[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 20, 2004)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E562-E563] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] IN TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE ED PEASE ______ HON. PETE SESSIONS of texas in the house of representatives Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work of an outstanding individual, the Honorable Ed Pease, former Congressman to the people of the 7th District of Indiana, on the conclusion of his second term as the volunteer International President of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). I am proud to have known and worked with Ed Pease in a number of roles as a former colleague, a fellow Eagle Scout and Boy Scout leader, a friend for life and a fraternity brother. Ed Pease graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Indiana University and the Indiana University Law School. After a period of private practice, he was elected to the Indiana State Senate and served for 12 years, where he chaired the Judiciary Committee and was responsible for major reform of the state's criminal justice system. Outside the legislature, Ed worked for Indiana State University in Terre Haute as General Counsel and later became the University's Vice President for Advancement. From 1997 to 2001, I had the pleasure of working alongside Ed Pease in the U.S. House of Representatives, where Ed was considered one of the GOP's rising stars. During his time in Congress, Ed was a valuable member of both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Judiciary Committee. At the conclusion of the 106th Congress, Ed retired from the House so he could spend more time with his family and friends. His retirement was a loss for this House, for the people of the seventh district of Indiana, and for our country. During his time in Congress, Ed Pease was widely hailed by his peers as a smart, hard working, unassuming Member who cared more about getting the job done than getting credit for his achievements. Mr. Speaker, Ed Pease might have retired from the House in 2001, but he has not retired from a career of selfless public service. It is this second career of volunteer service that I have come to praise today. Throughout his career, regardless of the significant time demands of his professional life, Ed has always made it a priority to serve as a community leader in organizations that build the values and morals of America's young men and women. Ed has a long history of service to the Boy Scouts of America both at the national council level and here in Washington for the National Capitol Area Council. Ed has also been Chairman of the Boy Scouts' National Order of the Arrow Committee. He has been President of the Philmont Staff Association which supports the Philmont Scout Camp in New Mexico, the Boy Scouts of America's premier high-adventure camp that has taught thousands of young men valuable lessons that last a lifetime. Ed Pease's commitment to the moral development of young men has extended past scouting to working with college fraternities, the organizations that build the character and leadership skills of tens of thousands of college men every year. Mr. Speaker, it is Ed's exceptional work for fraternity men nationwide that I rise to recognize today. Ed and I share the bond as brothers of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He was initiated into the Delta Xi chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity at Indiana University on February 26, 1971. Ed's membership in Pi Kappa Alpha shapes the values that would direct his career of public service. In 1973, he was named the national fraternity's outstanding undergraduate member before serving on the staff on the national organization. He has a long history as a chapter advisor to Pi Kappa Alpha's Indiana State chapter, and in 1983, Ed Pease was named Pi Kappa Alpha's national chapter advisor of the year. From there, Ed has served in a number of leadership roles at the national level, including four years as National Vice President and two years as National President of Pi Kappa Alpha. Ed is currently serving as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Pi Kappa Alpha Educational Foundation. Ed Pease has not been content to serve just his own brothers for he has had a larger mission of improving the collegiate experience of all men and women who join a college fraternity. For that reason, Ed Pease was elected to the North American Interfraternity Board of Directors in 1995. The NIC is the umbrella group for 66 national fraternities that have 350,000 undergraduate members and 4.2 million living alumni worldwide. In 1999, Ed Pease was elected President of the NIC and served the organization in that capacity for one year. Now Mr. Speaker, it is hard to explain Ed Pease's contribution to the fraternity world without explaining what fraternity life is all about. There are those in today's society who like to belittle the virtue of the college fraternity experience but they don't really understand how important a role these organizations play in positively influencing the development of tomorrow's leaders. The critics hold up the actions of a few people as an indictment of a system that has done much for our nation. Nine million Americans are proud fraternity and sorority alumni and their experiences in these organizations helped them become better students and better citizens of our great nation. While only three percent of the nation's population has been a member of a fraternity or sorority, these organizations are proven leadership laboratories for developing the next generation of American leaders. For proof, you need look no further than this Congress itself, where 110 current Members of the House of Representatives are alumni of fraternities and sororities, as are 45 current Senators. College fraternities and sororities are one of the most successful leadership development programs available to college students today, helping members graduate with the management and interpersonal skills needed to excel in today's society. These fraternities are the nation's largest networks of student volunteers, providing 10 million hours of service a year and preparing members for a lifetime of community involvement. Fraternity housing is the largest not-for-profit housing market outside of the host colleges and universities themselves. The 250,000 students living in fraternity housing today at 8,000 chapter houses nationwide have an unparalleled opportunity to live and work together on a daily basis with students from different cultures, religions and life experiences. Fraternities are now the largest, most visible, and most active values-based organizations on college campuses today. The men and women who are fraternity members today learn how to incorporate the principles and values of their organization into their daily lives to form the moral foundation for their future actions. In 2002, the NIC was undergoing some dramatic and fundamental restructuring of its Board of Directors, with an eye on improving its ability to serve its student and alumni members. In need of a leader with a steady hand and an outstanding vision for the future, the NIC turned to Ed Pease who was re-elected President. In the past two years, the NIC has undergone some major changes that better position it to advocate for and enforce higher standards for the men who join its fraternal organizations. As part of that change, Ed Pease has focused the NIC's efforts on asking Congress to help college fraternities provide a better experience for their members. Ed's focus has been on issues such as freedom of association, membership standards, infrastructure improvements, tax law, leadership development, and scholastic excellence. He has helped restart the Congressional Fraternal Caucus, an organization I am proud to chair, along with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Through Ed Pease's efforts and outreach to his former colleagues, the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act has been introduced and sponsored by 65 members of the House and 15 members of the Senate. Last September, this House included the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act as part of the Charitable Giving Act of 2003 that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. If that bill becomes law, it will allow all student associations on college campuses to use a private market approach to upgrade and replace their facilities in the future, thus making it possible for these student groups to continue to thrive for decades to come. These initiatives are so typical of Ed and his accomplishments in the public arena over the past 30 years: He creates lasting legacies that leave institutions better than he found them. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with you some representative remarks from Ed's peers in the fraternity world, for they show how deeply he is respected for his work on behalf of college students everywhere. Ray Orians is the Executive Vice President of the Pi Kappa [[Page E563]] Alpha Fraternity, of which Ed Pease and I are members. Ray Orians says ``Ed Pease personifies leadership with integrity. Ed's favorite role in the fraternal world, despite his many achievements, was that of chapter advisor, for it was in that position where he could be a respected and influential teacher who is constantly rewarded by his students' accolades and responses well into life.'' Jon Williamson is the Executive Vice President of the North American Interfraternity Council and has worked closely with Ed Pease for several years. He describes Ed Pease as a dignified, articulate consensus builder who ``sees his goal as a servant leader with the ultimate goal the greater good of the college student and he envisions the college fraternity as the vehicle to accomplish that.'' Mr. Speaker, at the end of April, Mr. Jim Estes of Kappa Alpha Order will be sworn in as the new National President of the North American Interfraternity Conference. I welcome Mr. Estes and look forward to the opportunity to work with him to improve the fraternal experience for today's college students. But as I welcome Mr. Estes to his new position of responsibility, I ask this chamber to join me in recognizing our friend and former colleague Ed Pease for his outstanding decades of service to the college fraternity world. I know he will continue to be an active and visible part of the fraternity movement in the future, but now is the moment to thank Ed Pease for his dedication, his vision and his selflessness in leading the fraternal community to better days. ____________________