FORMER PUBLIC PRINTER ROBERT W. HOUK REMEMBERED BY GPO

Robert W. Houk, who served as Public Printer of the United States at the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) from March 1990 to February 1993, died Sunday, December 4, at his home in Shelby, OH. He was 84. Houk served as the Nation’s 22nd Public Printer after being appointed by President George H.W. Bush. During his three years as the head of GPO, Houk issued a strategic plan for the agency that embraced the use of electronic information technologies while improving the provision of conventional printing and distribution services. Houk also testified before Congress in support of early legislation to provide GPO with electronic dissemination authority.

Houk was a native of Michigan and graduate of Michigan State University. He began his career in the printing industry at the Ford Motor Company in 1954, where he helped modernize printed business forms management and procurement. He also cofounded UFORMA, Inc., in 1965 and held executive positions at the company until 1988. Houk served as Chairman of the Board of Printing Industries of America (PIA). He was inducted into the Printing Hall of Fame at Rochester Institute of Technology in 1988. Houk served in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947 and from 1952 to 1954.

“On behalf of the GPO, I extend our sincere condolences to the family of Public Printer Houk,” said Public Printer Bill Boarman. “Public Printer Houk helped guide GPO into the future while ensuring GPO's support for Congress, Federal agencies, and the public we serve."

With 2,200 employees, GPO is the Federal Government's primary resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government in both digital and tangible formats. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies. In addition to publication sales, GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at no charge through GPO’s Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and through partnerships with approximately 1,220 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. For more information, please visit www.gpo.gov. Follow GPO on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/USGPO Twitter http://twitter.com/USGPO and on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/gpoprinter.

Source http://www.groundreport.com/Business/FORMER-PUBLIC-PRINTER-ROBER-W-HOUK-REMEMBERED-BY-G/2942923