[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H1734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SMUCKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the 
irreplaceable contributions that women have made to our Nation. As 
pioneers of industry and champions of human rights, women have played a 
critical role in the advancement of our society.
  March is Women's History Month, so I want to take a moment to talk 
about just three of the many women from my community who have made the 
world a better place.
  One of those women is Lydia Hamilton Smith from Lancaster County, an 
African-American woman, who became the partner and confidant of 
Pennsylvania Congressman Thaddeus Stevens during the Civil War and 
during the ensuing debate and passage of the 13th Amendment.
  During the Battle of Gettysburg, Ms. Hamilton Smith hired a horse and 
wagon and went out to collect food and supplies from York, Adams, and 
Lancaster Counties. Once her wagon was full, she traveled to the 
makeshift hospitals tending to wounded soldiers from the battle.
  The recent excavation of Lydia Hamilton Smith's and Thaddeus Stevens' 
houses in Lancaster uncovered a passageway that led to a tavern that is 
believed to have been used to shelter escaped slaves. The work Lydia 
contributed to the Underground Railroad and the abolition movement at 
large is reflective of the difficult, perilous, and humble work by 
women during that time period to end slavery.
  The next woman I would like to recognize today is Rebecca Lukens of 
Chester County. I would like to read an excerpt from a May 2012 piece 
published in the Daily Local News:
  ``Imagine the year is 1825. You are a 31-year-old mother, pregnant 
with your sixth child. You've already lost two children in infancy. 
Your husband has struggled for a dozen years to build an iron-making 
business in the rolling backcountry of Chester County on the banks of 
Brandywine Creek. Suddenly he dies, leaving you alone. The ironworks 
employees are ready to leave, and your overbearing mother implores you 
to abandon the business.''
  This is what Rebecca Lukens had to confront, but she didn't give up. 
Rebecca ran the household and the business, building it over the next 
few decades into a successful company that we know today as 
ArcelorMittal, the world's leading steel and mining company.
  Women like Rebecca teach our sons and daughters that, if you work 
hard and dream big enough, you can break molds and you can achieve your 
goals.

  Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Barbara Franklin. Born 
in Lancaster County and a graduate of Hempfield High School, she is 
perhaps best known for serving in President George H.W. Bush's Cabinet 
as the 29th Secretary of Commerce.
  Following the student protests and massacre in Tiananmen Square in 
China, the United States imposed sanctions and a ban on governmental 
contacts. When President Bush sought to normalize relations with China, 
Barbara led that effort. She reconvened the U.S.-China Joint Commission 
on Commerce and Trade, opening new markets for American products. She 
says this is the most important thing that she did as Commerce 
Secretary.
  Barbara was also one of the very first women to graduate from Harvard 
Business School. As the current president and CEO of Barbara Franklin 
Enterprises, she has a reputation for breaking down barriers and being 
a leading voice for women's equality and empowerment in the workplace.
  Each of the three women I have highlighted today are successful in 
their own right. They have paved the way for current and future 
generations of young people who have the same entrepreneurial drive. 
Their leadership has inspired men and women, alike, and has set an 
example of what hard work, determination, and standing for what you 
believe in looks like.
  I have to say I am quite proud to have such impressive role models 
come from my congressional district. It is women like Lydia, Rebecca, 
Barbara, and many others who are shining examples of the progress our 
country has made over the last two centuries, who give hope for the 
future and remind us of the important contributions of women.

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