[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 11 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMUNITY LEADERS: URBAN LEAGUE OF MORRIS COUNTY AND WILLIAM D. PRIMUS

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 22, 2015

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Urban 
League of Morris County, located in Morristown, New Jersey, and to 
remember the life of its founder, William D. Primus, and his many 
achievements.
  The Urban League of Morris County is one of 110 affiliates of the 
National Urban League, and one of the most active branches in the 
country. Having served over 4000 families each year, the multi-racial 
League's self-expressed mission is to ``enable African Americans and 
other minorities to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power, 
and civil rights; and to provide assistance to any resident desirous of 
improving their quality of life.''
  In 1910, Morristown native Ruth Standish Baldwin and Dr. George 
Edmund Haynes founded the Committee on Urban Conditions among Negroes, 
which would grow exponentially to become what is known today as the 
National Urban League. As early as 1919, various organizations in 
Morris County embraced the National Urban League's mission of social 
justice for African Americans, and by 1944 a multi-racial group of 
concerned citizens formed a local affiliate, the Urban League of Morris 
County.
  As the first organization of its kind in Morris County, the Urban 
League set the standard for serving minorities in the community. It was 
the first organization in the Morris County community to act as a 
liaison between African Americans and industry, securing employment 
opportunities with major corporations for minorities. The League's 
efforts paved the way for the hiring of qualified minorities into 
management positions at these corporations. It was also first to 
coordinate with local high school guidance departments, encouraging 
African American students to pursue higher education. Moreover, the 
League was the first to advocate the need for low-income housing in 
Morristown, resulting in a project for affordable family housing now 
known as Manahan Village.
  Today, the Urban League of Morris County continues to serve citizens 
of the community in multiple areas, with programs ranging from 
corporate internships to housing advocacy, from computer training to 
English as a Second Language classes.
  This past week, this incredible organization suffered a great loss, 
as William Primus, former chairman and CEO of the Urban League of 
Morris County, passed away. Over the course of his life, Bill Primus, a 
longtime friend of mine, was instrumental in various accomplishments 
for the advancement of social services to minorities in the region.
  In 1970, Mr. Primus became the first African American member of the 
Madison Volunteer Fire Department and in 1980, he was the first African 
American elected to the Madison Borough Council. During his term, Mr. 
Primus served as vice chairman of the Board of Health and chaired 
Madison's Housing Authority. As chair, Mr. Primus implemented policies 
that would lead to the construction of the Rex Tucker Senior Housing 
Complex in Madison and the town's first affordable public housing.
  Over his 14 years of working with the Urban League, Mr. Primus was 
instrumental in transforming the Urban League into one of Morris 
County's most active and influential organizations. When Mr. Primus 
first began working with the organization, it had a budget of $95,000 
and only one full time employee. By the time he retired, it had a 
budget over $1 million and 14 full time employees.
  Mr. Primus constantly focused on providing affordable housing for the 
Morris County community. In 2001, he took control of the Morris County 
Fair Housing Council and transformed it into the Urban League's Fair 
Housing and Assistance Program. Through this program, the Urban League 
was able to improve the county's efforts by addressing discrimination 
and promoting fair practices for housing.
  Additionally, Mr. Primus established the Urban League's youth 
program, offering both educational and employment services. He created 
the Summer Work and Youth School Outreach Programs and facilitated the 
awarding of over 90 academic scholarships during his tenure with the 
League. Furthermore, Mr. Primus helped me establish the Urban League's 
Washington intern program that has given so many young men and women 
from Morris County an opportunity to learn firsthand how Congress 
works. The Urban League of Morris County handpicks these students and 
sends them to the Capitol in the summer to serve as interns in my 
Capitol Hill office.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
the Urban League of Morris County and celebrating the life of William 
D. Primus.

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