[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO REVEREND DR. WILLIAM P. DIGGS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Reverend Dr. 
William P. Diggs on the occasion of his 40th Anniversary as Pastor of 
Trinity Baptist Church in Florence, South Carolina. The celebrations 
will take place on October 26 and 27, 2002.
  Rev. Diggs was born in Columbia, SC and raised in Rock Hill, SC. He 
earned a B.A. degree from Morehouse College, a M.A. in Sociology from 
Atlanta University, a Master of Divinity from Colgate-Rochester 
Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological 
Seminary. He is married to the former Clotilda Daniels, and they are 
the parents of two adult children, Mary Lynne and William, Jr. They 
have one grandson, William, III.
  Rev. Diggs has accomplished much as a leader in the Florence 
community. He is a Life Member of the NAACP and was the first organizer 
of and solicitor for the Pee Dee Area United Negro College Fund. He 
organized a federally operated credit union, which continues to operate 
today with assets of over one million dollars.
  As pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, Rev. Diggs led the development 
of a preschool institution that is licensed by the state of South 
Carolina, administers a church sponsored after school tutoring program 
which could accommodate up to forty-five students, and led Trinity from 
an annual budget of twenty thousand dollars in 1962 to its current 
over-all annual budget of one-half million dollars. Over thirty 
thousand dollars of Trinity's annual budget is designated for 
education.
  Mr. Speaker, it is rare to find people who so unselfishly dedicate 
their time and energy to improving their community, as does Reverend 
William P. Diggs, and I ask you and my colleagues to join me in paying 
tribute to this outstanding leader, role model, and devoted Christian.

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