[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 16, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E41]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE OF RICHARD ``DICK'' OVERHEIM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 16, 2024

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Richard 
``Dick'' Overheim. Dick worked at the U.S Department of Agriculture in 
the Agricultural Marketing Service for 38 years. He passed away 
peacefully of natural causes on September 24, 2023, at his residence in 
the District of Columbia.
  During the Korean War, Dick served with the 14th Regiment (Golden 
Dragons) and the 25th Infantry (Tropic Lightning) from 1953 through 
1955. He earned the National Defense Service, Good Conduct, United 
Nations Service and Korean Service Medals.
  After his military service, Dick used the GI Bill to attend Gannon 
College (now Gannon University) in Erie, Pennsylvania. Earning his 
degree in Business and minoring in Marketing, he later earned his 
master's degree in public and international affairs at the University 
of Pittsburgh. While at Gannon, he was a member of the Blue Key 
National Honor Fraternity and Who's Who in American Colleges and 
Universities, co-editor of the yearbook and recipient of the Wall 
Street Journal Award for his work in finance.
  At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dick was an agricultural 
marketing specialist at the Agricultural Marketing Service. Dick's 
research focused on wholesale marketing facilities and farmers markets. 
One of Dick's earliest research projects was in Honolulu, Hawaii. His 
report on the project, ``Wholesale Food Distribution Facilities for 
Honolulu Hawaii,'' was published in 1968.
  Dick's report found that Honolulu's wholesale food marketing 
facilities were ``unsuitable, outdated and inefficient'' for the city's 
growing population. Dick found these marketing inadequacies affected 
not only food wholesalers, but also producers, shippers and consumers, 
Dick's team interviewed food marketers to assess their needs in meeting 
the demand of Hawaii's growing population for fresh fruits and 
vegetables, groceries and other food products.
  Dick was essential in the development of the Maryland Wholesale 
Produce Market in Jessup, Maryland. Dick kept abreast of the rapid 
technological improvements in the production, transportation and 
distribution of food products and the changing food marketing system. 
Dick's research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture helped keep 
America's food marketing system operating efficiently. Dick's published 
reports are important historical documents for researchers studying the 
changing U.S. food marketing system, city planning and the growth of 
state and local food marketing authorities. For 38 years, Dick played a 
kev role in our ever-changing agricultural nrarketing system.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
honoring the incredible life and legacy of Richard ``Dick'' Overheim.

                          ____________________