[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 114 (Friday, August 2, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF OLIVE G. MAYER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 2013

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the late Olive G. Mayer, a 
dear friend and a pioneer in the environmental community of California. 
She was one of the passionate driving forces in protecting open spaces 
in San Mateo County.
  Sadly, Ollie missed the completion of one of her biggest 
achievements. She passed away five days before the opening ceremony of 
the Devil's Slide Tunnel on the San Mateo coast, a project she and her 
fellow tunnelistas had been advocating for decades. The engineering 
marvel that most people said couldn't be done is now reality thanks in 
huge part to Ollie's passion and persistence.
  An engineer by training and Sierra Club member, she got her hands on 
the original construction plans for the massive seven mile long, six-
lane wide highway bypass that Caltrans had proposed to build across 
Montara Mountain--plans Caltrans never released to the public. Ollie 
shared them with other environmentalists who formed a grassroots 
movement determined to stop the bypass and urban sprawl along the 
scenic coastal hills.
  The idea for a tunnel was born in the early 70s when a USGS geologist 
responded to a Montara resident inquiring about solutions for Devil's 
Slide. He outlined several options, including boring a tunnel. Ollie 
presented the idea to Caltrans engineers in 1973, but they dismissed 
it. The tunnel idea continued its lengthy legal and rocky path. In 
1995, Devil's Slide lived up to its name and slid down five feet. The 
road stayed closed for five months making life miserable for coastal 
residents and forcing local businesses to close.
  The tunnelistas jumped into high gear, collected 34,000 signatures 
and put the issue on the county ballot. San Mateo County was blanketed 
in yellow and black ``Think Tunnel'' bumper stickers. In 1996, Measure 
T passed with 74% of the vote. Seventeen years and countless hurdles 
later, the tunnel is finally reality. David beat Goliath. Ollie's good 
friend and tunnelista Zoe Kersteen-Tucker put it perfectly at the 
opening ceremony: ``It took an uprising of the people to think tunnel, 
vote tunnel, build tunnel and today, at last, to open tunnel.''
  Devil's Slide was but one of many battles Ollie took on. She was a 
lifelong activist, visionary and intellectual. Born Olive Graham 
Hendricks in New Jersey in 1918, she was the only woman in her class at 
Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania to earn her BS in engineer. She 
later received her Master's degree from the University of Michigan. 
Ollie was an ardent fighter for equal treatment of women and freedom of 
speech. During the McCarthy era, she provided support for victims of 
blacklisting and was under surveillance and investigated by the FBI. 
She was among the early peace activists opposing the war in Vietnam. 
She fought for racial and civil equality in the 50s and 60s. In short, 
she was fearless and determined to make the world a better place for 
everyone to enjoy.
  Ollie loved the outdoors and science. She met her late husband, Dr. 
Henry Mayer, while hiking in Colorado. They married in 1941 and after 
World War II moved to Woodside, California. Ollie opened a machine shop 
in San Carlos and founded a business that made and distributed model 
science projects, such as dams and power plants, for middle and high 
school students.
  Ollie was a tireless supporter of the Peninsula Open Space Trust and 
played a significant role in keeping areas on the Peninsula undeveloped 
and accessible to the public. She was the president of the Loma Prieta 
Chapter of the Sierra Club and was honored with the John Muir Award for 
her lifetime work for conservation. She was also named a ``Legend'' by 
the Club, and she was appointed to the San Mateo County Women's Hall of 
Fame, among a long list of other awards.
  Ollie is survived by her daughter Judith O'Brien; son Robert Mayer; 
and four grandchildren: Connor and Lauren O'Brien and Reid and Drew 
Mayer.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to 
honor one of the most extraordinary and giving environmentalists and 
human beings--a woman who found her true north.

                          ____________________