[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 27 (Friday, March 11, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1520
 
                     TRIBUTE TO JOHN BRADY COLEMAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Johnson of South Dakota). Under the 
Speaker's announced policy of February 11, 1994, the gentleman from 
Texas [Mr. Washington] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WASHINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I join my distinguished colleague from 
Texas in noting and pointing out the fact that Texas lost a very 
distinguished person in the death of John Brady Coleman.
  He was a wonderful man. He was the kind of person who held out his 
hand to all people. He was the kind of person who was a civic and 
community leader, and he devoted his life not only to the practice of 
medicine but he devoted his life to the education of young people.
  I truly believe that education is one of the most important things 
that we can do for our society and that we can do for our people. It 
should be noted that truancy and the lack of an education leads to more 
problems in our society.
  Crime and all of the incidents and the flowing results from crime are 
largely caused, I think, from the lack of an educational system that 
delivers for our people. It should be noted that truancy is the largest 
single predictor of criminal behavior.
  It should be noted that Dr. Coleman was aware of that fact, and in 
addition to being on the boards of regents of Texas A&M University 
system, and Texas Southern University and Houston-Tillotson University 
in Austin, TX, at different times, he was also the leading, driving 
force for the United Negro College Fund in Texas. He took the UNC up 
from the dark ages where they went from hand to hand and from house to 
house raising small amounts of money to a telethon that raised annually 
more than $1 million that helped young people that go to 41 member 
schools that are located throughout this Nation and predominantly in 
the Southern part of this Nation.
  John Brady Coleman was a wonderful man. He had a wonderful wife, 
Gloria Coleman, and they had three wonderful children, John B. Coleman, 
Jr., Kathleen Coleman, and Garnet Coleman, each of whom in their own 
right are making positive contributions to the Houston community. I 
dare say that they will be for many years.
  When I attended Dr. Coleman's wake, it was held at one of the largest 
churches in Houston. Yet it was overflowing to capacity, which meant 
that people were listening outside in the cold on the loudspeaker to 
hear the many wonderful things that were being said in praise of Dr. 
Coleman and his life.
  He lived a full life, 64 years of helping, touching many, many 
people, from promoting small groups, fledgling entertainment groups 
that were trying to get started in the music business, through a series 
of clubs and promotions that he had, to touching young people, to 
helping people get started with business.
  He was not afraid to loan his money to people who could not get a 
loan at a bank. He touched the lives of many, many people, many of whom 
even his family will never know for sure, because Dr. Coleman was the 
kind of giant and the kind of man who never forgot from whence he came.
  We will miss him, we will miss his legacy, and we will miss his life.
  I think it is appropriate to pause at this time in the House of 
Representatives of the United States to pay diligence, homage, and 
honor to John B. Coleman for the life that he lived, a life well spent.

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