[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 50 (Monday, April 15, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CELEBRATION OF ALFRED T. LILLY, FLORENCE, MASSACHUSETTS

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                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 15, 2013

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 200th 
birthday of Alfred T. Lilly, founder of the Lilly Library in Florence, 
Massachusetts.
  Mr. Lilly was a cornerstone of the Florence community: He began as a 
superintendant of the Nonotuck Silk Company, eventually becoming part 
owner of the company after Nonotuck became one of the largest and best-
known manufacturers of silk in the United States. Mr. Lilly helped 
found a number of businesses in Florence, including the present-day 
Florence Savings Bank. He believed that local businesses were an 
integral part of any vibrant community.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1888, Mr. Lilly recognized the need for a library in 
his community. By deeding the land where the building was to be 
constructed, donating a considerable portion of his personal library, 
and providing financial support, Mr. Lilly led the efforts to construct 
the library that now bears his name. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Lilly was a 
philanthropist in the purest sense of the word and cared deeply about 
his community. His dedication, Mr. Speaker, is the reason why, two 
centuries after his birth, Alfred Lilly's spirit thrives in the 
institution that he helped to form.
  It is in recognition of his dedication and passion, Mr. Speaker, that 
I ask my fellow Members of the United States House of Representatives 
to join me in honoring the great contributions Mr. Lilly made to the 
community of Florence.

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