[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 22, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CPM'S CONGRESSIONAL TRIBUTE TO DR. WILLIAM R. PERRY, JR.

                                 ______


                          HON. CARRIE P. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 22, 1996

  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a distinct honor to 
pay tribute to one of Miami's unsung heroes, Dr. William R. Perry, Jr. 
His retirement from the Dade County public schools on May 30, 1996 will 
certainly leave a great void in our community.
  He truly epitomizes the preeminence of a gentleman, as well as the 
virtues of a scholar. Having attended Coppin State College and Loyola 
College for his undergraduate studies, he obtained his doctorate degree 
from the University of Massachusetts. He served as a classroom teacher 
and later on as administrator with the Baltimore City public schools. 
He was subsequently awarded a Rockefeller Foundation Superintendent 
Fellowship in 1976, one of the Nation's most prestigious honors given 
to postdoctoral scholars.
  Ever since I have known Dr. Bill Perry, he has always been at the 
forefront of ensuring equality of opportunity for everyone in our 
community. At the same time, his forceful advocacy in adhering to the 
tenets of equal treatment under the law not only in the halls of 
academia but in every segment of government agency has become almost 
legendary. In fact, countless others have been touched by his genuine 
commitment, especially toward those who could least fend for 
themselves.
  Dr. Perry is the consummate community activist who abides by the 
dictum that those who have less in life, through no fault of their own, 
should be helped by the Government, regardless of their race, creed, 
gender, or political affiliation. In fact, countless others have been 
touched by his unique sincerity and his unrelenting penchant for 
``stick-to-itiveness'' to any cause he takes up or any crusade he 
embarks on. The numerous accolades with which he has been honored by 
various organizations represents an unequivocal testimony of the utmost 
respect he enjoys from our community.
  Blessed with a down-to-earth common sense, he is also imbued with the 
rare wisdom of recognizing the strengths and limitations of those who 
have been empowered to govern. This unique leadership was tested to the 
hilt when he took over the presidency of the Greater Miami NAACP, after 
his stint with the Miami-Dade Operation PUSH and the George Washington 
Carver YMCA.
  The acumen of his intelligence was felt at a time when Miami needed 
someone to put in perspective the agony of disenfranchised African-
Americans and other minorities yearning to belong. When government and 
community leaders met to douse the still-burning embers of the Miami 
riots in the early 1980's, his was the firm voice of reason, wisely 
articulating his credo that one has got to learn and live with one 
another in the global community, or shamefully reap the grapes of wrath 
from those who have been left out.
  He thoroughly understood the accoutrements of power and leadership, 
and he sagely exercised them alongside the mandate of his conviction 
and the wisdom of his conscience focusing all their elements upon the 
good of the community he learned to love and care for so deeply.
  His undaunted efforts shaped and formed the agenda of community 
organizations, such as the Miami-based Haitian Refugee Center, the 
Women's Welfare Coalition, and the Overtown Advisory Committee, to name 
but a few. His word is his bond to those who have dealt with him--not 
only in his moments of triumphal exuberance in helping our wayward 
youth turn the corners around, but also in his quest to transform Dade 
County into a veritable mosaic of vibrant cultures and diverse peoples 
converging in the great experiment that is America.
  Dr. William R. Perry, Jr. truly exemplified a one-of-a-kind 
leadership whose courageous vision and wisdom appealed to our noblest 
character as a community. He will certainly be missed.

                          ____________________