[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 3, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E963-E964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       IN RECOGNITION OF THE 120TH ANNIVERSARY OF DOWD INSURANCE

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                          HON. RICHARD E. NEAL

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 3, 2018

  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
recognize and congratulate Dowd Insurance on the occasion of its 120th 
anniversary. Established in 1898, Dowd is one of the oldest, largest, 
and most experienced insurance agencies in Massachusetts. Since

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its founding, the group has been under continuous Dowd family ownership 
for four generations, providing counsel and insurance protection for a 
diverse range of clients.
  In 1865, James J. Dowd, an immigrant from County Kerry, Ireland, 
arrived in Holyoke, Massachusetts with his wife and fourteen children. 
He began working in a textile mill in hopes of building a better life 
for himself and his family. A few decades later, one of his sons, who 
bore his name, went on to found Dowd Insurance--laying the foundation 
for a family legacy that has spanned multiple generations and continues 
to flourish today. James J. Dowd, II gave up his career as a 
professional baseball player and joined the firm in 1916 after his 
father passed away, and James J. Dowd, Jr. and John E. Dowd entered the 
family business in 1947 and 1951 respectively after each serving in 
World War II. The fourth generation of the Dowd family was ushered into 
the business in 1974 when James J. Dowd, III became a member of the 
agency. He was then joined by John E. Dowd, Jr., Dowd Insurance's 
current President and CEO, in 1982. After more than a century of 
operation marked by profound growth and success, including having 
joined the International Network of Insurance and opening multiple new 
branch offices, it is evident that Dowd Insurance has made numerous 
positive contributions to the community of which it takes pride in 
being an integral part.
  Mr. Speaker, over the course of its history Dowd Insurance has 
demonstrated exemplary service, leadership, and dedication. Those 
traits are hallmarks of the agency's long and admirable tradition of 
service in western Massachusetts, and are certainly worthy of 
recognition. On the occasion of Dowd Insurance's 120th anniversary, I 
wish the Dowd family, the agency's partners, and the dedicated men and 
women who work with them all the best and much continued prosperity.

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