[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 83 (Friday, May 30, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E887-E888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE SEEING EYE OF MORRISTOWN 85TH ANNIVERSARY

                                  _____
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 30, 2014

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on almost any day of the year, if you 
were to find yourself in the middle of Morristown, New Jersey, you 
would be almost certain to see a remarkable partnership being 
developed. You might notice a well-behaved, bright-eyed young dog 
wearing a special vest as it navigates, with a trainer, the crosswalks 
and sidewalks of the bustling Morristown Green. This dog is being 
trained to join a long line of dogs that have provided a ``seeing eye'' 
to thousands of Americans under the tutelage of The Seeing Eye, a 
remarkable organization that is marking its 85th Anniversary this year.
  In 1927, Morris Franlc, a young blind man, read an article about dogs 
being trained as guides for blinded veterans of World War I. Mr. Frank 
decided to reach out to the author and dog trainer Dorothy Harrison 
Eustis for help. Ms. Eustis, who was in Switzerland at the time, agreed 
to help Mr. Frank if he could come to Switzerland.
  He made the trip and a year later Mr. Frank returned to New York City 
with his dog, ``Buddy.'' Buddy and Mr. Frank captured the attention of 
many reporters as the two proved the ability of a guide dog and his 
master. This partnership among Ms. Eustis, Mr. Frank, and Buddy would 
launch an effort that would change the world for people who could not 
see.
  In 1929, Dorothy Harrison Eustis, who trained the first dog, returned 
to America, and with the help of Morris Frank, E.S. Humphrey, and Willi 
Ebeling, founded The Seeing Eye, Inc. on January 29, in Nashville, 
Tennessee. Two years later, The Seeing Eye moved its headquarters to 
Whippany, New Jersey, and has remained in the area since then.
  A few years after settling into their new headquarters, the 
organization decided to create a way to reach students, graduates, and 
other interes-ted people in order to share inspirational stories and 
updates on new developments and programs. In 1935, the Seeing Eye 
pubfished the first issue of the Guide magazine, which is published 
quarterly even today.
  On December 8, 1941, the day after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the 
Board of Trustees passed a resolution, ``to supply Seeing Eye dogs, 
without charge, to eligible members of the armed forces who lose their 
sight in the line of duty.'' Since then, these American heroes have 
been given priority over all other applicants.
  The first women's donnitory opened in 1950, allowing women to become 
students at the Seeing Eye. Within the first year of the new dormitory 
opening, one third of the students were female.
  In 1952, Warner Brothers brought the inspiration story of The Seeing 
Eye to moviegoers everywhere with the release of the motion picture 
called, ``The Seeing Eye.'' The Seeing Eye's story would inspire other 
moviemakers through the years.
  In 1966, Walt Disney filmed the movie, ``Atta girl, Kelly!'' on the 
Seeing Eye campus. Jim Kutsch, the current president of the 
organization, watched this film as a young child. Years

[[Page E888]]

later, after losing his vision to a chemical explosion, he remembered 
that movie and was determined to work toward his first Seeing Eye dog. 
Jim is the first Seeing Eye graduate to serve as president of the 
organization.
  Twenty years later, Walt Disney Studios returned to the story of The 
Seeing Eye for another film, ``Loves Leads the Way.'' This 1986 picture 
depicted the story of Morris Frank and Buddy.
  From the beginning, the work of The Seeing Eye has captured the 
attention of countless Americans, including several who called the 
White House home. In 1930, President Herbert Hoover met with Morris 
Franlc to learn more about his work. In 1948, Mr. Frank and his third 
dog (named Buddy III), visited President Harry Truman at the White 
House. In 1972, First lady Pat Nixon visited The Seeing Eye at its 
headquarters in Morristown. And in 1990, President George H.W. Bush 
named The Seeing Eye the 138th ``Point of Light'' in honor of its corps 
of volunteers.
  One year later, The Seeing Eye marked several significant milestones, 
including matching its 10,000th dog with a student and hiring its first 
full-time veterinarian, Dr. Dolores Holle.
  The Seeing Eye, Inc. has continuously dedicated itself to the goals 
of increasing independence and dignity of those who are blind, 
providing the best guide dogs possible, educating the public, providing 
ongoing assistants to both graduates and dogs, and to practice 
fiduciary responsibility.
  The Seeing Eye Inc. is ever dedicated to their growing conununity 
through their continuous care of each individual, both human and 
canine. As the graduates continue on with their dog guides, The Seeing 
Eye, Inc. will ensure that help is always provided, as needed. The 
Seeing Eye, Inc. promises successor dogs to graduates, as well as sends 
trainers to homes across the U.S. and Canada to help with any training-
related problem. This remarkable organization not only raises and 
trains the dogs, but also provides the best research and care for 
canine health and development.
  As The Seeing Eye marks its 85th Anniversary, it continues to commit 
itself to providing the best guide dogs, with excellent health and 
training, and to sustaining excellence in their field while always 
seeking improvement. The employees, volunteers, students, graduates, 
and guide dogs, look forward to the challenges and excitement of the 
future.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
The Seeing Eye as it celebrates its 85th Anniversary.

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