{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-katko-honors-100th-birthday-adult-literacy-pioneer-ruth-colvin", "REP. KATKO HONORS 100th BIRTHDAY OF ADULT LITERACY PIONEER RUTH COLVIN", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013\u00a0This morning,\u00a0U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24)\u00a0delivered remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the tremendous legacy of Ruth Colvin, a pioneer in the adult literacy movement, who is celebrating her 100th birthday this month.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nVideo of Rep. Katko\u2019s remarks can be found\u00a0here.\u00a0 His remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:\n\u00a0\nMr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tremendous legacy of Ruth Johnson Colvin, a pioneer in the adult literacy movement from my district who is celebrating her 100th\u00a0birthday this month.\n\u00a0\nKnown as the \u201cmother of the adult literacy movement,\u201d Ruth Colvin has had an immeasurable impact on our community and on our nation.\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\nIn the 1960\u2019s, upon discovering that 11,000 people in her hometown of Syracuse, New York could not read, Ruth Colvin launched the Literacy Volunteers of America.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThat organization, now known as ProLiteracy, is still based in Syracuse today.\n\u00a0\nRuth Colvin has dedicated her entire life to teaching, assisting, and empowering adult learners.\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\nShe has taught hundreds of people to read, trained literacy tutors in 26 countries, and developed and published effective programs to teach basic literacy and English as a second language.\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\nBecause of her efforts, hundreds of thousands of adults have learned to read both locally in Central New York and around the globe.\n\u00a0\nOver more than four decades, Ruth Colvin has published nine books, visited or worked in more than 60 countries, and received nine honorary doctorates.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nShe was awarded the President\u2019s Volunteer Action Award from President Ronald Reagan, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush and was inducted into the National Women\u2019s Hall of Fame.\n\u00a0\nRuth Colvin has given so many the gift of literacy.\u00a0 On December 16th\u00a0of this year, she will turn 100 years old.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nPlease join me in honoring her tremendous life\u2019s work and her legacy as we celebrate this milestone occasion.\u00a0 Happy Birthday, Ruth.\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nCongressman John Katko represents the 24th Congressional District, which includes all of Onondaga, Cayuga, and Wayne Counties and a portion of Oswego County.\u00a0 For more information, please visithttps://katko.house.gov\u00a0or\u00a0www.facebook.com/RepJohnKatko.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-katko-honors-100th-birthday-adult-literacy-pioneer-ruth-colvin"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4163919258862734, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}