[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 93 (Friday, June 27, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO SUSAN E. GRAHAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARTIN FROST

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 26, 1997

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary woman who, over a span of almost three decades, has 
touched the lives and helped to shape the futures of untold thousands 
of Texas children. As such, she is representative of a group of largely 
unsung heroes and heroines, our public school teachers.
  Susan E. Graham, of Roquemore Elementary School in Arlington, TX, 
will retire next month after devoting 28 years of her life to the 
education of elementary school children. Early in her career she taught 
various grade levels at several different schools in Texas. Her last 
eighteen years, however, have been at Roquemore Elementary School, and 
the last ten of those years were spent teaching and nurturing a lot of 
very lucky first graders. She was named Teacher of the Year at 
Roquemore for the 1992-93 school year, and was nominated for the AWARE 
Foundation Award in 1995.
  I've had the personal privilege of visiting Susan's class and 
witnessing the fruits of her labor in the bright, shining, energetic 
faces of her children; I have no doubt that the foundation which she 
gives those children puts them on very solid footing for all future 
educational endeavors.
  For the last 6 or so years, Susan has had the full-time volunteer 
assistance of her husband, Jay Graham, and her students have been 
doubly enriched by the dedication of this remarkable couple.
  In a few weeks Susan will officially retire. However, it comes as no 
surprise that she, and Jay, plan to continue doing volunteer work at 
Roquemore, especially with their HOSTS, mentoring, program. On July 3d 
it will be my pleasure to visit Susan's class for the last time and 
talk with her students about our U.S. flag and the meaning of 
Independence Day. And, I will extend to Susan and Jay my personal 
gratitude and best wishes for their well-deserved retirement.

                          ____________________