[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17535]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         GUS STAVROS HONORED FOR SELFLESS SERVICE TO COMMUNITY

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                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2011

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to pay tribute 
to Gus A. Stavros of St. Petersburg, Florida, a decorated war hero, a 
hugely successful small businessman, and a philanthropist who has 
devoted his life to educating our youth. Most importantly to me, Gus 
Stavros is my friend.
  Gus received a Certificate of Basic Engineering at the University of 
Florida in 1944 in preparation for his service to our nation and the 
Army during World War II. He served with great distinction in General 
George Patton's Third Army, earning three campaign ribbons for Northern 
France, Ardennes and Rhineland, and the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. 
He was severely injured on January 19, 1945, and required eight months 
of hospital care.
  Always placing the highest priority on the value of education, Gus 
returned from the war a hero and enrolled at Columbia University in New 
York, where he graduated in 1948 and went on to New York University, 
where he received his MBA in 1951.
  It was our good fortune that upon his graduation Gus moved to Florida 
to start a business forms manufacturing company in Pinellas County, 
Florida. As the owner and CEO, he grew the company from 3 to 550 
employees making it the largest business of its kind anywhere in the 
Southeastern United States. Having achieved success as a businessman, 
he sold the company in 1989 and pursued his first love of education, 
cultural endeavors, and the tireless support of numerous charitable 
organizations.
  Wednesday evening, the Pinellas County Education Foundation will 
celebrate Gus Stavros' 25 years of service to the students, parents, 
and teachers of our community through the Foundation he established 
with then Assistant Superintendent of Schools Howard Hinesley. Unique 
at the time, the Foundation's first project was the establishment of 
Enterprise Village in 1989, a hands on program that teaches 10,000 
fifth-graders a year important life lessons of business and economics. 
Every one of these fifth-graders spends a day at Enterprise Village 
running a business. For most, with the classroom lessons that prepare 
them for their special day of running their own business, they have 
their first introduction to free enterprise. Today the most 
appropriately named Gus A. Stavros Institute administers not only 
Enterprise Village, but with a $4 million expansion now teaches fiscal 
responsibility to 8,000 eighth-graders annually at its Finance Park.
  Local, state, national and even international leaders of education 
and business have paid visits to Enterprise Village to learn how they 
can inspire students in the areas of business and finance just as Gus 
Stavros has this past quarter century.
  Gus and his lovely wife of 63 years Frances have been honored many 
times over for the selfless work in behalf of numerous charitable 
organizations throughout our community. And our state's Governors and 
leaders of higher education have called on Gus repeatedly to serve on 
the board of trustees for many of our colleges and universities.
  Mr. Speaker, at a time when our nation searches for solutions to 
reenergize our economy and create jobs, we need to look to great 
Americans like Gus Stavros for answers and inspiration. There are few 
people I know that are half of Gus' 86 years that have as much energy 
and as many good ideas.
  Gus Stavros has served our nation in war time and in peace time. He 
has used his success in business to create jobs for others and to 
provide unique educational opportunities for hundreds of thousands of 
youth. Most importantly, he symbolizes the American spirit of selfless 
service to do what he can to improve the lives of others.
  It is my hope that my colleagues will join me in saying thank you to 
Gus Stavros for a lifetime of achievement and in paying tribute to him 
for a job well done.

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