E 1018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 11, 1995

make to keep our society free from crime and

violence. I hope my colleagues join me in acknowledging the police officers who continue

to protect the community in which they live

and remember those who have lost their lives

in doing so. I encourage you all to visit the

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

located in the heart of Washington, DC at Judiciary Square. This is a fine way to remember

those who we could never repay.

A TRIBUTE TO FATHER MICHAEL

fLAVELLE

HON. JAMES A. TRAFICANT, JR. OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, it gives me

great pleasure to stand here today to honor a

remarkable man from the 17th Congressional

District of Ohio. Father Michael Lavelle took

great pleasure in helping others and this Earth

will sorely miss the light his presence brought.

Father Lavelle had a long and illustrious career with John Carroll University, culminating

in his appointment as President of the University. He was a scholar of the highest order

and a social worker with a giant heart. Father

Lavelle is even known in international circles

for his successful efforts to bring books and

religious items into Communist Eastern Europe. Indeed, Father Lavelle was a scholar, an

author, a linguist who spoke most of the major

languages of Europe, and a literary man

whom more than one Jesuit referred to as the

‘‘last of the Renaissance men.’’ But, above all

else he was a loyal and faithful priest who

cared deeply not only for his fellow countrymen but for all people.

Mr. Speaker, it is rare that I have the opportunity to honor someone like Father Michael

Lavelle who gave so much not only to his own

community but also to the entire country. My

heartfelt appreciation goes out to Father

Lavelle for his contributions. He was a great

man and will be sorely missed. May he find

eternal peace and happiness in his reunion

with the Lord.

HONORING DR. MICHAEL GANNON

fHON. KAREN L. THURMAN OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mrs. THURMAN. Mr. Speaker, this year, the

State of Florida is celebrating its 150th birthday. This important milestone, Florida’s Sesquicentennial, will be observed all year as our

citizens recognize the varied events and people that have contributed to our State’s rich

heritage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor someone

who has contributed greatly to the understanding and popularization of Florida’s history, Dr.

Michael Gannon.

Dr. Michael Gannon is a Distinguished Service Professor of History at the University of

Florida. A specialist in the Spanish colonial

history of Florida and the Caribbean, he is

also Director of the Institute for Early Contact

Period Studies, which conducts research into

the voyages of Christopher Columbus and the

first contacts between Europeans and Native

Americans in the New World.

Raised in St. Augustine, FL, Dr. Gannon

has had a long interest in the early Spanish

missions of Florida about which he has written

extensively. Two of his books, ‘‘Rebel Bishop’’

(1964) and ‘‘The Cross in the Sand’’ (1965)

give readers an indepth look at the early history of Florida. He is coauthor of two other

books and a contributor to numerous others

on the region, including ‘‘Spanish Influence in

the Caribbean, Florida and Louisiana, 1500–

1800,’’ and ‘‘The Hispanic Experience in North

America.’’ Dr. Gannon also edited the comprehensive ‘‘New History of Florida,’’ which will

appear in bookstores later this year.

Dr. Gannon served for 19 years as a member and two-time chairman of the Historic St.

Augustine Preservation Board; and currently

serves under the Secretary of State as chairman of the De Soto Trail Committee and

chairman of the Spanish Mission Trail Committee. Under the Secretary of Commerce he

served as a member of the State’s Columbus

Quincentenary Jubilee Commission, and chairman of that body’s History and Culture Committee. In 1992 the U.S. Secretary of the Interior appointed Dr. Gannon to a 4-year term on

the national De Soto Expedition Trail Commission. He is an Honorary Board Member of the

St. Augustine Historical Society, and a member of the Editorial Board of the Florida Historical Quarterly.

In the area of military history, Dr. Gannon

published ‘‘Operation Drumbeat,’’ a history of

Germany’s first U-boat operation along the

American coast in World War II. The book became a national best seller and the subject of

a National Geographic Explorer program. The

show won an Emmy award as the Best Historical Program in 1992. Dr. Gannon published

‘‘Florida: A Short History’’ in 1993 and in 1994,

‘‘Secret Missions,’’ a Florida-based historical

novel set in World War II.

Dr. Gannon has published numerous articles on history, religion, military affairs and

ethics in national journals and magazines. In

the summer of 1968, Dr. Gannon served in

Vietnam as a war correspondent for the journal, ‘‘America’’ and the National Catholic News

Service. He is the author of the historical article on ‘‘The Catholic Church in the United

States’’ that appears in the 1994 edition of the

‘‘Encyclopedia Americana’’ and of another article under the same title that appears in the

‘‘Encyclopedia of Southern History.’’ Dr. Gannon has lectured widely in this country, as well

as in Spain, Italy, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Gannon is a distinguished

professor who has been honored for his expertise and achievements. In 1979, the University of Florida National Alumni Association

awarded him its first Distinguished Alumni Professorship in recognition of the impact that he

has had on student’s lives and careers. In

1990, King Juan Carlos I of Spain conferred

on Dr. Gannon the highest civilian award of

that country, Knight Commander of the Order

of Isabel la Catolica. Dr. Gannon has also

been the recipient of the Arthur W. Thompson

Prize in Florida History and in 1978 was

named Teacher of the Year for the College of

Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Gannon’s work has added

a great deal to our knowledge of the varied influences that have shaped the history of Florida. The Sesquicentennial celebrations in Florida will be that much more meaningful because of the careful research of Dr. Gannon.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to represent the

University of Florida and professors like Dr.

Gannon, who are dedicated to excellence.

MARTIN UNIVERSITY

fHON. ANDREW JACOBS, JR. OF INDIANA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. JACOBS. Mr. Speaker, Martin University

is the oldest University in Indiana primarily devoted to the education of African-American

students.

What follows is a richly deserved editorial

about the University which was published in

the Indianapolis News in April 1995.

[From the Indianapolis News, April 13, 1995]

A PILLAR IN BRIGHTWOOD

Thanks are due those community leaders

who have made the inner-city Brightwood

area a little brighter. What has happened

there is an example to the nation of how

local institutions can make a difference in

their communities.

In 1987, Martin University moved its main

campus from College Avenue to the

Brightwood address of 2171 Avondale Place.

The low-budget, nondenominational school

came to the neighborhood at a time when

families and businesses were moving out.

‘‘The primary reason we moved to

Brightwood is because the vacated buildings,

including the beautiful St. Francis de Sales

Catholic parish, became available to us at a

great price. The revitalization in the community is a by-product,’’ said Martin’s public relations director, Pat Stewart.

Martin University still has four buildings

at the original College Avenue campus. And

in 1988, the university opened the Lady Elizabeth. Campus at the Indiana Women’s Prison for inmates there.

The main campus in Brightwood comprises

nine buildings. The university’s move has

provided a unifying entity for the community, which was divided in the 1970s when I–

70 was constructed. The neighborhood also

suffered from a loss of residents who moved

to the suburbs.

Martin University has offset some of these

changes.

Besides making good use of old buildings,

the 84 faculty and staff members educate and

train people who may not have similar opportunities elsewhere.

The institution serves 520 students from all

over Indianapolis, most from minority and

low-income back-grounds. Approximately 150

students reside in the Brightwood neighborhood.

The university offers more than traditional academic courses.

Senior citizens and children may attend

computer classes and summer school programs, and all residents may attend seminars about economic and political

empowerment.

The university also runs a health clinic

were university staff, students and

Brightwood residents who aren’t students

can come for counseling and medical services. And it holds clothing and food drives to

benefit people with various needs in

Brightwood.

The school doesn’t stop there, however.

Recognizing the need to broaden the experiences of the people it serves, it provides artistic and cultural events for residents.

Among those activities, it has hosted the

Carmel Symphony Orchestra and holds an

annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.