[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17938]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE STEVENS FAMILY IN AMERICA, 11 GENERATIONS ALWAYS MOVING 
                                FORWARD

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                            HON. ALBIO SIRES

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 19, 2012

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the John Stevens Family 
on all of their great accomplishments as entrepreneurs and 
philanthropists, and to share the history of the family that founded 
the Stevens Institute of Technology. Stevens Institute of Technology 
was founded in 1870 and is named for a distinguished family of 
engineers and inventors who have made tremendous contributions to our 
nations' maritime and railroad systems. Stevens' 55-acre tree-shaded 
campus occupies part of the family's original estate, near the edge of 
the Hudson River at Castle Point in Hoboken, New Jersey overlooking 
Manhattan.
  Stevens, also known as ``The Innovation University,'' has a student 
population of more than 6,000 students and over 37,000 alumni. Alumni 
have leadership positions in many industries including construction, 
power generation, telecommunications, green energy, biotechnology, 
transportation, green energy and the financial community.
  Today there are more than 400 descendants of the Stevens family 
throughout the United States and abroad. On October 6, 2012, they came 
to Stevens Institute of Technology for their first family reunion in 
more than 30 years to reconnect, to learn about their family history, 
and to gain an understanding of the many ways the university founded by 
their ancestors 142 years ago has contributed to our society.
  The most notable member of the family was Colonel John Stevens III. 
During the Revolutionary War, he was appointed to be a captain in 
Washington's Army at age twenty-seven. Later he was promoted to 
Colonel, and collected taxes for the American cause as Treasurer of New 
Jersey. After the war in 1784, he purchased land that is now Hoboken, 
and includes the current campus for Stevens Institute of Technology.
  In 1798, Colonel Stevens was the first inventor to build and sail a 
steamboat on the Hudson River. The Colonel's boiler design, his twin 
screw propellers, and the steam ferry he ran between Hoboken and New 
York were among his many outstanding ``firsts.'' His steam ship, the 
Phoenix, captained by his son Robert was also the first steamship to 
sail the ocean, in 1809. On land, Colonel Stevens purchased the first 
American locomotive, the ``John Bull.'' The John Bull is now on display 
at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.
  The Colonel's sons also developed an aptitude for innovative 
engineering. His son Robert invented the T-rail for railroads, which is 
still in use today on railroads throughout the world. Robert also 
invented the ferry slip, a supporting iron rod for projecting guard 
beams on steamboats, and made several other improvements to ferries and 
steamboats. A second son, Edwin A. Stevens, founded the university as a 
part of his estate. Edwin built and operated New Jersey's first 
railroad. His experiments also resulted in the iron-clad warship. A 
third son, John Cox Stevens, was a sailor and joined the syndicate that 
built the schooner ``America'' and became the first winner of the famed 
America's Cup racing series. He also founded the New York Yacht Club 
and this year was inducted into the Yachting Hall of Fame, on October 
13, 2012 at a ceremony held in New Orleans, Louisiana.
  Other notable Stevens family descendants throughout the years include 
former Member of Congress, Millicent Fenwick (R-NJ), who was also 
appointed by President Reagan as the first U.S. Ambassador to the Food 
and Agriculture Organization in Rome, a U.S. Ambassador to Spain, a 
casualty and a survivor from the Lusitania, a member of the first class 
of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, the current CEO of Habitat for 
Humanity International and more.
  I applaud the John Stevens Family for all of their contributions and 
ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing their great 
accomplishments. I wish them all continued success and thank them for 
their dedication to making New Jersey and our country greater for 
future generations.

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