[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 106 (Thursday, July 9, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H4962]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING DR. PETER SCHRAMM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Gibbs) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Peter Schramm of 
the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Earlier 
this week, the Ashbrook Center, supporters, and friends gathered to 
recognize Dr. Schramm for his years of service and to name the center's 
library in his honor.
  Since 1987, Dr. Schramm has been teaching political science at 
Ashland; mentoring students; and shaping the minds of the next 
generation of teachers, lawyers, and political thinkers.
  His story starts in Hungary, as a young boy living under the brutal 
Soviet regime. When he was 10, after the Communists crushed the 
Hungarian uprising in 1956, Peter's father decided it was time to leave 
Hungary and come to America. Peter asked his father why he chose 
America, and he was told: ``We were born Americans but in the wrong 
place.''
  After leaving Hungary, the Schramm family found their way to 
California, thanks to an American dentist his father met shortly after 
World War II.
  With just a few American dollars, Peter's family started a new life. 
His parents found work, and Peter and his sister went to school. Peter 
did not know English and had to learn along the way, with the help of 
his classmates.
  Eventually, they saved enough money to open a restaurant. The whole 
family worked there. Peter continued his studies and worked through 
college. He studied history and graduated, taking a few years longer 
than usual because he was unaware he actually had to graduate. Peter 
was content to learn for the sake of learning. Years later, he once 
said: ``I think it is true that human beings by nature desire to 
know.''
  His economic curiosity led him to Claremont for his master's and 
doctorate degrees. It was there that he studied the classics, focusing 
more on philosophy than history.
  When he began teaching, Dr. Schramm insisted on an open discussion, 
encouraging and directing debates among his students. He once said: ``A 
good education is a conversation.''
  He didn't want to lecture his students and believes that a classic 
liberal arts education should teach its students how to read, to 
analyze, and to explain and defend their beliefs.
  The Ashbrook Center, where he served as executive director and senior 
fellow of the scholar program, states that their mission is to restore 
and strengthen the capacities of the American people for constitutional 
self-government. Having witnessed the corruption and horror of the 
Soviet rule, he was able to impress upon his students how important 
Ashbrook's missions and values are.
  One of his most recent students and an intern in my office, James 
Coyne, told me: ``Dr. Schramm has dedicated his life to preserving and 
perpetuating American greatness by teaching us what it means to be an 
American. The many of us he has taught will continue his work and honor 
his legacy by educating future generations on what makes America 
great.''
  Dr. Schramm, who is battling an aggressive illness, can be assured 
that the principles of self-government of free men with free minds and 
the values that our Founding Fathers cherished are alive and well in 
the generations of students he has taught.
  On Monday evening, Dr. Schramm said that, despite his medical 
condition, no man has been happier than he has been.
  Thank you, Dr. Schramm, for adopting America as your home and 
teaching so many young minds to keep the flame of freedom burning.

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