[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E108-E109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF JOSEPH A. HARDY III

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GUY RESCHENTHALER

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 8, 2023

  Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and 
legacy of Mr. Joseph Hardy, a pioneer in the building materials 
industry from Fayette County, Pennsylvania, who passed away on his 
100th birthday on January 7, 2023.
  During his final year attending Lehigh University, Mr. Hardy answered 
the call of duty, enlisting in the United States Army at the outbreak 
of World War II. After serving his nation as a radioman for the Army 
Air Corps in the Pacific, he returned home to pursue an industrial 
engineering degree at the University of Pittsburgh.
  After working part-time for his family's farm and jewelry store, Mr. 
Hardy founded Green Hills Lumber. After several successful years, he 
purchased land in Eighty-Four, Pennsylvania, and opened a ``cash and 
carry'' lumber yard, the 84 Lumber Company, which would

[[Page E109]]

become the nation's largest privately-held building materials supplier.
  In 1987, Mr. Hardy began purchasing 400 acres of land in Fayette 
County. This mountainous landscape became home to what is now the 
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Today, Nemacolin is one of North America's 
premier resort destinations and a shining example of Mr. Hardy's vision 
in the Keystone State.
  In addition to the job creation in southwestern Pennsylvania, he 
generously invested in the redevelopment of the resort's surrounding 
area. Mr. Hardy was famously quoted as saying, ``I want to die broke. 
For the remainder of my life, I want to enjoy and participate in the 
giving of money to help improve people's lives.'' This selfless spirit 
nourished in his roles as Vice Chair of the Board of Commissioners of 
Fayette County and the Board of Trustees at the University of 
Pittsburgh and Washington & Jefferson College.
  Mr. Speaker, Joseph A. Hardy III's entrepreneurial spirit, 
commitment, and generosity to southwestern Pennsylvania, in addition to 
his service to our Nation, exemplify a well-lived life. On behalf of 
the people of Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District, I extend my 
condolences to Mr. Hardy's family and wish them healing during this 
difficult time.

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