[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10574]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         REMEMBERING FORMER CONGRESSMAN CHARLES W. WHALEN, JR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Turner) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, this past week, the citizens of Ohio's Third 
Congressional District were met with the sad news that former 
Congressman Charles W. Whalen, Jr., passed away on Monday, June 27, at 
Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C.
  Born in Dayton, Ohio, on July 31, 1920, he was known throughout the 
community as ``Chuck.'' During World War II, he served as an Army first 
lieutenant in the China, India, and Burma theater. After earning a 
master's of business administration from Harvard University, he worked 
as a professor of economics at his alma mater, the University of 
Dayton. He later became chairman of the University of Dayton's Economic 
Department in 1962.
  Before his election to Congress in 1966, Chuck was a three-term 
member of both the Ohio State Senate and the Ohio General Assembly. 
While serving in the State House, he wrote Ohio's first fair housing 
law.
  While in Congress, Chuck retained his seat handily in every general 
election, even running unopposed for reelection in 1974. As a member of 
the House Armed Services Committee, Chuck worked to move our military 
to an all-volunteer Army. The Nixon administration, in developing 
legislation on this issue, adopted many of his recommendations, and 
today the U.S. has an entirely all-volunteer active duty military 
force. In addition, he was focused on social reforms and supported the 
landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. He was also one of the most traveled 
Members of Congress and visited more than 150 countries, including 
every nation in Africa.
  Chuck was highly regarded for his ability to speak publicly, having 
been a college debate champion at the University of Dayton, so it 
should be no surprise that in retirement he coauthored two books with 
his wife, a former journalist: ``The Longest Debate: A Legislative 
History of the 1964 Civil Rights Act,'' published in 1985, and ``The 
Fighting McCooks: America's Famous Fighting Family,'' published in 
2006, focusing on two Ohio brothers and their 13 sons who served in the 
Union Army during the Civil War.
  Not one to be contained by the academic or literary worlds, he was 
also an avid sports fan and reveled in debating sports trivia and 
stats. He was president of Oakwood High School's class of 1938, and he 
is remembered for possessing extensive knowledge of prewar aviation 
largely due to Dayton being his birthplace.
  As a son of Ohio, Congressman Whalen made his final journey home and 
was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Dayton. Whalen is survived by his 
wife of 52 years, Barbara, and their six children--Charles, Daniel, 
Edward, Joseph, Anne, Mary--and their seven grandchildren.
  Today we remember the life and work of Congressman Whalen and thank 
him for his service to both the Third District of Ohio and also our 
Nation.

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