[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 53 (Thursday, April 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO REVEREND LACY R. HARWELL SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM DAVIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 2004

  Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Reverend Lacy 
R. Harwell Sr., a man who faithfully dedicated his life to serving his 
family, his congregation, his community and his country.
  The City of St. Petersburg was blessed with Rev. Harwell's talents 
starting in 1969 when he came to serve as senior pastor at Maximo 
Presbyterian Church. For a quarter of a century, Rev. Harwell guided 
his congregation and ministered to the poor and downtrodden.
  Rev. Harwell worked to establish substance abuse programs in the 
community. As a member of the board of Bayfront Medical Center, he 
fought for better health care services for the poor.
  As St. Petersburg struggled with racial conflicts, Rev. Harwell 
worked to unify the community. In the 1970s, after the Pinellas County 
School Board ordered the busing of school children to further integrate 
public schools, Rev. Harwell, who served on the School Board's Bi-
racial Committee, called a special meeting of his congregation to 
encourage parents to support public education and to refrain from 
pulling their students out of the schools.
  Rev. Harwell ministered to his community in countless other ways. He 
was a chaplain and student government adviser at the University of 
Florida, a charter member of the Community Alliance, and he served on 
the boards of trustees for Eckerd College, St. Petersburg Junior 
College and the Presbytery of Southwest Florida. In 1986, the local 
chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews honored Rev. 
Harwell for his ``strong commitment to interfaith service and community 
involvement.''
  Before entering the ministry, Rev. Harwell served his country in the 
U.S. Coast Guard and then as a chaplain in the U.S. Naval Reserve. By 
the time he retired as a Captain in 1986, he had earned the USNR 
American Defense Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and the USCG 
Commendation Medal.
  The citizens of St. Petersburg, as well as Philadelphia, where Rev. 
Harwell had also ministered, were very fortunate to have him as a 
devoted servant. On behalf of our community, I would like to extend my 
deepest sympathies to Rev. Harwell's family.




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