[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 25, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E56-E57]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING DONALD A. SPENCER, SR. AS A GREAT LIVING CINCINNATIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 25, 2005

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Donald A. Spencer, 
Sr., an educator, real estate broker, community activist, musician and 
composer, who will be formally honored as a Great Living Cincinnatian 
on February 24, 2005 by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. 
Recipients of this prestigious annual award are chosen on the basis of 
professional achievement; leadership; vision; and community service. 
Past honorees have included Neil Armstrong; Dr. Albert Sabin and 
Charles Scripps--and Mr. Spencer's energetic wife of 64 years, Marian, 
a former vice mayor of Cincinnati and longtime community activist. In 
fact, Mr. Spencer is the first recipient of the award to be married to 
a Great Living Cincinnatian.
  Born in Cincinnati, Mr. Spencer graduated from Walnut Hills High 
School and earned

[[Page E57]]

bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Cincinnati 
before embarking upon an eighteen year teaching career at Douglas 
Elementary and Stowe and Bloom Junior High Schools.
  He enjoyed teaching, but became interested in selling real estate in 
1944 after he and Marian purchased their first home. He opened a real 
estate office while he continued teaching for six years. Eventually, 
Donald A. Spencer and Associates grew to 23 employees in two offices, 
and flourished for thirty years. In 1986, Mr. Spencer was the first 
African American member of the Cincinnati Board of Realtors, and served 
on its statewide legislative committee. Later, he was named President 
of the Cincinnati Association of Real Estate Brokers, and was active 
with the National Association of Real Estate Brokers.
  Mr. Spencer has remained active in education. He co-chaired the 
Cincinnati Public Schools' successful 2001 school levy campaign, and in 
2003, he co-chaired the Cincinnatians Active in the Support of 
Education, which helped pass a $485 million school levy to build 35 new 
schools and renovate the remaining ones.
  A lifetime member of the NAACP, Mr. Spencer has also served on the 
boards of Ohio University; Family Housing Developers; Friends of 
Cincinnati Parks; Walnut Hills High School Foundation; and Ohio Valley 
Goodwill. Among his many awards are the Ohio University Board of 
Trustees' Founders Citation and the Cincinnati Charter Committee's 
Charles P. Taft Civic Gumption Award.
  The Spencers have two sons and two grandsons.
  All of us in Cincinnati congratulate Donald Spencer on being named a 
Great Living Cincinnatian.

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