[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 12, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN HONOR OF WILLIAM I. ``IRVIN'' WARREN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 12, 2004

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of 
North Carolina's leading citizens, Mr. William I. ``Irvin'' Warren of 
the Harnett County community of Dunn.
  Tomorrow evening, I will have the honor of presenting to Irvin the 
Distinguished Service Award from the Occoneecheee Council of the Boy 
Scouts of America. The award is to be presented in recognition of his 
``Exemplary Public Service and Lifelong Fidelity to the Scouting Creed 
of Service to the Community.'' As a longtime leader of the Occoneechee 
Council, I can think of no individual more deserving of this award.
  William I. Warren was born on June 2, 1942 in Sampson County, North 
Carolina, and like me, worked on his family tobacco farm growing up. He 
graduated from the Sampson County public schools and East Carolina 
University where he earned his bachelor's degree in education in 1964. 
He went on to get his master's degree at North Carolina State 
University, in my Congressional District, where he taught for 6 years.
  In 1975, Mr. Warren took his life savings of $14,000 and founded 
Warren Oil Company, Inc., where he sold motor oils packaged in his 
name. Mr. Warren is now Chief Operating Officer of Warren Oil, having 
led the company for 29 years. The company, which formerly was housed in 
5,000 feet of rental space, now owns and occupies more than one million 
square feet of warehouse space, storing more than fifty million gallons 
of oil. Currently, Warren Oil Company has locations in North Carolina, 
Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas and employs more 
than four hundred and fifty workers. Throughout the course of his 
career, Mr. Warren has increased the size of this local business from a 
small community business to the largest independent oil company in 
North America. Warren Oil Company, Inc. currently owns twenty U.S. 
registered trademarks and exports to more than twenty countries 
worldwide.
  Throughout his successful career in business, William Warren has 
served our community in numerous capacities. He has served on the 
boards of the Betsey Johnson Regional Hospital, Dunn Area Chamber of 
Commerce, Standard Bank & Trust Company, Harnett County Industrial 
Development and the New Century Bank. He has been a member of the 
Masonic Lodge and Shrine Club for more than 30 years and is past 
Chairman of the Board of Directors for Divine Street United Methodist 
Church. As a community activist myself for more than thirty years, I 
know that whenever a good cause needs support, the first thought on 
folks' minds is, ``Call Irv.''
  A proud family man, William I. Warren has two children, Wendy and 
Bill, five grandchildren, Reed, Colby, Jaimmy Warren, Morgan Spell and 
Benjamin Spell. The Warren Oil Company is truly a family business. 
Finally, Mr. Speaker, as the father of an Eagle Scout, it gives me 
great pleasure to present Boy Scouts of America's Distinguished Service 
Award to William I. ``Irvin'' Warren. And on behalf of the Congress of 
the United States and the people of North Carolina, let me offer my 
friend our heartfelt gratitude.

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