[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 3, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E103-E104]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING THE HONORABLE OTHA LEE BIGGS ON RECEIPT OF THE DR. R.F. 
                    HENRY OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 2004

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I 
rise to honor the Honorable Otha Lee Biggs, Judge of Probate for Monroe 
County, Alabama, on the occasion of his being honored by the Coosa-
Alabama River Improvement Association. For the past thirty years, he 
has served this organization with a high level of commitment and 
dedication to the success of waterways systems in the State of Alabama, 
traits that also extend to the service he has provided for the families 
which he has been elected to serve and represent.
  Judge Biggs first joined CARIA in 1970, following his first election 
to the position of Judge of Probate and chairman of the Monroe County 
Commission. In the three decades since that time, he has made thirty-
three consecutive annual trips to Washington, D.C., to meet with 
members of Alabama's congressional delegation to advocate for the 
interests of critical river projects and solicit funding for their 
completion. His tireless work on behalf of this organization has 
resulted in his being awarded CARIA's prestigious Dr. R.F. Henry 
Outstanding Service Award.
  His tremendous work ethic and dedication have also been strongly 
evident in his commitment to economic development in his home county. 
Following his election in 1970, Judge Biggs immediately set about 
working to make Monroe County a shining example of growth in South 
Alabama. Through his efforts and work as both an elected official and 
unofficial ambassador for the residents of his area, Judge Biggs and 
the members of the county commission secured commitments from several 
large-scale corporations and businesses to build, relocate, or expand 
already existing facilities in Monroe County. Numbered among these are 
Alabama River Pulp, FDR Plastics, Stayfast, Inc., Vanity Fair 
Intimates, and B&B Cabinet Doors, LLC. As a result of his work and the 
work of everyone involved in the county's economic development program, 
Monroe County at one time led the entire State of Alabama in new job 
creation.
  In addition to Monroe County's economic life, Judge Biggs has also 
been instrumental in helping that area preserve and promote its strong 
literary and historic heritage. As the birthplace and home of such 
internationally known writers as Nelle Harper Lee, Truman Capote, and 
Mark Childress, Monroe County has been firmly established as the 
``Literary Capital of Alabama,'' and Otha Lee Biggs has done tremendous 
work to ensure this reputation extends beyond county and state lines 
and reaches an international audience. In recent years, the number of 
tourists visiting the area has increased exponentially as a result of 
the significant amount of publicity, both nationally and globally, that 
the county has received. Additionally, he was instrumental in the 
creation of annual performances of the stage adaptation of Miss Lee's 
To Kill a Mockingbird, and his work on behalf of the county museum and 
theater troupe has resulted in the production securing permission to 
perform on stage

[[Page E104]]

at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and at festivals in Great 
Britain and Israel.
  Finally, he served for many years on the board of trustees for the 
University of South Alabama and fought tirelessly for the interests of 
the thousands of students, faculty members, and staff who have been 
involved in the life of that institution since its founding in the 
early 1960s.
  Mr. Speaker, during my twenty years of work in the House of 
Representative, both as a staffer and now as the representative for 
Alabama's First Congressional District, I have met few public servants 
as committed and dedicated to the well-being of their community as 
Judge Otha Lee Biggs. With a tenacity and work ethic matched only by 
his kindness and generosity, he truly represents the finest example of 
both a southern gentleman and fine public servant. I have certainly 
learned a great deal from him during our many years of association, and 
have during that time been proud and deeply honored to develop a strong 
friendship with him. Monroe County and, indeed, all of South Alabama 
have benefited greatly from his experience and wisdom, and he has been 
a great friend to many people.
  Along with his many friends and colleagues, not only in the Coosa-
Alabama River Improvement Association but throughout the State of 
Alabama, I wish to extend to Judge Otha Lee Biggs my warmest 
congratulations on the receipt of the Dr. R.F. Henry Outstanding 
Service Award.

                          ____________________