[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 131 (Tuesday, September 23, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H8461-H8464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
J.C. LEWIS, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2533) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 10701 Abercorn Street in Savannah, Georgia, as the
``J.C. Lewis, Jr. Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2533
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. J.C. LEWIS, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 10701 Abercorn Street in Savannah,
Georgia, shall be known and designated as the ``J.C. Lewis,
Jr. Post Office Building''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the J.C. Lewis, Jr. Post Office Building.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
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Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).
General Leave
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members have 5 legislative
days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston), the sponsor of
this legislation.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to start out saying that there is
a statement, I cannot quite get it right, but it states to the effect
that men who have monuments built after them to honor them do not need
monuments built after them to honor them because their achievements
speak for themselves. Nothing could be truer for Mr. J.C. Lewis, Jr.
His achievements have touched and reached thousands of lives in
Savannah, Georgia, the State of Georgia, and the United States of
America. He is truly a renaissance man, a modern day Cincinnatus, who
goes and leads his community time and time again in cause after cause
and then returns to his own business life or quietly takes a step
offstage to avoid the applause.
In fact, the bill today, Mr. Speaker, would not be here if the family
had their wish; but I have known the Lewis family for some time, and I
know the sons well enough to speak frankly, and I have told them
despite their opposition because they do not really seek the limelight
under any circumstances, to a person in the family, I said, we need to
do this for your dad. I figured that forgiveness was easier than
permission, and waiting around for the permission of any Lewis to give
them honor will keep one waiting for a long, long time. So we are
moving forward.
When I spoke to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) about this,
whose district contains this post office, he absolutely jumped up and
down about it because the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) knew of
Mr. Lewis long before committing himself to run for the United States
Congress. And so we are proud to offer this legislation as partners. It
basically names this post office after Mr. J.C. Lewis, Jr., not
sufficient enough in terms of an honor to a guy who has done so much
for our community; and yet in another way it is a token, just one way
of saying thanks not just to Mr. Lewis but to his wife, Nancy, and to
the six children, Nan, Curtie, Walter, Wistar, Scott, and Christian. I
hope I named six of them. It is a big family. I know they will kill me
if I left out one of them.
Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. KINGSTON. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for
yielding. I join with the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the
entire Georgia delegation in honoring J.C. Lewis, Jr., by the naming of
the post office on Abercorn Street in the 12th District of Georgia. As
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) pointed out, Mr. Lewis seeks
no recognition. A humble man, a servant of our community for decades,
he was born in Savannah, Georgia; and throughout his life he has served
Savannah and the low country and the rest of our State, his community,
his country, and his God. He went to public schools in Chatham County
and attended and graduated from the University of Georgia with honors.
J.C. Lewis, Jr. is a true Bulldog. He later received the school's
outstanding award as an alum. I am sure that was one of the proudest
moments in his life.
After his university education, he acknowledged his patriotic duty.
He served in the United States Navy. He continued to remain devoted to
the U.S. military in his actions. One of the most significant things
that he has done for our community is serve as chairman of the Mighty
Eighth Air Force Museum. He has also served as president of the
Association of the United States Army and is a member of the Navy
League.
{time} 1615
After his education he returned to his childhood home in Savannah
and, with his wife, Nancy Nelson Lewis, and their children, made it his
home and his dream and his passion. He became the first Republican
Governor in Georgia since reconstruction when he was elected as mayor
of the city of Savannah. He is a successful businessman, serving as
President and CEO of J.C. Lewis Enterprises. He is a devoted family
man, a member and deacon of the First Baptist Church of Savannah.
But I think probably most notably that when most other Americans Mr.
Lewis's age were retiring, he was just getting started. He was
concerned about the rising problem of homelessness in the city of
Savannah. He approached the Board of the Union Mission in 1985, nearly
20 years ago. He then purchased and donated facilities that provide for
the care of both homeless men and women, and shelters are located
there. He also funded a cancer program for the homeless, the J.C. Lewis
Health Center, and he serves continuously as the honorary chairman of
Union Mission's capital campaign as they seek in their mission to end
homelessness in the city of Savannah, Georgia.
Throughout his life, J.C. Lewis has been a physically and personally
devoted individual to helping and serving mankind, and I join the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the rest of the Georgia
delegation in supporting H.R. 2533 as just a very small way that we can
thank Mr. Lewis for his service to Savannah, Georgia and to the 12th
District.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform,
I am pleased to join with my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 2533,
which designates a U.S. postal facility in Savannah, Georgia after J.C.
Lewis, Jr. H.R. 2533 was introduced by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Kingston) on June 19, 2003. Mr. Lewis, the former mayor of Savannah,
Georgia, serves on many charitable and community-oriented boards. A
given and committed man, he financed the building site for the Savannah
Baptist Center, which serves as a recreational and education center in
town. He is best known for his work with Union Mission to end
homelessness in Savannah. He purchased and donated the Union Mission's
main office building and helped to renovate the facility so that needed
and necessary health care services could be provided to those in dire
straits. Mr. Lewis is currently the honorary chair of Union Mission's
capital campaign.
Mr. Speaker, oftentimes individuals are involved and help raise money
and generate money, not always do they give as much of their own money
as Mr. Lewis seemingly does. So, Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) for seeking to honor such an individual,
and I urge swift passage of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania
for yielding me this time. And I also want to thank the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis) for those kind words about a very important local
hero, but I think one who shows what kind of country we have and why
this country is so great.
The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) had enumerated so many of J.C.
Lewis's accomplishments, but I wanted to go over a couple of them, just
maybe from a personal standpoint.
I first got to know the Lewis family through my father-in-law, Archie
Morris, who was a boyhood friend of his. And my mother in-law, Betty
Morris, has been friends with Mrs. Lewis, and the Morris kids and the
Lewis kids were all friends. In fact, I think my first encounter with
one of them was with Wistar Lewis when he was riding a horse down the
street, down Milledge Avenue in Athens, Georgia for one of his Kappa
Alpha fraternity parades and they were going by the Lambda Chi House,
which I was a member of. And I was proud to see that my fraternity
brothers spooked his horse and caused his date to fall off the horse in
hopes
[[Page H8463]]
that she would join us as far better bulldogs than that fraternity.
Wistar never let me forget that, and I was really surprised when I
started dating my wife, Libby, and the Lewis family was known for
having a big Christmas party on Christmas night in Savannah, and they
invited me through the Morrises to come to it, and I thought I do not
know why they would want me to come. They hardly know me. But I
realized I was riding the coattails of my future in-laws. But that is
the kind of people they are. Opening up the doors on Christmas Day for
people to come, strangers and mere acquaintances, to come in and enjoy
their fellowship.
The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) had spoken about Mr. Lewis
being in the Merchant Marines, in the Coast Guard, and the Navy. He
also did not know that from there he went on to have a lot of fun
fishing and had a boat at one point called the NAUTI-NAN, and I think
in time the children sort of took over. Certainly, Scott and Wistar
became the big mariners in the family, but I think all of them enjoyed
it. In fact, I think that webbed-feet tradition continues and his son
Curtie, actually, I was counting his boats this summer, and he has four
of them. I do not know how one would utilize all those, but the Lewises
absolutely loved the waterfront and living in Savannah, Georgia, on the
water.
The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) had pointed out that he has
been active in the First Baptist Church and on the board of deacons and
the trustees. He has also been very active in our Wednesday
Businessmen's Bible study with a Presbyterian minister, Terry Johnson,
who is in charge of it, but Mr. Lewis and son Scott and son Christian
are very active and stalwarts in that Bible study. And what happens
every Wednesday is they try to drill the Gospel message into the thick
skulls of business people such as myself and a lot of our friends. But
to see people like that, each and every Wednesday, devoting time to the
Lord is very instrumental for the rest of us.
The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) talked about when J.C. Lewis
was mayor of Savannah and pointed out that he was the first Republican
mayor of Savannah, a major Georgia city, but one of the things that is
interesting, from that point on, he did somewhat become the godfather
of the Republican Party in Savannah in as much as anybody who ran under
the Republican ticket always went by to see J.C. Lewis. But rather than
assume the role of local political Republican kingmaker, he took a much
broader approach.
Number one, he would not just see aspiring Republican candidates.
Democrats, or Independents, the door was wide open. And he never said
this is the strategy for winning, so that I can grow my kingdom and my
influence and my clout. It was always, What do you stand for, and what
is best for Chatham County, Georgia? What is best for Savannah,
Georgia? How are we going to make this a better community? So whether
one's name is Jack Kingston, Max Burns, Saxby Chambliss, or anybody
else, Sonny Perdue, he always tried to do what was best for the State
or the community or the country and never would call them. Once they
were elected, he would never say, I want you to vote on House bill
whatever. He has never made such a call to me to ask me to vote for
anything. And I can tell the Members how rare that is, and we have 435
Members of Congress who would certainly agree to that.
As a businessman, Mr. Lewis lost his father at a young age, and he
took over an automobile business, which probably the easiest thing
would have been to sell it, but instead he grew it. It became one of
the largest Ford dealerships in coastal Georgia. But, in addition, he
added broadcasting and equipment leasing and real estate and insurance.
For example, they have had a television station, WJCL, which is an
ABC affiliate. They also had WJCL for many years on the radio, which
had some of those great classic tunes that we all enjoyed from the
swing era. It kind of always put a little class and a little taste in
the city of Savannah airwaves.
Charitable donations, an incredible list of them. He gave land to the
YMCA on Habersham Street; for the Agudath Achim Congregation Synagogue;
for Memorial Baptist Church; land for Virginia Heard Public School;
land for the Episcopal Church in Oakdale, Georgia; land and building
for the Skidaway Island Baptist Church; land and building for the
Savannah Baptist Center; and funded the new Cancer Program at the J.C.
Lewis Health Center.
The Gospel tells us that to those whom much has been given, much is
expected. Mr. Lewis has followed that line. He also has been a Free and
Accepted Mason and the past potentate of the Alee Temple Shrine, and
part of the creed of Masons is somewhat to look after each other, and I
have heard many Masons who do not know Mr. Lewis personally say Mr.
Lewis is a Mason who looks after his brother Masons and looks after the
community in general.
A friend of mine, a formal liberal, which I cannot tell if he is
still a liberal anymore or not. He still tells me he is a Democrat, but
Reverend Michael Elliott, whom the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns)
and I deal with on homeless issues, he and I were talking over the
weekend, and I told him what we were doing with this legislation, that
we were sneaking out something on Mr. Lewis and hoped he would forgive
us. He said, he is the guy that I have had the opportunity to have this
homeless shelter built, because of his generosity, because of his
leadership, and the fact he has opened so many doors for me and getting
other businessmen to see them.
When we think about all the down and out people in the world that
have benefitted from the generosity and the leadership of Mr. Lewis,
there again, we do not know who is always benefitting. In the Gospel
there is a part where followers of John the Baptist asked him, Are you
the Messiah? And he says to them, No, I am not the Messiah. I have come
to prepare a place for Him, and I am not even worthy to pick up the
breadcrumbs from his table. That, Mr. Speaker, is so important because
often when we do things for others, we do not know who is going to
benefit, and indeed, when we receive these blessings, we do not know
who caused these blessings to happen. That is the case with Mr. Lewis
on everything that he has done.
Civic responsibilities, and I know this is just voluminous, but I
want to name a few. He has been active on the Board of the Kiwanis
Club; on the Bethesda Home for Boys, on the Board of Directors; the
Georgia Baptist Children's Home; Woodberry Forest School Board of
Trustees; the President of the YMCA; the Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors; the United Community Appeal or United Way; Savannah Country
Day School, Board of Directors; Association of the United States Army,
President, Coastal Empire Chapter; the Elks Club, Lodge 183; American
Legion, Post 184; the Navy League; Salvation Army as an Honorary
Director. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) mentioned the Mighty
Eighth Air Force Museum Foundation; and many more. And I think one of
the more important things, recently, was he was the sponsor of the Isle
of Hope Mudcats baseball team in the U12 League last year and probably
will be doing it again.
His awards, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) had mentioned some
of these: A Brotherhood Award from Agudath Achim Synagogue, the
President's Award from Savannah State College, Outstanding Alumni Award
from the University of Georgia; Union Mission, Golden Heart Award;
Community Service Award from the Georgia Municipal Association;
Department of Army Award for patriotic civilian service while serving
as President of the AUSA, Coastal Empire Chapter; Salvation Army,
``Others'' Award; Savannah Exchange Club, Golden Deeds Award; the
Rotary Club, Paul Harris Fellow, which one of the big motives of the
Rotary Club is service above self, which I think, again, he epitomizes;
the Oglethorpe Leadership Award; a two-time recipient of the Ben
Franklin Quality Dealer Award sponsored by Time Magazine; and also an
inductee in the Savannah Business Hall of Fame. And I want to say this
on behalf of the local Chatham County Republican Party, we name our
annual award in his honor, the J.C. Lewis Award.
Mr. Speaker, it is not often when people like this are born, and with
Mr. Lewis, it is a family unit. If we know
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him, we know his family, and we know they are all in it together. They
have made Savannah and Georgia and the United States of America and the
world a better place to live. So I am very honored to be a cosponsor
with the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) on this piece of
legislation.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this
resolution which honors J.C. Lewis, Jr, a man truly worthy of our
commendation.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Culberson). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2533.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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