[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 16 (Monday, February 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E84]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF TRACY A. SUGARMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. HIMES

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 4, 2013

  Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, January 20, we lost a cherished 
and dearly loved member of our community. Tracy Sugarman lit up the 
town of Westport, Connecticut, for 60 years with his ceaseless 
generosity, well-known sense of humor, and passion for social justice.
  Mr. Sugarman served as a naval officer in World War II, leading 
troops up Normandy during the historic D-Day assault. His courage and 
fortitude in battle are emblematic of the heroism of the ``Greatest 
Generation.''
  As an acclaimed illustrator and chronicler of the Civil Rights 
Movement, Mr. Sugarman bore witness to the many struggles faced by 
African Americans living in the Deep South. Mr. Sugarman's drawings 
helped bring to national attention the horrors of 1960's Mississippi, 
where black Americans faced threats of violence and death for 
registering to vote or attending a desegregated school.
  Mr. Sugarman's sketches of major news events appeared in hundreds of 
magazines, books, and other media across the country. He brought his 
skilled and emotional work to the Saturday Evening Post, Forbes 
Magazine, Louis Armstrong record covers, and hundreds of children's 
books.
  Mr. Sugarman's artwork is, by all counts, his greatest legacy: his 
drawings of the Civil Rights Movement are permanent archives in 
Mississippi and New York City. His painting, ``The Heroes of Nine-
Eleven,'' is on permanent display in Washington, DC. His painting of 
the Space Shuttle Columbia is part of NASA's archives at Cape Kennedy. 
And his collection of art from World War II is in use by the Library of 
Congress' Veterans History Project.
  Mr. Sugarman also wrote a number of books, many relating to his 
experiences in the South. ``Stranger at the Gate--A Summer in 
Mississippi'' details the Freedom Summer of 1964, during which more 
than 1,000 volunteers flooded rural Mississippi to register voters; 
``We Had Sneakers, They Had Guns: the Kids Who Fought for Civil Rights 
in Mississippi'' recounts the civil rights work of white college 
students, many of whom were arrested and beaten.
  Whether it was in writing or on canvas, Mr. Sugarman brought to his 
work artful introspection, keen awareness, and brutal honesty. His 
strong dedication to his fellow man--and particularly to his community 
here in Connecticut--will be sorely missed.

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