[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 29 (Thursday, February 14, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING JOHN W. ROGERS, JR. FOR EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVIC 
                                  LIFE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 14, 2019

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize John W. 
Rogers, Jr. for his lifetime of service to the people of the City of 
Chicago, the State of Illinois, and to our nation. As a business 
leader, philanthropist, and tireless advocate for opening new 
opportunities for people of color, John has a history of exceptional 
contributions to our civic life that continue to the present day.
   Born and raised in the City of Chicago, John Rogers, Jr. is the 
product of parents notable for their own achievements: his father was a 
judge and former Tuskegee Airman, and his mother was the first African-
American woman to graduate from the University of Chicago Law School 
and to argue a case before the United States Supreme Court. After 
completing his secondary education at the University of Chicago 
Laboratory Schools, John attended Princeton University where he earned 
a degree in Economics and co-captained the school's Ivy League 
championship varsity basketball team. His interest in finance can be 
traced to a gift of stock for his 12th birthday, a present that ignited 
a lifelong fascination with investment and the complexities of 
financial valuation.
   After two years working as a stockbroker at a Chicago investment 
banking firm, John launched an investment fund informed by his 
understanding that the highest returns are generated by patience and a 
research-driven approach to uncovering hidden value. That methodology 
has built Ariel Investments, LLC into a highly respected firm employing 
more than 100 analysts and staff and managing more than $11 billion in 
assets. John's financial acumen is valued by the boards of directors of 
some of our nation's largest and most consequential enterprises, 
including the New York Times Company, Exelon and Nike.
   The achievements of John Rogers, Jr. are not limited to the world of 
finance--his civic engagement extends to cultural institutions (he is a 
life trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), and he has been a bold 
champion committed to strengthening underserved communities and 
addressing inequities experienced by people of color. He is the first 
African-American recipient of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson 
award, recognizing his service to the Princeton University alumni 
community and to organizations including the Chicago Urban League 
(where he is a life director), the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Wall Street 
Project, and Project Vote (an organization dedicated to enfranchising 
underserved communities and empowering individuals to exercise their 
constitutional right to vote). He has served as Chairman of the Board 
of Directors of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, is a 
trustee of the University of Chicago, and, either personally or through 
Ariel Investments, generously endowed scholarships for under-resourced 
students at the Laboratory Schools, provided seed money to underwrite 
an investment fund that introduces financial management to students at 
Ariel Community Academy (a K-8 school in the Chicago Public School 
system), and funded a finance internship program for University of 
Chicago students of color interested in careers in financial services. 
John also serves on the Board of Directors for the Obama Foundation, 
where he works to help build the next generation of civic leaders.
   Madam Speaker, on behalf of the grateful citizens of Illinois, I 
want to thank John W. Rogers, Jr. for all that he has done and all that 
he continues to do to improve our nation and to open opportunities 
historically inaccessible to communities of color.

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