[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6389]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING JOEL AND RUTH SPIRA

  (Mr. DENT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two fine 
American business owners, Joel and Ruth Spira, for their donation of a 
significant collection of materials to the Smithsonian's National 
Museum of American History. The items the Spiras are donating represent 
some of the most noteworthy technological advancements and energy-
saving inventions in the history of electric lighting. The collection 
tells the story of American innovation and the 50-year history of a 
country that has transformed the use of electricity.
  Joel Spira is the inventor and developer of the solid-state 
electronic ``dimming device,'' and chairman and founder of Lutron 
Electronics headquartered in my Congressional district in Coopersburg, 
Pennsylvania.
  A family-owned business, Lutron is governed by five principles: take 
care of the customer; take care of the company; take care of the 
people; innovate with high-quality products; and deliver value to the 
customer.
  Lutron is known for its commitment to creating energy-saving 
products. Each year, the installed base of Lutron's products save the 
Nation nearly 10 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, or 
approximately $1 billion in utility costs.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
Joel and Ruth Spira for this record of accomplishment and for their 
many contributions.

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