Hinchliffe Stadium Heritage Act

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank both managers.

Hinchliffe Stadium overlooks the Great Falls of Paterson, New Jersey, one of the largest waterfalls on the east coast in the United States. It was built by the citizens of Paterson as a public works project during a very difficult financial situation in the United States, 1932. It was named for the mayor at that time, Judge John Hinchliffe.

The stadium site sits directly adjacent to the Great Falls National Historical Park. The New York Black Yankees played there and the New York Cubans. These games featured baseball Hall of Famers such as Paterson's own hometown hero, Larry Doby, the first player to integrate the American League.

Other greats such as Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson also made appearances here. Besides baseball, the stadium hosted events in professional football, boxing, wrestling, soccer, even auto racing, throughout its long and storied history.

They also were the home of the Paterson Panthers, a professional football team, and the great concerts that went on there. Recently, it played host to all high school sports under the stewardship of the Paterson Public Schools.

Sadly, the stadium has sat in a state of disuse since 1997, when the school system could no longer afford to keep up with the maintenance. However, this legislation would not place the burden of restoration or maintenance on the National Park Service.

This bill would spur private donations as well as the State and local investments to make the necessary improvements at Hinchliffe Stadium. The stewardship of the National Park Service will simply provide certainty about Hinchliffe's future.

Mr. Speaker, we are not talking about putting purple ropes around an edifice. We want this stadium to be functional again. I think, therefore, Hinchliffe Stadium provides a golden opportunity for the Park Service to meet its goal of reaching out to urban communities, minorities, and immigrant groups.

This legislation would vastly enhance the significance of the Great Falls National Park, which this body voted on a few years ago. Although the Great Falls Park's current historic assets focus on Paterson's role as the birthplace of American industry, Hinchliffe Stadium shows us the human side of blue collar workers who came to Paterson to work in mills through waves of immigration and the Great Migration. Their descendants are the Patersonians, New Jerseyans, and Americans of today, and new immigrants continue to seek the American Dream.

As it was originally introduced, the legislation establishing the Paterson Great Falls National Park included Hinchliffe Stadium within the park boundaries. However, the stadium's historic significance was found to be in need of further study. That study was completed last year, reaching a conclusion that the people of New Jersey have long known: Hinchliffe Stadium has played a vital role in our history. As a result, Hinchliffe Stadium was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The importance of this effort to the people of New Jersey is evidenced by the fact that the entire New Jersey delegation has joined together as original cosponsors in a bipartisan way.

We have the support of a broad group of stakeholders, from local community organizations to large national advocacy organizations. I will enter in the Record letters of support from the National Baseball Hall of Fame; the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the National Parks Conservation Association; the New Jersey Community Development Corporation; the Hamilton Partnership for Paterson; Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium; former Paterson mayor and current chair of the Great Falls Advisory Commission, Pat Kramer; and the current property owner, the Paterson Board of Education.

National Baseball Hall of

Fame and Museum,

Cooperstown, New York, November 19, 2013.

Hon. Bill Pascrell, Jr.,

Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Pascrell: On behalf of the National

Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, I am writing to express our

support for H.R. 2430, Hinchliffe Stadium Heritage Act of

2013. This legislation would expand the boundaries of the

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park to include

historic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey.

As you know, Hinchliffe is historically significant as one

of the last remaining stadiums in the nation to have hosted

Negro League baseball. These games featured future Baseball

Hall of Famers such as Paterson's own Larry Doby--the first

player break the color barrier in the American League. Sadly,

the Stadium has been closed since 1997 and is falling into

disrepair.

With the progress being made in the area through the

creation of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical

Park, now is our opportunity to bring further attention and

resources to Hinchliffe. Future generations of visitors and

Patersonians alike deserve the opportunity to enjoy

Hinchliffe and learn about the amazing role that the Stadium

has played in our history. This legislation is an important

step towards making that vision a reality.

Thank you for your leadership in bringing national

attention to Hinchliffe Stadium and its important role in our

nation's cultural history. We look forward to assisting you

in your efforts.

My Best,

Ken Meifert,

Vice President,

Sponsorship and Development.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation has recognized the significance of Hinchliffe Stadium's contributions to our country and our history. This is

a vital part of the history of our State and our Nation. Now is the time to ensure that the story has a place in our National Park System for generations to come. Therefore, I would urge my colleagues to join in supporting this legislation.

Well, I thank the gentlewoman, and I thank the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As an appropriator, we were going to proceed in an appropriations bill with this naming, but after consulting with the chairman, he felt that it was important that we proceed under regular order and that this was important enough that we have an actual piece of legislation, and he guided me through this process.

I want to thank the chairman for his advice on the matter, and also, we were able to round up every single member of the Federal delegation from our State who were enthusiastic in their support for this, and our cosponsors--and our two United States Senators have introduced a companion bill in the Senate, Senator Toomey, and our senior Senator, Senator Casey. We thank Senators Toomey and Casey for their support.

Mr. Speaker, Bill Gray served for 12 years as Budget Committee chair and as majority whip. He was an accomplished lawmaker and leader in a bipartisan way. He helped to lead the budget negotiations with President Reagan's administration, which at first sought to eliminate Amtrak, but in the conclusion, it was Secretary Stockman who said that it was Bill Gray's leadership that allowed for necessary cuts to be made in other areas of the budget, but for Amtrak to continue to receive the necessary support, so that it could be a vital part of our transportation infrastructure.

He also, as the chairman has indicated, directly impacted the station in Philadelphia by arranging for some urban development action grants to be the focus of revitalization of the station at 30th Street.

Now, I live in a city in which we have the Betsy Ross Bridge, the Walt Whitman Bridge, and the Ben Franklin Parkway, but to add to this now the Bill Gray Station at 30th Street I think appropriately recognizes the historical contribution of a young man who was elected at 38, who served in this Congress, and provided extraordinary service.

When he left here, he went on to lead the Nation's most aggressive effort ever in terms of scholarships for students to pursue colleges who were coming from underrepresented categories.

He served as a special envoy for President Clinton, in terms of interacting around challenges in Haiti, and on a day where we had the Young African Leaders summit here in Washington, some 500 young leaders, Gray is most remembered in Africa because he championed and passed successfully the divestiture of South Africa, the legislation that would effect the divestiture of stock to end apartheid, and as a freshman, he passed a bill that created the African Development Bank. Freshmen at that point, and even today, find it difficult to pass major legislation in our House.

So I think it is great that we have come to this moment, and even though I passed other very important pieces of legislation, I am extraordinarily and personally honored to be able to carry this bill. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, the ranking member, and the chairman for all of the courtesies that have been extended.

Will the gentlewoman yield?

I am aware that he was raised by educators and that his father was the president of a great college in Florida. I think it is appropriate that you would come in from Florida to help us move this bill forward. But Bill Gray loved you, and he loved the State of Florida. He made that his home once he retired from the Congress representing Pennsylvania.

I am convinced, in terms of someone mounting a pulpit, there are very few people who could claim the mantle that he claimed as pastor of Bright Hope Baptist Church. He was just an extraordinary figure. There are so many stories on a bipartisan basis that could be told. I think it is great that years--decades--after his service and before a year has passed since his passing that the House is taking this step today to honor his service. It honors us that he served here.

Will the gentleman yield?

I was aware of that, and he constantly reminded those of us from Philadelphia that it wasn't Penn or some of these other institutions in which he got fortified for his national service role.

Mr. Speaker, I rise is strong support of H.R. 4838, which designates the railway station located at 2955 Market St. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, commonly known as the ``30th Street Station,'' as the ``William H. Gray III 30th Street Station.''

This is a fitting tribute to the late Congressman William H. ``Bill'' Gray III, who was a legislator, a politician, a pastor, a teacher, a public servant, and a larger-than-life patriot.

Congressman Bill Gray was born on August 20, 1943 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but he spent most of his childhood in Florida, where his father was president of Florida Normal and Industrial College, which later became Florida A & M University.

Congressman Gray, like his father, was a strong supporter of education and leading advocate for strengthening America's educational systems.

He earned several degrees: a bachelor's degree in 1963 from Franklin and Marshall College, a Master's of Divinity in 1966 from Drew Theological Seminary, and another Master's in Church History from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1970.

Additionally, he was awarded more than 65 honorary degrees from America's leading colleges and universities.

At an early age, he accepted his calling to become a preacher, and from that day, he proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus in the church, in the community, and even in the halls of Congress. His faith was unshakable. It was evident that he lived his life based upon what he preached.

Congressman Gray was the pastor of Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia for more than 25 years, a church pastored by his father and grandfather.

Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1978, Congressman Gray was a persistent voice for equal rights, educational access, and opportunity for all persons, in the United States and abroad.

In 1985, Congressman Gray became the first African American in history to chair the House Budget Committee, where he introduced H. R. 1460, the ``Anti-Apartheid Action Act of 1985,'' which prohibited loans and new investment in South Africa and imposed sanctions on imports and exports with South Africa.

In 1989, Congressman Gray was elected by his colleagues Chairman of the Democratic Caucus and later that year was elected Majority Whip.

As the first African American to hold these two senior leadership positions, Bill Gray's success inspired a generation of African American elected officials.

In 1991, Congressman Gray resigned from Congress to become the president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

Approximately one-half of the more than $1.6 billion raised in UNCF's history was collected during Congressman Gray's tenure.

During the Clinton Administration, Congressman Gray served as President Clinton's special adviser on Haiti.

As a result of his commitment to Haiti, Congressman Gray and President Clinton received the Medal of Honor from Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Mr. Speaker, there is only one word to convey the sweep and scope of Congressman Gray's life of service: giant. He was a giant of Philadelphia, of the Congress, and in the history of our country.

By designating ``30th Street Station'' to ``William H. Gray 30th Street Station,'' the American people, not just the residents of Philadelphia, will be reminded of Congressman Gray's illustrious legacy of public service to his city, his state, his country, and the world.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of H.R. 2430.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4838) to redesignate the railroad station located at 2955 Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, commonly known as ``30th Street Station'', as the ``William H. Gray III 30th Street Station''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 4838.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4838, and I am honored to rise in support of H.R. 4838, which renames Amtrak's 30th Street Station for William H. Gray III.

I am proud to be a Pennsylvanian and proud to have known Mr. Gray. Mr. Gray led a life of service in his church and to the Second District of Pennsylvania, to the education community, and to America.

Representative Gray served the Second District for six terms and was the first African American House Budget Committee chairman and first African American House majority whip.

He also helped provide Federal resources for the renovation of Amtrak's 30th Street Station, so it is only appropriate today that we have a bill on the floor that would rename the 30th Street Station for him. As I understand it, this will have no cost to the taxpayers, but, again, I probably have used the 30th Street Station more than any other station, whether traveling from Union Station to Philadelphia or traveling from the Harrisburg terminal to Philadelphia.

Again, it is a beautiful building, and, again, with the renaming of it, I think it is very appropriate that we name it for William Gray.

With that, I urge the support of H.R. 4838, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, our side has no more speakers, so I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I appreciate the gentlelady yielding back the balance of her time so I get the final word. Sometimes I don't always get the final word with the gentlelady from Florida. I didn't know if you knew he was a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. So he was educated at a great school in central Pennsylvania, so we would like to take some credit.

I yield to the gentleman.

I appreciate the gentleman pointing that out. I am a graduate of Dickinson College, which used to be in the MAC, Middle Atlantic Conference, which F&M was in, so I share that heritage of the MAC conference with Mr. Gray.

The other thing I wanted to point out, his family moved to Philadelphia in 1949. His father took over the church of his grandfather, and then Bill Gray led that church, and so he was a third- generation pastor at the Bright Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia. After pointing that out, some folks around here know my heritage.

I spoke to my father this weekend and asked him what he remembered about Bill Gray. My father said he was smart, he was hardworking and tough, and he was a true gentleman. So he sent his best down here for this debate also.

Finally, I just want to thank Amtrak for working with us to be able to move this forward. The president of Amtrak, Joe Boardman, and his staff worked very hard to ensure this became a reality. Being able to name the station for a Pennsylvanian, someone with a tremendous background and experience, it has been an honor for me to take part in this.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by commending my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) for his work--his persistent, diligent work on H.R. 2430 and the preceding legislation that created this important park site.

The Hinchliffe Stadium Heritage Act that we are looking at now, of which I am pleased to be a cosponsor, enjoys the support of every Member of the New Jersey congressional delegation--I should say the enthusiastic support of every Member of the New Jersey congressional delegation.

It will place within the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, which is one of the newest park service units in the country, this historic Hinchliffe Stadium.

I would say by mistake or oversight or because of difficulties in the first drafting of the original legislation, the park boundaries did not include this historic stadium. This will correct that.

H.R. 2430 would adjust the boundaries of the current Great Falls national historic site to include the 10,000-seat stadium, which is currently listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the most endangered historic places in the country.

As we have heard, this is one of the last remaining stadiums in the Nation where Negro League baseball games were played and is home to the New York Black Yankees and the New York Cubans.

Even though the names of these teams include New York, this area is very much New Jersey and has tremendous importance to the people of New Jersey and to the history of New Jersey, and it is of interest to the entire country.

In preserving this historic stadium, we will be preserving a visual reminder of an unfortunate, but not forgotten, era of racial segregation. Segregation in America extended beyond the buses of Alabama and the Deep South that was engrained throughout American society, even into our national pastime--baseball.

The Hinchliffe Stadium will serve as an educational opportunity for future generations to learn about this unfortunate past, so that we can continue to move forward collectively as a Nation.

This historic site brings memories and history of the industrial revolution, of the political and patriotic origins of our Nation, of art and culture, and American industry. Now, it will also include this historic sports site.

Again, I applaud my colleague, Mr. Pascrell, for his efforts, and I urge support of this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to my colleague from Paterson, New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. Speaker, again, this has the unanimous support of the New Jersey congressional delegation. This is of national historic importance, and I urge support of this legislation to expand the boundary of this national historic site.

I yield back the balance of my time.