[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 138 (Tuesday, September 13, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5346-H5347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CONGRATULATING DR. BILL HOGARTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Jolly) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Bill 
Hogarth, a former director of our Nation's National Marine Fisheries 
Services. Dr. Hogarth recently retired as director of the Florida 
Institute of Oceanography based at the University of South Florida in 
St. Petersburg. Not only do I recognize Dr. Hogarth on his retirement, 
but also on two honors that he recently received.

[[Page H5347]]

  First, the American Fisheries Society last month honored Dean 
Hogarth--as he is known to so many--with the Carl R. Sullivan Fishery 
Conservation Award, one of our Nation's premier awards in fisheries 
sciences. The award recognizes Dean Hogarth's long career and 
leadership in preserving some of the world's most threatened marine 
species. It recognizes his passionate advocacy for environmental 
protections and his role in leading Florida's scientific response to 
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
  The second honor for Dean Hogarth in early September was bestowed 
upon him by the University of South Florida's Board of Trustees when it 
voted to name its newest research vessel in his namesake to recognize 
Dean Hogarth's passionate pursuit of funding for a new boat to replace 
the university system's more than 40-year-old research vessel.
  For those of my colleagues who have had the opportunity to work with 
and meet Dean Hogarth over his long career, you know of his humble 
nature, his laugh, and, most notably, his deep southern drawl. You also 
know of his spirited passion for all issues related to fisheries and 
the oceans.
  Dean Hogarth's first job was as a biologist and manager of ecological 
programs for Carolina Power & Light, and he later served as director of 
the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.
  His national and international stature grew in 1994, when he joined 
the National Marine Fisheries Service where he rose from a regional 
leader to be appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the 
agency's director from 2001 to 2007. Recognizing his leadership on 
national and international fisheries issues at a most critical juncture 
for the commercial and recreational fishing industries, President Bush 
appointed Dean Hogarth to represent our Nation as U.S. Commissioner and 
Chairman of both the International Whaling Commission and the 
International Commission for Conservation of the Atlantic.
  During his tenure as director of NMFS, Dr. Hogarth worked with this 
Congress to update Federal fisheries laws to rebuild U.S. fisheries and 
set the recreational and commercial fishing industries on a new and 
sustainable course. In 2007, Dr. Hogarth retired from Federal service 
and joined the University of South Florida as interim dean, and then 
dean of the College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg.
  Recognizing his leadership skills, Dr. Hogarth was then appointed in 
January 2011 as director of the Florida Institute of Oceanography, a 
consortium of more than 30 scientific and educational institutions 
across Florida. The USF president then called upon Dean Hogarth's 
leadership skills once again and asked him to assume a dual role, 
adding to his responsibilities the job of regional chancellor of USF-
St. Petersburg from August 2012 to June 2013.
  USF and the Florida Institute of Oceanography made national and 
international headlines following the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater 
Horizon oil rig. Dr. Hogarth led a scientific response that focused on 
the immediate aftermath of the spill, including the path of the oil 
plume both above the water and in the Gulf's deepest reaches and 
currents. It focused also on the impact of the spill on fisheries and 
other wildlife and the response of the research community in the five-
State region to address short- and long-term environmental concerns.
  One of his final acts as director of the Institute of Oceanography 
before his official retirement on July 31 was to work with the Florida 
State legislature, our Governor, the university, and the city of St. 
Petersburg to secure funding to replace the 40-year-old Research Vessel 
Bellows. This ship, managed by the Institute of Oceanography, is a 
great resource to faculty and students alike, giving them invaluable 
assets to the Gulf of Mexico and other research waterways in pursuit of 
their studies. The new ship will now be named rightfully the RV William 
T. Hogarth and will continue to provide a path to sea for thousands of 
Florida students and educators.
  Dean Hogarth will always be known to me as an educator. It is 
personal to me because he serves as a key advisory on fisheries issues 
that are so critical to our State and to our community. I will always 
call him Dean, as will so many others, and we look forward to his 
continued counsel in retirement.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that my colleagues will join me in thanking a 
most special person who has dedicated much of his career to one of the 
great interests of our Nation: our fisheries, our marine sciences, and 
our oceans. Dr. Hogarth is a national champion of our Nation's critical 
assets, our oceans. It is an honor for me to recognize him today, and I 
ask my colleagues to do the same. We wish him very well in retirement 
and we thank him for his service.

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