[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 88 (Wednesday, June 23, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H4882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONGRATULATING DR. MELVIN STEELY ON HIS RETIREMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, tonight I want to acknowledge the 
retirement of Dr. Mel Steely, a history professor and former colleague 
of then Professor Newt Gingrich. Dr. Steely is ending a 40-year career 
as a professor at the State University of West Georgia.
  Born during Roosevelt's America May 9, 1939, Melvin Thomas Steely 
grew up in Cedartown, Georgia. With an interest in history, Dr. Steely 
aspired to teach, attaining both a master's and doctorate degree in 
history from Vanderbilt University. He taught at Lambuth College in 
Jackson, Tennessee before moving to West Georgia College to teach 
Modern European History in 1964.
  Dr. Steely was the kind of a professor who would have no part of 
grade inflation, and a grade of ``A'' in his classroom was well-earned. 
Despite how much he may have cherished the student, there was no fast 
track to success in his courses. Much like life, he believed you have 
to work and learn in order to achieve success.
  Although he was a member of many professional organizations, Dr. 
Steely's contributions as President and lobbyist for the American 
Association of University Professors earned him both the Sumberg and 
the State Akin awards. He has worked in political campaigns for both 
parties. He has served as the faculty adviser to the West Georgia 
College Republicans for 24 years and continues to this day to serve as 
Speaker Newt Gingrich's biographer and curator.
  Along with the many students he influenced over a 40-year teaching 
career, Dr. Steely's most significant accomplishment and legacy will be 
as the director of Georgia's Political Heritage Program. In 1985 he 
started an audio/video collection of famous Georgia political leaders 
in an effort to preserve our State's political heritage. Moderated by 
West Georgia history professors, the collection includes rare 
interviews with former governors, lieutenant governors, United States 
Senators and Members of the United States House of Representatives.
  The political heritage archive also collects the political papers of 
Speaker Newt Gingrich and House interviews with all but two former 
Georgia governors since World War II.
  Other significant individuals featured in this collection include 
Governor Jimmy Carter, Governor Lester Maddox, Governor and current 
United States Senator Zell Miller, United States Senator Herman 
Talmadge and Ambassador Andrew Young.
  Beyond politics and history, Dr. Steely is involved in numerous civic 
organizations, including the Moose and Elks clubs, the Kiwanis Club, 
the Boy Scouts, the Methodist Church and Governor Sonny Perdue's Civil 
War Commission. With his wife, two daughters and five grandchildren, 
Dr. Steely should have no problem keeping busy outside of his continued 
involvement with the West Georgia Political Heritage Program.
  On behalf of the constituents of Georgia's 11th Congressional 
District, I appreciate Dr. Steely's service to our community and his 
help in preserving Georgia's history. I wish him well, and may he find 
many new adventures in his retirement.

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