[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 146 (Wednesday, December 3, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING DR. HOWARD SILVER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CONSORTIUM OF SOCIAL 
                          SCIENCE ASSOCIATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RUSH HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 3, 2014

  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the accomplishments of my 
colleague, Dr. Howard Silver, on the occasion of his recent retirement 
as the Executive Director of the Consortium of Social Science 
Associations (COSSA).
  COSSA is the largest consortium dedicated to promoting the social and 
behavioral sciences and the federal agencies that directly and 
indirectly supports them. COSSA is comprised of over 100 professional 
associations, scientific societies, research institutes, and 
universities, including two in my district--Princeton University and 
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
  Since its inception in the early 1980s, Howard has been with COSSA. A 
former political science professor, campaign manager, and legislative 
analyst at the Department of Education, Howard came to COSSA during its 
darkest, earliest chapter when the Reagan Administration was attempting 
to undermine federal support for the social and behavioral sciences. 
From 1983-88, Howard served COSSA as its Associate Director for 
Government Relations, establishing effective and innovative strategies 
that successfully defended the social and behavioral sciences (SBS) 
against these efforts and promoted understanding of SBS's important 
contributions to the nation's scientific enterprise. Howard also worked 
to expand federal support of SBS, advocating for the creation of the 
Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences at the 
National Science Foundation. During challenging and prosperous times, 
Howard has never lost sight of his primary objectives--to protect and 
promote the social and behavioral sciences in the context of all 
scientific disciplines.
  In recognition of his leadership, Howard has served on numerous 
advisory boards and committees and received many honors. For example, 
from 1994-2000, Howard served as the elected Chair of the Coalition for 
National Science Funding (CNSF), an elite scientific advocacy group 
with membership from scientific and engineering societies, higher 
education associations, and industrial groups. In 1998, he was elected 
a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 
2006 he became the President of the National Capital Area Political 
Science Association, after serving on its council. From 1998-2000 he 
served on the Council of the American Political Science Association 
(APSA). His prior service includes serving as President, Treasurer and 
Program Chair of the Section on Applied Political Science of the 
American Political Science Association, the Executive Committee of the 
Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, and on the 
steering committees of the National Commission on Social Studies in the 
Schools and the Coalition for the Advancement of Foreign Languages and 
International Studies. He also was a member of the 2010 Decennial 
Census Advisory Committee.
  In a town known for its transience, for over 30 years, Howard has 
been an enduring leader in Washington, DC, providing members of 
Congress, congressional staff, federal employees, and advocates alike 
with accurate, incisive, timely, and useful information and guidance. 
His annual budget issue of the COSSA Washington Update is mandatory 
reading for anyone who needs to understand federal funding of social 
and behavioral scientific research. It is hard to imagine COSSA without 
Howard at the helm, leading the charge--especially when, once again, 
critics of the social and behavioral sciences have resurfaced to wage 
battles Howard has fought successfully over the years. Nonetheless, 
Howard has earned the right to retire and to reflect upon a long 
distinguished career characterized by many triumphs. I join his friends 
and colleagues in wishing Howard and his wife, Marilyn, well and 
thanking him for his years of dedicated, impressive service.

                          ____________________