James Oberstar: “I rise in support of H.R. 6051, as amended, a bill to designate the federal building located at 2 South Main St. in…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 6051, as amended, a bill to designate the federal building located at 2 South Main St. in Akron, OH, as the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Congressman John Seiberling was born in 1918. He attended public school in Akron and Staunton Military Academy in Virginia. After graduating from the military academy, he attended Harvard and received his law degree from Columbia Law School. In the 1950s, Congressman Seiberling engaged in private practice and also volunteered with the New York Legal Aid Society. He was elected to the 92nd Congress and served for seven succeeding Congresses from 1971 to 1987. He was an ardent environmentalist long before it was a trendy word. He comes from a long line of conservationists. His grandfather donated land in Akron for the city's first metropolitan park. As a junior Member of Congress, Seiberling authored legislation to establish the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. He then went on to shepherd through Congress an additional 62 park related bills, including legislation that tripled the size of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Congressman Seiberling also sponsored legislation to establish an American Conservation Corps. Although the legislation was vetoed by President Reagan, the ideals and concepts outlined in the bill were later adopted as part of the AmeriCorps authorization legislation signed by President Clinton.”