[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 153 (Wednesday, November 7, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO MR. EUGENE A.R. MONTGOMERY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 7, 2001

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Eugene 
A.R. Montgomery who was a longtime friend and mentor. Mr. Montgomery 
was a true champion of civil rights, a reputable leader in the business 
and real estate arenas, and an inspiration to all members of his 
community. The Eugene A.R. Montgomery Foundation at South Carolina 
State University carries on the legacy of service that Mr. Montgomery 
began and cultivated throughout his lifetime.
  I commend the Eugene A.R. Montgomery Foundation for helping students 
with dreams of entering the business world turn those dreams into 
reality. Through programs that provide incentives for young African-
Americans pursuing careers in entrepreneurial business--particularly 
the fields of real estate and insurance--the Foundation also encourages 
students to remain sensitive to the civil issues surrounding them. The 
mission of the foundation is one which seeks to foster and encourage 
the success, commitment, and character that Mr. Montgomery exemplified 
with his many accomplishments and achievements.
  As an active participant in the landmark Clarendon County school 
desegregation case, Briggs vs. Elliott--one of the five cases which 
became Brown vs the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, Mr. 
Montgomery demonstrated tremendous courage and determination. He worked 
very closely with Thurgood H. Marshall coordinating many activities of 
the plaintiffs and the NAACP attorneys.
  He served as the First Executive Secretary of the South Carolina 
Branches of the NAACP, Treasurer of the Orangeburg NAACP, and was a 
Life Member of the NAACP. He was a faithful member of Trinity United 
Methodist Church, a partner in the first black-owned real estate and 
insurance company in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and owner of 
Montgomery and Company Insurance Company. He was a Postal Service 
retiree, a Mason, and an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars 
(VFW).
  A former member of the Orangeburg Zoning and Appeals board, the Human 
Rights Council, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts, 
Junior Achievement, and a founder of the National Association for Real 
Estate Brokers, Mr. Montgomery was a member of the Orangeburg Chamber 
of Commerce and the Orangeburg School District Five Foundation 
Committee at the time of his death in 1996.
  Mr. Montgomery was a fine citizen in every respect. His wife Georgia 
continues much of his ideas and ideals today with her own community 
service endeavors and support of the Foundation named in his honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me today in paying 
tribute to Eugene A.R. Montgomery, whose life's visions live on and 
continue to foster and encourage young people through the Eugene A.R. 
Montgomery Foundation. I wish the Foundation good luck and Godspeed in 
carrying out the visions and honoring the legacy of a fine American who 
exemplified the concept of leading by example.

                          ____________________