[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 108 (Wednesday, July 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FORMER PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR WILLIAM WARREN SCRANTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LOU BARLETTA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 18, 2012

  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former Pennsylvania 
Governor William Warren Scranton on the occasion of his 95th birthday.
  Governor Scranton comes from a long line of statesmen and his family 
founded the Northeastern Pennsylvania city of Scranton. After 
graduating from Yale University in 1939, he enlisted in the United 
States Army Air Corps just before World War II. Although he did not see 
combat, he served honorably and remained active in the U.S. Air Force 
Reserves for two decades.
  Governor Scranton's public service began in the 1950s, when President 
Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him as a special assistant to the U.S. 
Secretary of State in 1959. After a little over a year, Governor 
Scranton was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for 
Pennsylvania's 10th District. As a freshman member, he fought 
tirelessly for his constituents and fostered bipartisan support for the 
common good. In 1962, he successfully ran for Governor of Pennsylvania, 
defeating then Philadelphia Mayor Richardson Dilworth. During his four 
years in office, Governor Scranton advocated for a strong education 
system, continued industrial development in the United States and 
abroad, and fiscally responsible policy.
  In 1966, Governor Scranton vowed to never run for public office 
again, but his service to the community did not end. From 1967 to 1968, 
Governor Scranton attended the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention 
and helped write a new constitution for the state. Additionally, he 
continued his public service through leadership positions with several 
civic organizations including; director of the Boys Club of Scranton, 
vice president of the University of Scranton's President's Council, 
director of the Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and vice president of the 
board of directors for Geisinger Memorial Hospital.
  After turning down several proposals to run again for public office, 
Governor Scranton accepted an appointment from President Gerald Ford in 
1976 to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. 
His ability to promote diplomacy and genuine interest in human rights 
earned him favor with many nations and promoted a positive world view 
of the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, today, Governor Scranton embodies the traits, ideals, 
and values which many of us strive to achieve today, and I am honored 
to congratulate him on his many years of dedicated civic service to the 
community of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth, and the 
country.

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