[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8] [House] [Pages 11403-11407] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF FORMER REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS LUDLOW ASHLEY (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, it is with a sad but grateful heart that I rise today on behalf of my Ohio colleagues to inform the House that Congressman Thomas Ludlow Ashley of Toledo, Ohio, passed from this life on June 15, 2010. [[Page 11404]] Lud ably served in our Congress from 1955 to 1981, a career that spanned a quarter century, after he returned home as a corporal in the Army during World War II, serving in the Pacific theater. As the Toledo Blade editorial reminds us, ``The late Senator Edward Kennedy once said: 'Americans sleep in better housing today because of Lud Ashley.''' As chair of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development, Lud led America in urban and small town revitalization, improving our condition as a society a home and block at a time. He voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and authored many pieces of legislation to rebuild America following the civil rights movement of that period. In 1977, Mr. Ashley was selected by his beloved friend and Speaker, Thomas ``Tip'' O'Neill, to lead the House in the first ad hoc Energy Committee after the first Middle East oil embargo threw America into a deep recession. As Speaker O'Neill said at the time, ``Lud has a toughness and a never-say-die attitude, and who, when he was put on the first team, could run with the ball.'' Born on January 11, 1923, in Toledo, Lud was raised on Robinwood Avenue. He has been laid to rest nearby at Woodlawn Cemetery. He was the great grandson of James Mitchell Ashley of Ohio, who served before him from 1859-1869 and coauthored the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawing slavery. In that tradition, Lud Ashley's legacy was his abiding spirit of equal justice that moved civil rights forward in the post-World War II era. It is appropriate this Congress has honored both Congressmen in passing legislation that named the Federal courthouse at Toledo forever in their memory. Our prayers go out to the Ashley family: to his daughter Lisa and sons Meredith and his wife Monica, to Mark, brother Charles, sister-in- law Gerry, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen. Our citizenry in the 9th Congressional District shall miss his great intellect, dogged nature, and incredible sense of humor that lifted us all to carry forward. Thank you, Thomas Ludlow Ashley. [From toledoBlade.com, June 16, 2010] Congressman Known for Aiding Housing, Civil Rights Dies at 87 (By Mark Zaborney) Thomas Ludlow ``Lud'' Ashley, a liberal Democrat who played key roles in passing landmark civil rights, housing, and anti-poverty legislation while representing Toledo in Congress for more than a quarter century, died yesterday of melanoma at his home in Leland, Mich. He was 87. Mr. Ashley cut a large figure on national and local stages, a genial good companion with a ready wit. He was colorful at times but also a thoughtful, skilled legislator capable of reconciling diverse interests to produce bills that would win floor approval. While a student at Yale University in the 1940s, he befriended George H.W. Bush, and the two remained close for more than 60 years. Yesterday, former President Bush said in a statement that he and his wife, Barbara, ``mourn the loss of a very close friend'' and said Mr. Ashley ``might well have been my very best friend in life.'' During Mr. Ashley's congressional tenure from 1955 to 1980, he brought millions of dollars home to northwest Ohio. On Capitol Hill, he was known as ``Mr. Housing,'' shepherding America's public-housing programs through Congress in the 1960s and 1970s--including more than $15 million in public-housing units across Lucas County. Through his efforts, Toledo was one of the first 30 cities in which food stamps were distributed to the poor. With more than $11 million he secured, the Port of Toledo was dredged and improved, creating one of the nation's leading ports. ``It seemed like when the city needed the money, Lud would come through,'' Harry Kessler, Toledo's mayor from 1971-77 and now deceased, told The Blade in 1997. Mr. Ashley's son Meredith, of Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., said yesterday that of all his father's Washington achievements, the lawmaker was proudest of what he did to help Toledo. ``There was a lot of national legislation that Dad was really proud of, but there was nothing he was more proud of than scoring that $11 million grant for downtown Toledo,'' he said. Known universally as ``Lud,'' Mr. Ashley was the 26th man to represent the 9th Congressional District in the House. Until his defeat in 1980, he served the district longer than anyone before him. His great-grandfather James M. Ashley represented Toledo in Congress from 1859-69 as a Republican, having left the Democratic Party because of his anti-slavery beliefs. The federal courthouse in downtown Toledo was named the James M. and Thomas W. Ludlow Ashley United States Courthouse by an act of Congress two years ago. President George W. Bush signed the measure, which had been sponsored by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo), in a private White House ceremony, and the official renaming was held in Toledo on June 3, less than two weeks ago. Miss Kaptur, who with her re-election in 2008 surpassed Lud Ashley's record for representing Toledo the longest in Congress, said yesterday that ``Lud Ashley gave true meaning to the term `public servant.' He followed admirably in the footsteps of his abolitionist great-grandfather, James, putting his genius to work in another tumultuous time and helping pass the momentous 1964 Civil Rights Act.'' James Ashley's co-authorship of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, and his great-grandson's work on the Housing and Community Development Acts of 1974 and 1977 ``reflect the Ashley family's place in history on the scales of justice and equality for all people,'' Miss Kaptur said. Mr. Ashley had been a resident in recent years of Leland, Mich., near Traverse City, but noted in 2008 that his great- grandfather chose to settle in Toledo. ``It's where he was buried, and where I'm going to be buried,'' Mr. Ashley told The Blade. ``Toledo's home.'' Mr. Ashley was first elected to Congress in 1954, defeating incumbent Frazier Reams, Sr., an independent, in a three-way race. He proved a redoubtable vote-getter over the years, dispatching some of the best opponents the Republican Party could muster. He rose to a position of leadership in the House of Representatives, becoming a close ally and personal friend of House Speaker Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill, Jr. In 1977, Mr. O'Neill named Mr. Ashley chairman of a special committee created to handle a package of bills submitted by President Jimmy Carter to deal with the energy crisis. When energy legislation cleared Congress more than a year later, Mr. O'Neill sent Mr. Ashley a letter of praise. ``Somebody said that it couldn't be done, but they didn't know that Tip O'Neill had a friend who had knowledge, ability, toughness, and a never-say-die attitude, and who, when he was put on the first team, could run with the ball,'' the House Speaker wrote. There were other instances of political courage. In 1959, more than a decade before President Richard Nixon's landmark visit to the People's Republic of China, Mr. Ashley was one of two House members to openly support that nation's admission to the United Nations. In 1961, he was one of only six congressmen who voted to cut off funds for the House Un-American Activities Committee. Mr. Ashley also became a senior and influential member of three permanent House committees: budget; banking, finance, and urban affairs; and merchant marine and fisheries, serving briefly in 1980 as chairman of the latter panel. Mr. Ashley was known especially for his expertise in housing and community development legislation. He was chairman of the housing and community development subcommittee of the House banking, finance, and urban affairs committee, and much of the legislation dealing with urban housing and development problems that was passed in the 1970s bore his imprint. In October, 1979, President Carter, at a White House ceremony marking the anniversary of a community development program, praised Mr. Ashley's legislative abilities. ``He cares about people, and he is superb in his ability to conceive legislative programs and have them passed by Congress,'' President Carter said. Mr. Ashley loyally supported Democratic presidents, but he had good relations with President Gerald Ford, a Republican, and many Republican members of Congress. While Mr. Ashley and President George H.W. Bush were Yale undergraduates, the two were tapped to be members of the elite secret student society Skull and Bones. In an old stone building owned by the society and known as the Tomb, the members confessed deep secrets to one another as part of their initiation. ``It allowed us to come to know more about one another,'' Mr. Ashley told The Blade in 1997. And from that sprang a lifelong friendship. After Mr. Bush was elected president, Mr. Ashley spent many days with him at Camp David and the White House, especially in times of crisis. In 1990, he went to Camp David to buck up the president after his budget was spurned by Congress, leading to a temporary shutdown of the federal government. ``I have a lifetime of memories of friendship between those two that stretch back to my youngest days,'' Meredith Ashley said yesterday. ``We'd go up to Kennebunkport [[Page 11405]] [Maine] during the summer, well before he became vice president and president, and nothing ever changed in their friendship after he became vice president. If anything, their friendship got stronger.'' Mr. Ashley joined Mr. Bush at the opening of the Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Texas, where the Toledo congressman's name appears prominently in biographies and videos of the 41st president. Mr. Ashley, born Jan. 11, 1923, to Alida and William Ashley, was raised on Robinwood Avenue in the Old West End and attended Glenwood Elementary School. His father owned a small steel manufacturing firm on Tracy Road and nearly lost his business during the Great Depression. The business rebounded, and the family moved to Front Street in Perrysburg. His parents sent their son to Kent School in Kent, Conn., from 1939 to 1942. His older brother William, the heir apparent to the Ashley political legacy, was killed at age 22 in May, 1944, when his Army bomber exploded during a training mission over Massachusetts. All 10 aboard died. Decades later, Mr. Ashley said he was greatly affected by the loss. ``We were inseparable friends,'' Mr. Ashley said. Mr. Ashley was a corporal in the Army during World War II, serving in the Pacific Theater. He graduated from Yale in 1948 and was associated with the Toledo Publicity and Efficiency Commission that year. Michael DiSalle, then mayor of Toledo and later governor of Ohio, encouraged him to study law, and Mr. Ashley enrolled in the University of Toledo law school. He later transferred to Ohio State University, from which he received a law degree in 1951. Mr. Ashley was hired to be a special projects coordinator for Radio Free Europe and was stationed briefly in New York City. In 1954, Mr. DiSalle was looking for a candidate to challenge Mr. Reams, the independent 9th District incumbent. Mr. DiSalle provided Mr. Ashley with considerable advice and aid. Mr. Ashley provided the energy and image in what was the first local campaign to make extensive use of television. Mr. Reams was defeated by 4,000 votes. In 1980, when he was defeated by Republican challenger Ed Weber, some political analysts linked it to the landslide presidential victory of Ronald Reagan. But Mr. Ashley told The Blade in 1997 that it was his own fault, saying it was ``tough to get enthusiastic about another campaign. And that's when you get beaten. I just didn't get the job done.'' Miss Kaptur defeated Mr. Weber in 1982. Mr. Ashley was married twice. He and the former Margaret Mary Sherman of Toledo married in August, 1956, in Manassas, Va., but separated that fall. In 1967, he married Kathleen Lucey, a graduate of Georgetown University law school who'd begun working as an assistant in his office in 1962. Mr. Ashley was a student of history and politics with a personal library that testified to those passions. He also loved opera and gardening. His decision to make Leland, Mich., his home came a few years after the death of Kathleen in 1997. Mr. Ashley was a member of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation at the time of his death and earlier served on numerous other boards including those of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the nation's two largest mortgage lenders. He is survived by sons Meredith (Monica) Ashley of Ho-Ho- Kus, N.J., and Mark Ashley of Washington; daughter, Lise Murphy of Washington; brother, Charles S. Ashley, and sister- in-law Gerry Ashley, of Leland, and many nieces and nephews. A reception for family and friends will be held from 3-6 p.m. Sunday in the Ashley home, 402 Mill St., Leland. A memorial service will be held later in Washington and interment will be in Toledo's Historic Woodlawn Cemetery. The family requests that any donations be to the Leland Township Library. Martinson Funeral Home is handling arrangements. ____ Ashleys Served With Honor, Vigor (By James M. Ashley IV) This Thursday, Toledo's new federal courthouse will be dedicated to two men--both past congressmen from our city, both named Ashley. I am proud to claim kinship with both men. James M. Ashley and Thomas Ludlow Ashley served their constituencies and their country with vigor, honesty, and a firm resolution to achieve what they saw as the best courses of action for the people. They served our state for more than 16 percent of the time from when Ohio was admitted to the United States in 1803 to the present day. James Ashley served in Congress during the most difficult period of our history, from 1859 through 1869--the era of John Brown, the Civil War, and the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. He saw slavery firsthand while he worked on riverboats in the South during his youth. He became a passionate and dedicated abolitionist, working within the Underground Railroad. The turmoil of the decade before the Civil War led to the formation of the Republican Party. Like Abraham Lincoln, James Ashley was stirred into action by the growing national emergency and ran for public office as a Republican. Both men put their strongly held beliefs into action. In Congress, James Ashley adamantly opposed secession and any compromise on slavery. He worked zealously and skillfully to make the emancipation of America's slaves a reality. Expressing his hard-line outlook and frontier upbringing, he proposed that a congressman who favored a slavery compromise should be ``kicked by a steam Jackass from Washington to Illinois.'' Such no-nonsense dedication was useful to Lincoln in his efforts at emancipation. As president, Lincoln could not express or overtly back anything that might weaken support from border states or moderates within the Union. James Ashley became Lincoln's go-to man in Congress. When Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, it immediately freed only a few thousand slaves. But it turned the war from a sectional struggle into a crusade to free the millions of African-Americans who were still held in bondage. The stage was set for the Constitutional amendment that would finally outlaw chattel slavery throughout the country, forever. James Ashley focused on the complexities of achieving necessary harmony within Congress to pass this monumental amendment. With help from the president, James Ashley garnered the necessary votes and support. To those who wavered, Lincoln stated that ``whatever Ashley had promised should be performed.'' The Thirteenth Amendment, authored by James Ashley, became the law of the land in 1865. ``Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude'' without due process for crimes committed would ever again stain America. Thomas Ludlow Ashley, the abolitionist's great-grandson, represented Toledo in Congress as a Democrat from 1955 through 1981. During that time, his influence and impact on both Congress and this community grew immensely. Toledo's ethnic blue-collar voters provided Lud Ashley's power base during the latter part of the industrial heyday the city enjoyed during the mid-20th century. But instead of riding that wave of prosperity to become part of the industrial establishment, he pursued a congressional career noted for liberal causes. ``I think probably one of the most lasting contributions was my role in housing,'' Thomas Ashley said in retirement. Sen. Edward Kennedy concurred: ``Americans sleep in better homes today because of Lud Ashley.'' Thomas Ashley fought urban sprawl with legislation. He warned his colleagues about the tremendous flight of Americans to suburbs from the inner cities--a crushing fact of national life in the 21st century. Thomas Ashley's stance on civil rights, community block grants, and enterprise tax zones contributed to his image as an urban liberal. But the late Judge William Skow, a former aide to the congressman, noted that he was a moderate on fiscal issues. Whatever the label, Thomas Ashley's career centered on fighting racism and poverty. It was a natural extension of his family legacy. Like James Ashley, he fought the good fight. James M. Ashley IV, of Maumee, is a senior lecturer in sociology and anthropology at the University of Toledo. He is a great-grandson of James M. Ashley and first cousin of Thomas L. Ashley. ____ Thomas Ludlow Ashley The late Sen. Edward Kennedy once said: ``Americans sleep in better homes today because of Lud Ashley.'' He was right. Mr. Ashley, the longtime Toledo congressman who died this week at age 87, chaired a House committee on housing and community development. For years, he worked hard to provide federal grants to improve low and moderate-income housing nationally, as well as close to home. Thomas Ludlow Ashley also was important to and instrumental in the development of the city where he was born, which he represented in Congress from 1955 until 1981. ``Lud'' Ashley was the great-grandson of James Ashley, who settled in frontier Toledo, changed political parties because of his opposition to slavery, and represented Toledo in Congress during the Civil War. James Ashley was a co-author of the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery. In that tradition, his great-grandson sought to free Americans from the squalor of terrible housing. Lud Ashley served in the Pacific during World War II before he attended Yale University. He and George H.W. Bush, who would become President decades later, were classmates and fellow members of the ultra-elite secret society Skull and Bones. Though they were of different political parties, the men remained longtime friends. Mr. Ashley earned a law degree at Ohio State University and worked for Radio Free Europe before he returned home in 1954 to campaign for Congress. He ousted independent Rep. Frazier Reams, in part because of the support of the late Paul Block, Jr., publisher of The Blade, who felt Toledo's interests would be best represented by a member of Congress with ties to a major political party. [[Page 11406]] During his career, Mr. Ashley landed millions of dollars for public housing in Lucas County. He got a crucial $11 million to improve Toledo's port. Late in his career, during the energy crisis of the 1970s, Mr. Ashley was chairman of a special committee that successfully steered through Congress a controversial package of bills proposed by President Jimmy Carter that were designed to reduce oil consumption. That assignment won him some enemies in the auto industry but high praise from then-House Speaker Thomas ``Tip'' O'Neill, who counted Mr. Ashley as a personal friend. In 1980, Mr. Ashley was defeated for re-election by Republican Ed Weber in a stunning upset. Mr. Ashley fell victim to Ronald Reagan's landslide victory and huge negative feeling against the Carter administration. His death came days after the federal courthouse in Toledo was renamed in both his and his great-grandfather's honor. That tribute is appropriate. When the energy bills were passed, Rep. Ashley knew the legislation was unpopular with Jeep. But he responded: ``My view is that my district elected me to represent, when called upon, a wider national interest.'' That is who Thomas Ludlow Ashley was. As he is laid to rest in his hometown, that is how Toldeo's congressman should be remembered. ____ `Gracious' Right Label for Ashley It always saddens me when a great warrior dies, and among other things Lud Ashley was a warrior (``Congressman known for aiding housing, civil rights dies at 87,'' June 16). In the 1980 campaign, we debated at least six times. Although an incumbent's strategy would usually be to deny the opponent the public forum of a debate, Lud never failed to accept any challenge. Of course, he was well informed, and I believe our joint appearances led to a clarification of the issues and opposing viewpoints in an intelligent and civil manner that we don't always see at election time. Lud Ashley's name is etched in the history of Toledo and Lucas County. For 26 years, he was an important member of the liberal Democratic wing that controlled the House of Representatives. Always a strong advocate of Toledo, he brought millions of dollars to Toledo and the area during his tenure in office. He was a likable person, with good friends on both sides of the aisle. At the time of his defeat, he was very gracious to me. Two years later, at the time of my defeat, he was equally gracious and considerate. It is very fitting that the federal courthouse here is now named for Lud Ashley and his great-grandfather James Ashley, the Republican abolitionist congressman during the Civil War. Ed Weber. ____ [From the Washington Post, June 16, 2010] Ohio Congressman and Public Housing Supporter Thomas W. Ludlow Ashley Dies at 87 (By T. Rees Shapiro) Thomas W. Ludlow Ashley, 87, a 13-term Ohio Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives who was chiefly known for his work on housing and addressing the energy crisis of the 1970s, died of melanoma June 15 at his home in Leland, Mich. Mr. Ashley--known colloquially as ``Lud''--served Ohio's 9th District, which includes Lucas County and the city of Toledo, from 1955 to 1981. As chairman of a House subcommittee on housing and community development, Mr. Ashley was a key supporter of legislation to provide federal grants to cities and counties to improve low- and moderate-income housing. ``Americans sleep in better homes today because of Lud Ashley,'' Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) once said of Mr. Ashley's extensive work on low-income housing legislation. In 1977, Mr. Ashley was appointed to an ad hoc energy committee by House Speaker Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill Jr. (D- Mass.), who said he picked Mr. Ashley because he had ``toughness, and a never-say-die attitude, and who, when he was put on the first team, could run with the ball.'' A year later, Mr. Ashley helped the 40-member bipartisan group pass a series of energy bills aimed at reducing the nation's use of oil and increasing the budget for research into alternative energy sources. Upon his appointment to the position, Mr. Ashley assured critics that he would not be close to the automobile industry. At the time, Toledo housed the headquarters of many car-parts manufacturers and an American Motors plant that produced Jeeps. ``That district is a part of me,'' Mr. Ludlow told the New York Times in 1977. ``It is responsible for the perspective I bring with me. But my view is that my district elected me to represent, when called upon, a larger national interest.'' Thomas William Ludlow Ashley was born Jan. 11, 1923, in Toledo. His great-grandfather, James Mitchell Ashley, served Ohio's 9th District from 1859 to 1869 as a Republican, having switched from the Democratic Party because he was vehemently opposed to slavery. The elder Ashley co-authored the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery and led the campaign to impeach President Andrew Johnson, who he claimed had conspired to assassinate Abraham Lincoln in order to assume the presidency. He was also chairman of a committee on territories and helped choose the names for Wyoming and Montana. After Army service in the Pacific during World War II, the younger Mr. Ashley graduated from Yale University in 1948. At Yale, he became close friends with George H.W. Bush when they were members of the Skull and Bones secret society. He received a law degree from Ohio State University in 1951 and practiced law for a short time with his father before moving to New York to work for Radio Free Europe. Before losing his House seat in the Reagan landslide of 1980, the only time Mr. Ashley had come close to being defeated was in 1974. The race occurred only months after he'd been convicted of drunken driving and resisting arrest in Toledo, and Mr. Ashley eked out a victory over his Republican opponent by a margin of 3,500 votes. Mr. Ashley directed federal funds toward his district, including more than $15 million for public housing units and $11 million for the improvement of the Port of Toledo. By an act of Congress in recent years, the city's federal courthouse was named in his and his great-grandfather's honor. His marriage to Margaret Mary Sherman ended in divorce. His second wife, Kathleen Lucey Ashley, died in 1997. He had two children from his first marriage; two children from his second marriage; and a brother. Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, Thomas ``Lud'' Ashley was a tireless public servant who ably served Ohio and our nation for more than a quarter century. A World War II veteran, Lud was raised in Toledo in a family with deep Ohio roots and a strong sense of patriotism. Lud's brother William was killed in an army training accident in 1944. His great grandfather, James Ashley, represented Toledo and Ohio's 9th Congressional District as a Republican during the Civil War era, co-authoring the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery. As a member of Congress, Lud added to his great-grandfather's legacy, helping pass the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, along with fellow Ohio Republican Congressman Bill McCulloch. Lud was also a strong advocate for the Toledo area. To this day he is remembered for his role in securing federal support to build the Port of Toledo into one of the nation's key hubs for trade and industry. Though an unabashed Democrat, Lud was well-liked and respected on both sides of the aisle. That George H.W. Bush would count him among his best life-long friends certainly speaks to Lud's character. Lud will be missed, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and public service of former Congressman Thomas Ludlow Ashley. Representing Ohio's 9th District, ``Lud'' Ashley served in the House of Representatives for 26 years. Throughout his tenure, Congressman Ashley successfully balanced his loyalty towards his home city of Toledo and his responsibility to the country at large. As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development, Lud was an important figure in passing legislation which provided federal grants that improved low and moderate-income housing nationwide. During the 1970's oil crisis, he was appointed to an Ad Hoc energy committee that passed a series of bills which reduced the nation's oil use and increased the budget for researching alternative energy sources. Among his many other accomplishments, Lud secured millions of dollars in federal grants to improve the Port of Toledo and maintain this vital Midwestern economic pathway. His achievements were products of his tenacity. Former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill praised Ashley for his ``toughness, and a never-say- die attitude, and who, when he was put on the first team, could run with the ball.'' Furthermore, Lud did not hesitate to work with Republican lawmakers. He was a lifelong friend of President George H.W. Bush, had a good relationship with President Gerald Ford, and made countless other alliances with members across the aisle. I will remember his commitment to public service and helping the American people. Ms. KAPTUR. I ask that my colleagues now do rise and remember him and his service with a moment of silence. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will observe a moment of silence. [[Page 11407]] ____________________