[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 4 (Thursday, January 6, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E5]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MR. STANLEY WEISS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 6, 2022

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today, two weeks after what would 
have been his 95th birthday, to honor Mr. Stanley A. Weiss--a business 
executive, prolific writer, and civic leader who passed away earlier 
this year in August.
  Self-described as a ``skinny Jewish kid from South Philadelphia'', he 
lived a life of adventure and purpose. Mere weeks after turning 17, he 
joined the Army and the next summer, he was training for the invasion 
of Japan when the atomic bombs ended World War II. He launched his 
first business, selling scrap metal and surplus Army supplies, shortly 
thereafter.
  While studying at Georgetown, he was inspired by the film The 
Treasure of Sierra Madre to move to Mexico in search of gold. Without 
knowing Spanish and with no previous mining experience, he took his 
pickaxe to the hills. Mr. Weiss didn't find gold--but he found rich 
deposits of manganese, a crucial ingredient used in the production of 
metal alloys.
  By 1960, Mr. Weiss had founded a mining and mineral processing 
company that, after a merger, became American Premier, Inc. The 
conglomerate became a major supplier and processor for chemicals used 
in everything from glazing tiles to Epsom salt, and at the height of 
the Cold War, was responsible for fostering trade opportunities between 
the U.S. and the USSR.
  In addition to his business acumen, Mr. Weiss always had an interest 
in giving back. During the 1977 to 1978 school year, he was a business 
fellow at Harvard's Center of International Affairs, and would later 
serve as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, on the Board of 
Visitors for Georgetown's Walsh School of Foregn Service, as well as 
the on advisory board of the RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy.
  However, his greatest contribution to the public arena was as the 
founding chairman of Business Executives for National Security (BENS). 
When asked why he and other leaders in the private sector were getting 
involved in national security issues, he delivered his signature 
phrase: ``being dead is bad for business.'' Focused on nuclear non-
proliferation, arms control, and the defense procurement process, BENS 
was instrumental in reforming the Pentagon and cutting unnecessary 
waste and pork from the budget.
  His advocacy, in addition to his leadership in supporting innovation 
in government, led to him being honored with the Distinguished Civilian 
Service Award by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2007.
  Right up until his death, Mr. Weiss was writing. His last piece, 
published on Election Day last year, talks about his experience as a 
13-year old seeing the 1940 election up close. He recounts how 
President Roosevelt's opponent, Wendell Willkie, initially stood 
opposed to American intervention in Europe as the Third Reich invaded 
its neighbors. And then, in a speech to 300,000 supporters a month 
after France fell to the Nazis, Willkie ``did one of the most 
extraordinary things a politician had ever done: he decided that 
Roosevelt was right.'' He chose the correct path even if it was the 
unpopular one with the party that nominated him.
  Although he lost in a historic landslide, Willkie's actions after the 
election stand as an even greater testament to his bipartisanship. He 
appealed to his fellow Republicans to not oppose the President for the 
sake of opposition and even flew to England as an envoy to reassure 
Prime Minister Churchill that the U.S. would be there for its ally when 
it was needed most.
  Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that Mr. Weiss' commitment to 
forging a more perfect union rivals the one that he writes about. His 
loss is a great loss for his friends, his family, and the country that 
he loved. For his accomplishments as a businessman and his advocacy for 
public service, It is my honor to submit these words in the People's 
House so that his legacy may be remembered for years to come.

                          ____________________