[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19007-19008]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1500
                       HONORING SEYMOUR GOLDWEBER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Rehberg). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.

[[Page 19008]]


  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of Florida's 
outstanding agricultural heroes, Seymour Goldweber.
  Near Jersey City, Seymour was born on July 24, 1918. As a young boy 
he moved with his family to Miami where he completed primary and 
secondary school and became an Eagle Scout with Miami's oldest scout 
troop. He then joined the United States Marine Corps before the start 
of World War II.
  Seymour served throughout the war in the Pacific Theater where he 
fought in many military campaigns, including the Marines' costly battle 
at Iwo Jima. Following his military service to our country, he returned 
to Miami-Dade County where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree 
in botany at the University of Miami in 1950.
  Seymour Goldweber began his professional career at the University of 
Miami's Tropical Fruit Research Farm at Richmond Field conducting 
horticulture research studies on tropical fruit. His work brought these 
unknown species from around the world into productive specimens, worthy 
of national and international marketing, including guavas, mangos, and 
avocados that we enjoy today.
  Mr. Goldweber joined the University of Florida-Miami-Dade County 
Cooperative Extension Service as their fruit crops agent in 1960 where 
he designed their nationally and internationally prominent extension 
programs.
  In particular, his extension programs for the development of tropical 
and subtropical fruit has had an enormous impact in establishing south 
Florida's tropical fruit industry for distribution across the USA and 
for export around the globe.
  Seymour has shared his extensive knowledge and expertise by training 
numerous other extension office faculty and staff. He is a role model 
and mentor of outstanding caliber and performance. He made the mold. 
Seymour Goldweber is widely recognized by our local and State agencies. 
He is the choice to lecture to visiting professors, tour with college 
students, host an event, or guide a bus full of journalist and 
legislative representatives through America's grocery, South Miami-Dade 
County.
  Seymour is the go-to guy for his vast knowledge, his capabilities in 
research and instruction, and his friendly style. His voice is 
reassuring and recognized across Miami and South Miami-Dade County. You 
can see the stamp of Seymour Goldweber's experience and loaned 
expertise with many organizations, including the American Society for 
Horticultural Science, the Dade County Farm Bureau, the Florida State 
Horticultural Society, the Florida Avocado and Lime Administrative 
Committees, the Mango Forum, and the Dade County Youth Fair, Miami-Dade 
County's Fruit and Spice Park, and the State of Florida's Farmers 
Market, and so many others.
  Seymour is a founding member of the AGRI-Council, the Rare Fruit 
Council International, the Tropical Agriculture Fiesta, and Fairchild 
Tropical Gardens.
  He also serves on the South Dade Soil and Water Conservation District 
Board and the Dade County Public School Citizen Advisory Committee for 
AGRIbusiness and Natural Resources.
  He is a member of the National Association of the Federal Retired 
Employees and a proud member of the American Legion.
  Seymour Goldweber has been honored by the National Weather Service 
for 24 years as the liaison to the agricultural community. He also has 
an annual scholarship in his name that is presented by the AGRI Council 
to the outstanding agricultural student of the year.
  He has received the Dedicated Service in Agriculture award by the 
Horticultural Society of Florida, the Distinguished Service in 
Agriculture award by the Florida Mango Forum, and the Outstanding 
Service Award by the Dade County Youth Fair.
  Seymour was named Man of the Year by the Horticulture Studies Society 
of Florida in 1980. He was honored to receive the Paul Harris Fellow by 
the Rotary Club of Homestead for furthering understanding of people of 
the world.
  Mr. Goldweber is the sought-after speaker for highly diverse 
audiences, including farmers, master gardeners, community and agri-
business leaders, school teachers, homeowners, youth and 4-H programs, 
and local, State and Federal Government representatives.
  Many growers, local leaders, and organizations seek him out for his 
knowledge and his repertoire on agricultural issues and historical 
events.
  Upon his retirement from the Cooperative Extension Service in 1984, 
after 24 years of outstanding service, Seymour was awarded the first 
Extension Agent Emeritus Designation in the State of Florida. Though he 
was officially, and is supposedly, retired, his service to the 
community has continued to this day.
  Seymour Goldweber continues to work for us, for the sheer love of 
agriculture, tropical fruits, and the growers who need and love him.
  To our hero, Seymour Goldweber, and his wonderful wife, Libby, 
felicidades a los dos.

                          ____________________