[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 25865-25867]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   BEN R. GEROW POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3234) to designate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 14 Chestnut Street in Liberty, 
New York, as the ``Ben R. Gerow Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3234

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. BEN R. GEROW POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 14 Chestnut Street in Liberty, New York, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Ben R. Gerow Post 
     Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the Ben R. Gerow Post Office Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page 25866]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann 
Davis).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3234, introduced by the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Hinchey) designates this U.S. Postal Service facility in Liberty, 
New York, as the Ben R. Gerow Post Office Building.

                              {time}  1545

  All members of the New York State delegation have signed onto this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, Ben Gerow spent his entire life living, working, and 
serving in the town of Liberty in the Catskill Mountains of 
southeastern New York State. Mr. Gerow was a respected State 
assemblyman, sheriff, firefighter, and businessman.
  Ben Gerow made a comfortable living for 30 years as owner and 
operator of his own automobile service station. He retired from his 
business at age 50 and entered the race for sheriff of Sullivan County, 
which he won. Three years later, he won another election, this time to 
a seat in the New York State Assembly. After serving a 1-year term in 
the legislature, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt selected him to be 
postmaster of the post office in Liberty, New York, where he served for 
12 years.
  Ben Gerow passed away in 1961 at the age of 81. Passage of this 
meaningful bill will fittingly rename the post office in Liberty after 
Ben Gerow, the very post office at which he served as postmaster. Mr. 
Speaker, for all these reasons, I congratulate the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Hinchey) for his efforts in shepherding H.R. 3234 to the 
floor, and I commend him for honoring Ben Gerow.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  As a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased 
to join the gentlewoman from Virginia in rising in support of H.R. 
3234, legislation naming the postal facility located at 14 Chestnut 
Street in Liberty, New York, after Ben Gerow.
  H.R. 3234 was introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) 
on October 2, 2003. The bill has met the Committee on Government 
Reform's policy and has the support and cosponsorship of the entire New 
York delegation.
  A lifelong resident of Liberty, New York, Ben Gerow was a successful 
businessman and politician. He owned a garage, operated a Cadillac 
dealership and tire business, and was a firefighter. He later served as 
county sheriff and in the New York State Assembly. In 1934, President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Mr. Gerow postmaster of the Liberty 
post office.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Hinchey), for seeking to recognize the legacy of Postmaster Ben Gerow 
by naming the Liberty post office in his honor. It is interesting to 
note that this measure has been endorsed by a host of Liberty community 
leaders and organizations, including the village mayor, local chamber 
of commerce, and residents. I would urge swift adoption of this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey), the author of 
this legislation.
  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to the 
Committee on Government Reform for bringing this bill to the floor so 
expeditiously. I also want to express my thanks to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis), who is managing the Democratic time, and the 
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis), who is managing the time 
for the majority.
  I also wish to express my thanks to the elected officials, civic 
organizations, and individuals in Liberty and Sullivan County, New 
York, for recommending and endorsing this legislation; as well as the 
family of Ben Gerow for providing photographs, newspaper articles, and 
detailed biographical information; and, finally, to the current 
postmaster in Liberty, New York, Gene DeCarlo, for his assistance.
  It is a testament to Ben Gerow's significant contribution to Liberty 
that there is such overwhelming support in the local community for 
naming this post office in his honor. There is a true groundswell of 
support for this legislation. It is endorsed by Liberty community 
leaders and organizations locally, including the town of Liberty 
Democratic and Republican Committees, the town of Liberty and the 
Village of Liberty Boards, the village mayor, the Sullivan County 
Historical Society, the Greater Liberty Chamber of Commerce, and many 
Liberty residents and others in Sullivan County who have signed 
petitions.
  Ben Gerow was born in Liberty, New York, in 1880, and died in 1961 at 
the age of 81. He lived virtually his entire life in Liberty, New York, 
where he was a pioneer of the automobile age who became a county 
sheriff, member of the New York State legislature, and a postmaster.
  Ben Gerow was involved in the automobile business for 30 years. He 
was the first man in Liberty to own a gasoline-fueled car. He owned and 
operated one of the best-known businesses in Sullivan County, Gerow's 
Garage Machine Shop and Supply Store. He was the first Cadillac dealer 
in Sullivan County and also sold Fords, Dodges, and owned a rubber tire 
business. He was a lifelong firefighter as a member and president of 
the Liberty Hose and Truck Company No. 20.
  Legend has it that Ben Gerow was an instrumental coconspirator in the 
introduction of the first motorized fire truck in Liberty and all of 
Sullivan County. With a few chosen friends, he got hold of an 
automobile chassis and a motor, refurbished and repainted it, and 
outfitted it with the hose and other firefighting equipment. Then one 
of his crew set fire to a bunch of orange crates, and Ben's motorized 
equipment whizzed by the firefighters from companies number one and 
three who were carrying their heavy hose carts by hand. This carefully 
staged incident reportedly ended the era of man-powered fire trucks in 
Liberty and in Sullivan County generally.
  Ben Gerow was an active civic leader: a founding member of the 
Liberty Elks Lodge, a member of the Mongaup Lodge, and Free and 
Accepted Masons, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
  In addition to being a successful businessman, community leader, and 
honorable public servant, Ben Gerow was married to Angeline Wheeler for 
61 years. Together, they raised 14 children in one of Liberty's largest 
families. It is notable that five of their sons served in World War II 
all at the same time. Overall, these two wonderful people had 65 
descendents, including 34 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.
  At the age of 50, Ben Gerow retired from business and entered 
politics, a natural transition, given that he is said to have been 
known by virtually every member of the population in Sullivan County. A 
lifelong Democrat, he was elected Sullivan County sheriff in 1930 and 
then elected to a 1-year term in the New York State Assembly in 1933. 
He was appointed postmaster to the Liberty post office by President 
Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1934, and he served in that position for 12 
years.
  Under Mr. Gerow's administration, the current Liberty post office 
building was sited and built as a Works Progress Administration 
project. Given his many accomplishments and contributions to Liberty, 
naming the Liberty

[[Page 25867]]

post office in honor of Ben Gerow nearly 60 years after he retired from 
his long tenure as postmaster is clearly fitting, it is appropriate, 
and, one might say, long overdue.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Schrock). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3234.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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