CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF ARTHUR KOVEN

On 2026-08-20, Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF ARTHUR KOVEN" in the House.

CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF ARTHUR KOVEN

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 134 (Thursday, August 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 134 (Thursday, August 20, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E800-E801] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF ARTHUR KOVEN ______ HON. RITCHIE TORRES of new york in the house of representatives Thursday, August 20, 2026 Mr. TORRES of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an extraordinary constituent of New York's 15th Congressional District, Arthur Koven, as he celebrated his 100th birthday on August 18, 2026. Born in Washington Heights in 1926, Arthur is the son of Joseph and Lillian Koven, hard-working immigrants from Lithuania. When Arthur was four years old, his family moved to Morris Avenue in the Bronx, where he grew up playing stickball and stoopball with neighborhood friends, and has lived in the borough since. A gifted student, Arthur skipped two grade levels and graduated high school at just sixteen from D.W. Clinton High School, before going on to City College and NYU Graduate School. At eighteen years old, Arthur answered the call to serve his country, enlisting in the United States Army in 1944 during the height of World War II. He was stationed in the Philippines and South Korea, where he served with distinction as a corporal in a tank unit, and he continued his service in the infantry until 1946. Like so many young men of his generation, Arthur left behind the comforts of home and the promise of his young adulthood to defend the freedoms we hold dear, and his willingness to serve stands as a lasting testament to the character, sacrifice, and unwavering patriotism of the Greatest Generation. We owe him, and all who served alongside him, a debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid. In 1959, Arthur married his beloved wife, Joyce, and together they shared sixty-two wonderful years of marriage until her passing in 2021. They raised two children, Jill and Barry, and welcomed four grandchildren into their family, all of whom remain devotedly involved in his life today. After a career at an import/export company, Arthur retired in his early seventies and became an active and beloved member of the Riverdale Y New Beginnings Senior Center, where he has built lasting friendships, become known for his karaoke talent, and is fondly recognized for his height, his easygoing charm, and his enthusiasm for a good conversation about politics over lunch. As Arthur reaches one hundred years, we celebrate a century defined by service, family, [[Page E801]] and love. On behalf of New York's 15th Congressional District, I extend my warmest congratulations to Arthur Koven on his 100th birthday, and I offer my deepest gratitude, and that of a grateful Nation, for his service in defense of our country. ____________________