Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Martin Rubin. Mr. Rubin will be greatly missed. The transportation engineering world lost a legend whose influence in the development of the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit, BART, systems, among other critical transportation projects, continues to facilitate the commutes of residents in some of our nations most expansive metropolitan areas.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Martin Rubin entered into the United States Army following his graduation from City College of New York. In 1956, he joined Parsons Brinckerhoff, a 120-year-old international engineering firm based in New York City. After moving to Southern California in 1981, he worked indefatigably to expand the prestigious representation of Parsons Brinckerhoff to the western United States, and simultaneously managed a wide array of transportation projects.
Mr. Rubin's undeniably selfless dedication earned him the honor of being in charge of the Western region of Parsons Brinckerhoff in the 1980s, followed in 1990 by his selection as the president and chief operating officer of the firm's United States infrastructure arm. Always dedicated to service, he relinquished those titles to assume his duties in the development of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system where he oversaw the engineering and construction for the Blue Line, Green Line, and Red Line, as well as overseeing preliminary efforts on the Pasadena to Los Angeles Gold Line. He was subsequently honored by being named the chairman of Parsons Brinckerhoff in 1994, an honor that he held until 1997. His retirement in 2004 was a fitting end to his 48 years of distinguished service to his firm, and to the citizens of California.
I ask all Members of the House of Representatives to pause to honor a great man, Martin Rubin, who touched so many people through his deeds in life. He will be missed not only by his surviving wife and his four children, but also by all of those who have benefited from the works to which he dedicated his life.