[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9860]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       TRIBUTE TO JAMES BELANOFF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. 
James Belanoff, a long-time union leader for the United Steelworkers in 
Indiana who was part of a politically and social activist family, many 
of whom lived in Chicago and were actively involved in the labor and 
political activity of Chicago and of Illinois.
  Mr. Belanoff was born in Canada and moved to Chicago where he lived 
until he returned home from the military and moved to Gary, Indiana, 
and then to Hammond. Mr. Belanoff went to work for Inland Steel, joined 
the union, became involved, and ultimately became president of his 
local.
  From 1977 to 1981, he served as full-time director of District 31 of 
the United Steelworkers of America. He developed his labor and 
community activist interests from his father who owned a grocery store, 
but who always was involved in civic and community life. Mr. Belanoff 
graduated from Roosevelt University with a bachelor's degree and was 
elected to two terms to the Hammond Indiana City Council.
  Standing up for the common person was a trademark of Mr. Belanoff and 
that tradition has been embraced by other members of his family as they 
too have become involved in public service.
  His sister, Mariam, served as a Cook County judge and as a member of 
the Illinois General Assembly. His nephew, Clem, is a former State 
representative and 10th Ward Democratic committeeman. Mr. Belanoff's 
son, Thomas, is President of Local 73 of the Service Employees 
International Union and on the State Council of the Service Employees 
Union in Illinois.
  In addition to his son Tom, Mr. Belanoff leaves to mourn his wife, 
Betty, two sons, James Junior and Joseph, a daughter, Katherine 
Robinson, four brothers, John, Clem, Theodore, and William, and seven 
grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Belanoff and the Belanoff family represent the very 
best of what America can be: Common folks doing uncommon things, always 
representing themselves and their neighbors and their friends. So I am 
pleased to have had this moment to pay tribute to not only a giant of a 
man, but a tremendously civic-, community-, and politically active 
family. I wish for them the best as they mourn their father, their 
uncle, their grandfather, and a friend to all of humanity.

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