[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 22, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              JOHN GERMANY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 22, 2015

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of 
an extraordinary leader of the Tampa Bay community, John Germany. His 
remarkable career in public service and his many contributions to our 
community are worthy of recognition by all.
  John Germany was born in 1923 in Plant City, Florida. As a young man, 
John Germany served his country in the U.S. Army as a tank commander 
during World War II. During the war, he led his platoon to the gates of 
the Ebensee concentration camp in Austria and helped liberate the camp. 
After the war, he graduated from Harvard Law School and returned to 
Florida to begin practicing law.
  John Germany served as the Chief Legal Advisor for Legislative 
Affairs to Florida Governor LeRoy Collins. During his tenure, he was an 
early and important supporter of establishing the University of South 
Florida and would later go on to serve as the Board of Trustees 
President. John Germany's critical role in founding the University of 
South Florida earned him the University Medallion for Community Service 
in 1966 and the President's Fellow Medallion in 2012. Today, the 
University of South Florida is an economic engine in our community and 
top research institution in the nation.
  Not only has John Germany impacted the Tampa Bay community with this 
dedication to the law, he has also strengthened our community through 
his support of local organizations and his dedication to educating 
youth. In 1961, he was elected President of the Friends of the Library 
of Tampa-Hillsborough County. As President of the organization, he 
spearheaded efforts to fund and build a library in downtown Tampa which 
opened in 1966. In recognition of his role in founding the library, in 
1999 it was named ``The John F. Germany Library.'' His excellence in 
his legal work and commitment to community service earned him the 2006 
Outstanding Lawyer Award by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, an 
award given to those who excel in the areas of law and community 
service. Even after learning of his cancer, John Germany donated 
$100,000 to the library system that will continue to fund the John 
Germany Youth Reading Initiative into the future.
  John Germany will be forever remembered as a leader in the Tampa Bay 
community who was passionate about the law and the advancing youth 
education. Born into the Greatest Generation and a leader in shaping 
our great City of Tampa, he was a true pillar in our community. On 
August 26th, 2015, he passed away at the age of 94. Mr. Speaker, I join 
the Tampa Bay community in honoring John Germany for his lifelong 
service to the State of Florida.