[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 59 (Monday, May 15, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E725]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR OF LEONARD ``LEFTY'' GORDON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 15, 2000

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay my final respects to one of 
San Francisco's finest leaders, Leonard ``Lefty'' Gordon. Mr. Gordon 
dedicated his life to helping young African-Americans get a better 
chance in life and became a respected community figure in the process. 
A talented athlete with an agile mind, Lefty Gordon could have achieved 
personal fame or amassed great wealth, but he chose instead to live his 
life in service to his community.
  Born in Mississippi, Lefty moved with his family to San Francisco 
when he was three years old. Growing up in the Western Addition 
neighborhood, Lefty excelled at any sport he tried, but he became 
particularly known for running track.
  Upon graduation from high school, however, he decided to pursue his 
education rather than athletics. Mr. Gordon first earned a bachelor's 
degree from San Francisco State University and then earned a Master of 
Sociology degree from the University of California at Berkeley.
  While pursuing his education, Lefty always made time to work with 
young people. Upon his graduation, this part-time work became his 
vocation. As a counselor at the Booker T. Washington Community Center, 
Mr. Gordon dedicated himself to mentoring young African-American men. 
He encouraged them to get an education and tied to provide them with 
opportunities, but, more than anything else, he respected them.
  In 1983, Lefty became the Executive Director of the Ella Hill Hutch 
Community Center. Under his leadership, the Center became a dynamic 
place where students received tutoring, where children and senior 
citizens learned to use computers, where the unemployed received job 
training, and where the neighborhood's young people found guidance and 
caring.
  Lefty was a mentor to the young, but he was also a leader among his 
peers. The Ella Hill Hutch Community Center became a meeting place for 
the city's African-American elected officials and city department 
heads. Working together, these leaders sought to improve the lives of 
their fellow San Francisco residents, and it was Lefty who brought them 
together.
  The unexpected passing of Lefty Gordon leaves a void in the city of 
San Francisco. Lefty was a true friend to his community, and he was 
loved for it. His talents are not easily replaced, and his caring heart 
will never be. We will miss him greatly.
  My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Scarlett, his son, 
Gregory, and all of his family and friends.

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