[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 79 (Thursday, June 6, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E825-E826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE DR. FLOYD RANDALL STAUFFER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 6, 2013

  Ms. ROYBALL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late 
Dr. Floyd Randall Stauffer. I am submitting his prepared biography for 
the record, detailing his extensive accomplishments and contributions 
to our community:

       Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Maurice and Dorothy 
     Stauffer, Dr. Stauffer graduated from Hyde Park High School 
     in Chicago. He earned a B.S. Degree from the University of 
     Chicago where he won the Big Ten medal for combined 
     excellence in athletics and scholarship. He was first string 
     guard on the Big Ten water polo championship squad, Phi Beta 
     Kappa and received his B.S. degree in physiology in 1937 
     before earning his Master's of Science from Ohio State 
     University in 1940. From 1940-1943, he attended medical 
     school at Ohio State, receiving his MD in 1943. The day after 
     he graduated from medical school, he married Mary Ruth Schuh 
     who he described as ``a brilliant doctor and first in her 
     class.''
       Dr. Stauffer was commissioned in 1943 as a Lieutenant in 
     the Medical Corps for the United States Navy and interned at 
     the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Washington. He served 
     as a ``Beach Party Doctor'' (triage) in the Pacific theater 
     on the USS Audubon. In 1947, he was dedicated Navy Flight 
     surgeon, School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola, Florida. 
     Here he directed the human centrifuge program and instructed 
     Navy pilots in acceleration forces and radial G-forces. He 
     also conducted research on the G-suit, as well as experiments 
     on human tolerance and ``supine G-forces.''
       In 1948, he received his PhD from the University of 
     Southern California's School of Medicine, Department of 
     Physiology. The Stauffer family moved to Downey, California 
     in 1954 where both he and his wife, Mary, continued to 
     practice medicine. He also served as the Warren High School 
     team doctor for twelve years and sponsored some of the 
     athletic awards.
       ``Dal,'' as he was called by friends and family, began his 
     swimming career in Lake Michigan and his diving career at 
     church summer camp at the age of ten. YMCA and high school 
     diving followed where he became Chicago's junior and senior 
     diving champion. He performed exhibition diving at the 1934 
     World's Fair. He continued competing throughout college in 
     club and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) regional competitions, 
     winning many championships and was the All Navy Diving 
     Champion in 1947. He went to the 1948 Olympic Trials, but 
     finished seventh so he just missed making the team.
       In 1962, he started swimming and diving with the Senior 
     Olympics. In 1974, Dal went to Texas for the first Master's 
     diving meet. Throughout his Master's career, Dr. Stauffer 
     competed in 20 FINA Master's World Championships and 49 USA 
     Master's National Diving Championships throughout the eight 
     age groups beginning with 50-55. Active in the Master's 
     program, Dal traveled throughout the country and around the 
     world. He hosted Ukrainian and Lithuanian masters in his 
     home, as well as diving officials from Denmark. In 2006, Dal 
     was inducted into the International Master's Swimming Hall of 
     Fame and in 2007, he was inducted into the Athletics Hall of 
     Fame for the University of Chicago for swimming, diving and 
     water polo. At 89, Dr. Stauffer decided to ``dive for 
     history,'' being the first to set a Master's diving record 
     for a 90-year-old man.
       In 1978, he discovered scuba diving and traveled to the 
     best diving spots to pursue his newfound hobby. The highlight 
     of this activity was a trip to New Guinea with one of his 
     sons and a group headed by Jean Michele Cousteau, son of the 
     famous undersea explorer, Jacques Cousteau.
       In 1984, when Los Angeles hosted the summer Olympic games, 
     Dal carried the torch for one kilometer at Salem, Oregon on 
     July 8, 1984. He paid the $3,000 for the privilege, most of 
     which was donated to the Downey YMCA at his request, via the 
     Torch Relay Foundation.
       A lover of nature and animals, he took his family to visit 
     many of the National Parks and to Africa. He also enjoyed 
     spectator sports in addition to chess, bridge, the Japanese 
     game of Go, reading, music and the theater. Annually, he 
     created an original ``transogram puzzle'' for the family to 
     complete on Christmas Eve. He maintained his digital 
     dexterity for surgery by weaving baskets and crocheting 
     placemats and tablecloths for family members. He was truly a 
     ``Renaissance Man'' in every sense of the word.

  I extend my most heartfelt condolences to Dr. Floyd Stauffer's wife, 
Dr. Mary Stauffer and her family--sons, Jim and John; and daughters, 
Dorothy Knight, Judi Saunders, and Janet Suzuki; grandchildren, Dawn 
Martens, Diane Saunders, Katherine Reich, Mary Owens, Alison Riley, 
Jessica Stauffer and Jordan Stauffer; and great-grandson, Phoenix 
Reich.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me in recognizing Dr. 
Stauffer's lifetime of achievements and long record of service to our 
country and our community. His significant contributions enriched the 
lives of many people.

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