Journalism Hall of 
Fame, George has received the Ohiana Award, the Cleveland Award for 
Literature, the Burke Award for Literature and the Sigma Delta Chi 
Award for Distinguished Service.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the memory of 
Mr. George Condon, he will forever be remembered by the city that he 
loved.

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