[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9997]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING ROBERT FAY ROCKWELL, JR.

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                          HON. ERIC J.J. MASSA

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 2, 2009

  Mr. MASSA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert Fay Rockwell 
Jr. Bob Rockwell was born November 8th, 1911 in Bradford, PA. He 
attended Whittier College in California where he became friends with 
fellow student, Richard M. Nixon. He moved to Corning, NY in 1933 to 
run the local department store (The Rockwell Company) owned by his 
grandfather. Soon after, he departed to serve in the 70tn Construction 
Battalion (the Seabees) in World War II. He was stationed in North 
Africa and Oakland, CA.
  Upon his return to Corning, he became close friends with Frederick 
Carder, founder of world-famous Steuben Glass. Later he amassed the 
world's largest collection of Frederick Carder Steuben Glass. His 
liking of aesthetics wasn't limited to glass art; Bob started 
collecting Western Art including Remingtons and Russells in the early 
1960's for display in his department store. He donated most of these 
two collections to what was then called The Rockwell Museum. This 
museum got its first home in 1976 in an old hotel in downtown Corning. 
During this time, he became president of both the Corning Chamber of 
Commerce and the Corning Rotary Club. In 1983 the Rockwell Museum of 
Western Art opened in Corning's refurbished old city hall building and 
has been popular with the great numbers of tourists who visit the area. 
The multimillion dollar value of Bob's donated art and glass is a 
testament to his generosity, but his legacy is further enhanced by his 
compassion and help to his fellow man.

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