Mr. Speaker: I rise today to honor the life of an extraordinary leader of the Tampa Bay community, John Germany. His remarkable career in public service and his many contributions to our community are worthy of recognition by all.

John Germany was born in 1923 in Plant City, Florida. As a young man, John Germany served his country in the U.S. Army as a tank commander during World War II. During the war, he led his platoon to the gates of the Ebensee concentration camp in Austria and helped liberate the camp.  After the war, he graduated from Harvard Law School and returned to Florida to begin practicing law.

John Germany served as the Chief Legal Advisor for Legislative Affairs to Florida Governor LeRoy Collins. During his tenure, he was an early and important supporter of establishing the University of South Florida and would later go on to serve as the Board of Trustees President. John Germany’s critical role in founding the University of South Florida earned him the University Medallion for Community Service in 1966 and the President’s Fellow Medallion in 2012. Today, the University of South Florida is an economic engine in our community and top research institution in the nation.

Not only has John Germany impacted the Tampa Bay community with this dedication to the law, he has also strengthened our community through his support of local organizations and his dedication to educating youth. In 1961, he was elected President of the Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County. As President of the organization, he spearheaded efforts to fund and build a library in downtown Tampa which opened in 1966. In recognition of his role in founding the library, in 1999 it was named “The John F. Germany Library.” His excellence in his legal work and commitment to community service earned him the 2006 Outstanding Lawyer Award by the Hillsborough County Bar Association, an award given to those who excel in the areas of law and community service. Even after learning of his cancer, John Germany donated $100,000 to the library system that will continue to fund the John Germany Youth Reading Initiative into the future.

John Germany will be forever remembered as a leader in the Tampa Bay community who was passionate about the law and the advancing youth education. Born into the Greatest Generation and a leader in shaping our great City of Tampa, he was a true pillar in our community. On August 26^th, 2015, he passed away at the age of 94. Mr. Speaker, I join the Tampa Bay community in honoring John Germany for his lifelong service to the State of Florida.