[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 108 (Tuesday, June 24, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING JOHN PRESCOTT CHAPLIN

  (Mr. Baumgartner of Washington was recognized to address the House 
for 5 minutes.)
  Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a giant of 
athletics, not just in Cougar Country but in all of American sports and 
the world of track and field.
  His name is John Prescott Chaplin, born in Los Angeles, educated at 
WSU, an Army veteran, a professor in geography, and a coach in the 
truest, oldest, most honorable sense of the word.
  From 1968 to 1994, Chaplin transformed WSU from a modest program into 
a global track and field powerhouse. Under his leadership, the Cougars 
captured 19 top-four NCAA trophies, won 218 All-American honors, and 
crowned 17 individual NCAA champions. His dual meet record was 202 wins 
to just 15 losses, 9 undefeated seasons, and 6 national dual meet 
titles.
  Chaplin coached Olympic gold medalists, world record holders, and 
world champions, and he did it not in Los Angeles or Austin but in 
Pullman, Washington, on the rolling hills of the Palouse.
  John Chaplin's recruits came from Spokane, Seattle, and all corners 
of the globe, young men chasing opportunity, education, and excellence. 
Henry Rono, Julius Korir, and Bernard Lagat weren't just track stars. 
They were ambassadors for what college sports can be: meritocratic, 
international, and transformational.

  Chaplin was more than just a coach. He was a statesman of the sport. 
He served as U.S. Olympic head coach in Sydney in 2000, where his 
athletes won six gold medals.
  John Chaplin also chaired the USA Men's Track and Field Committee, 
refereed NCAA and international championships, advised federations from 
Russia to Senegal, and lectured on coaching from Argentina to China.
  John Chaplin brought honor to his profession and Washington State 
University.
  Mr. Speaker, I must tell you this. This very program he built is, 
unfortunately, being hollowed out. Just last week, WSU announced the 
elimination of field events and a dramatic reduction in sprints and 
hurdles. Of the 45 Cougar Olympians, 20 of them were in field events.
  The legacy of Chaplin and the athletes he coached is being boxed in 
by a college athletic system that no longer rewards broad-based 
opportunity. Yes, these cuts come in the shadow of the House v. NCAA 
settlement, a legal sledgehammer that forces schools like WSU to pay 
football and basketball players while draining the lifeblood of Olympic 
sports.
  Chaplin's world record holders and his All-Americans in today's 
system are expendable. We can fix this. We must fix this, not with more 
lawsuits, not with blank checks for the Power Four, not with unlimited 
authority to the commissioner of the SEC and the commissioner of the 
Big Ten, but with Federal reform that restores equity, sustains 
opportunity, and honors the values of folks like John Chaplin.
  If we lose the spirit of Cougar track, we are not just losing a 
program. We are losing a piece of what college sports were meant to be.


                         Honoring Tony Canadeo

  Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor a true football 
legend from Spokane and also the man who rediscovered his story.
  Tony Canadeo, known as the Gray Ghost of Gonzaga, came from humble 
beginnings as a 5-foot-8, 150-pound kid on Chicago's North Side.
  Tony's grit and talent carried him all the way to the Green Bay 
Packers, where he became one of the NFL's greats. He wasn't just a 
player. He was a pioneer and Hall of Famer whose No. 3 jersey was 
retired, a symbol of his lasting impact on one of college football's 
most storied franchises.
  Tony's legacy goes beyond the field. A proud son of Italian 
immigrants, a dedicated family man, and a man of faith and character 
shaped by Gonzaga's Jesuit principles, he helped build the Packers' 
dynasty and even played a role in bringing Vince Lombardi to Green Bay.
  Tony was Gonzaga's first national star. As Gonzaga makes its historic 
entry into the PAC-12, joining institutions that will now be showcased 
nationally, the storied legacy of Tony's athletes will be told to the 
Nation.
  Tony's story had been forgotten for some time until local Spokane 
resident Dave Parks rediscovered it, and I want to honor Dave Parks for 
his heartfelt research and his call to hang the jersey of Tony Canadeo 
in the rafters of Gonzaga University's sports hall.
  I thank Dave for bringing this story back to light and for the work 
he does for our community.

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