[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 85 (Thursday, June 25, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        HONORING GWENDOLYN BYRD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 1998

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, Gwendolyn Byrd is a grand example of someone 
who has achieved success in both the public and private sectors. So it 
is with more than a touch of sorrow that on this occasion we are 
honoring her on her retirement as New Rochelle City Clerk.
  Gwen was born the eldest of four daughters to Marcus and Juanita 
Tarrant. After attending Pace University for two years she went to 
work. And, when her family moved to New Rochelle in 1958, she worked 
for a number of City agencies before becoming the city's first African 
American and woman named a Deputy City Marshal.
  Five years later she opened Byrd's Nest restaurant and also started a 
catering business which serviced a client list that included the 
Cathedral of St. John the Devine and many others. In the 1980s she 
established Hannah's Place at the New Rochelle Marina, serving fresh 
seafood. In 1989 Gwen joined the Cornell University Cooperative 
Extension Service counseling the homeless residents of WestHelp on 
nutrition.
  Gwen has always been an ardent volunteer and organizer. She is a 
founder of the New Rochelle Black Women's Political Caucus and the 
African American Art and Cultural Appreciation Council.
  She was appointed City Clerk in 1992, the first African American and 
woman to be appointed to such a high city post.
  She has given so much for so long I cannot imagine how New Rochelle 
will get along without her. But that cannot stop me from offering her 
the very best for a retirement as rewarding as the rest of her life.

                          ____________________