[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 69 (Thursday, May 13, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H3149-H3150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JADONAL FORD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, a few days ago the gentlewoman 
from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) and I participated in a discussion relative to 
fraternity and sorority hazing and their overall value to society, 
especially in the African community. I think we both agreed that 
physical violence, mental abuse and degradation have no place in a 
civilized world and certainly should not be used as part of an intake 
process for new members of any organization or group.
  However, in my estimate, fraternities and sororities continue to play 
valuable roles and have contributed greatly to improving the quality of 
life for African Americans in particular and for society as a whole.
  In my own fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, I think of the contributions 
of individuals like Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, Dr. John Hope Franklin, Dr. 
Carter G. Woodson, Dr. Charles Wesley, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 
Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes and countless others whose 
contributions are legendary.
  I also think of the contributions of brothers that we seldom hear of, 
like a member of my local chapter, Mu Mu Lambda, brother Jadonal E. 
Ford, who recently passed away. Jadonal E. Ford, or Jay as we called 
him, was born in Lakeview, South Carolina, in 1935. He graduated from 
Columbus High School in Lakeview in 1952, earned a Bachelors degree 
from Virginia State University in 1956, served in the United States 
Army until 1959 and received his Master's degree in social work at 
Boston University in 1961.
  Mr. Ford began his professional career as a psychiatric social worker 
at Cleveland State Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, prior to moving to 
Chicago in 1963 to become program administrator at the Chicago Youth 
Centers. From 1963 until 1971, he served as program director at United 
Cerebral Palsy in greater Chicago and from 1971 until 1973 as 
administrator at comprehensive care centers in Chicago.
  In 1973, Jay Ford began work at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese 
of Chicago and remained there until his death. He began in the Foster 
Care Department and by 1993 was appointed Senior Associate Division 
Manager for Nonresidential Services for children and youth.
  Jay Ford was an outstanding professional in his chosen field of work, 
but it was in his volunteer activities, especially through the Mu Mu 
Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, that he truly excelled. 
He was instrumental in designing, orchestrating and implementing 
several programs for African American youth, especially males, on the 
local, State and national levels.
  Warren G. Smith, a fraternity brother and friend of Jay's, made this 
observation. Jay was a take-charge, get-the-job-done, very responsive 
fraternity brother. He made things happen and created an environment 
where everyone could succeed. He mentored hundreds of fraternity 
brothers and high school students. He was indeed a role model and 
someone everyone wanted to emulate.
  For 10 years, Warren continued, Jay chaired the Beautillion, a 
scholarship fund-raiser for high school students who are college bound. 
Each year, this event has raised approximately $150,000 and presented 
to society 20 young men ready for college as well as presenting 
scholarships to these students and others.
  Jay was a member of Catholic Charities USA, the National Association 
of Social Workers, the National Association of Black Social Workers, 
the National Black Child Development Institute, the Academy of 
Certified Social Workers, the Childcare Association of Illinois and the 
Catholic Conference of Illinois.

                              {time}  1545

  He was a co-founder, charter member, and former president of Virginia 
State University's Chicago Area Alumni Organization.
  Other organizations include the Henry Booth House Board of Directors, 
the Black Infant Task Force, the Chicago Urban League, the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, State of Illinois 
Foster Care, the Adoption Task Force, the Adoption Advisory Council, 
the Child Care Association, the African American Round Table, the 
Association of Directors, the Minority Recruitment Committee, and the 
Dean's Search Committee, both at Loyola School of Social Work.
  Mr. Ford was a member of the Congregational Church of Park Manor, and 
served as chairman of its Board of

[[Page H3150]]

World Missions. He was Mu Mu Lambda's Man of the Year several times, 
Illinois State Alumni Brother of the Year, Midwest Region Brother of 
the Year, and as Kenneth Watkins, president of Mu Mu Lambda, said, 
``Jay Ford truly understood the Alpha motto: First of all; Servants of 
all; We shall transcend all.''
  There was relevance in Jay Ford and there is still relevance in 
fraternities and sororities.

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