[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING MRS. MARIETTA MURRAY URQUHART ON RECEIPT OF THE MOBILE 
  CITY COUNCIL OF BETA SIGMA PI INTERNATIONAL SORORITY'S 2004 ``FIRST 
                        LADY OF THE YEAR'' AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2005

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I 
rise to honor Mrs. Marietta Murray Urquhart on the occasion of her 
being honored by the Mobile City Council of Beta Sigma Pi International 
Sorority with the organization's 2004 ``First Lady of the Year'' Award.
  Beta Sigma Pi International Sorority was founded in 1931 for the 
purpose of providing women with opportunities for community service and 
as an outlet for cultural and social activities. Seven local chapters 
of the organization are currently active in Mobile, and since 1945 one 
woman has been selected each year for the ``First Lady of the Year'' 
Award. This honor is bestowed to an individual based on her 
contributions to the business, cultural, and civic life of the 
community.
  Mrs. Urquhart has been a distinguished and active member of the 
Mobile, Alabama, community for over two decades. In 1982, she and her 
husband, Bill, chose to make Mobile their home upon Bill's completion 
of medical school and his residency. Almost immediately, she took a 
strong role in the life of her city, with special emphasis on issues 
involving children and education.
  Over the next 22 years, she became extremely involved in several 
local organizations. She has served as president of the board of 
directors of Leadership Mobile and as a member of the board of 
Volunteer Mobile. Additionally, she was selected to serve as president 
for the St. Paul's Episcopal Church Women of the Church. Her strong 
interest in the development and growth of the Mobile community also led 
to her service on the board of directors for the Providence Hospital 
Foundation, the Providence Foundation Flower Show, and for the Maritime 
Museum and the Mobile Tricentennial Commission.
  Mrs. Urquhart has also devoted a tremendous amount of time and effort 
to expanding opportunities for children in the Mobile community. She 
has served on the Mobile Advisory Board for the Department of Human 
Resources, and has been actively involved with the Salvation Army. As 
president for the Junior League of Mobile, she was committed to 
establishing wide-ranging community goals for children and worked 
extensively with the Mobile County School System, the United Way, and 
the Greater Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. Finally, she served with 
distinction on the UMS-Wright Preparatory School Board of Trustees and 
was the first woman ever selected to chair that organization.
  Finally, Mrs. Urquhart has served on the boards of the Medical 
Alliance of Mobile County, Mobile 2000, and the Alabama State 
Commission for Volunteer and National Service. Most recently, she was 
nominated to serve as a member of The University of Alabama Board of 
Trustees.
  The nomination submitted by the Medical Society of Mobile County for 
this award included the following passage: ``Our Nominee lives by the 
philosophy: `Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. 
Words speak boldly of intentions. Actions speak louder than words. It 
is making time when there is none. It is coming through time after 
time, year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of, 
the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of 
integrity over skepticism.''' Over the years, I have seen Marietta put 
this philosophy into action time and again and make one significant and 
meaningful contribution after another for her community. Our city and 
our state are richer because of her work, and I am proud and honored to 
call her my friend.
  Mr. Speaker, there are few individuals more dedicated or more 
committed to helping their communities than Marietta Murray Urquhart, 
and I would like to offer my congratulations on both the ``First Lady 
of the Year'' Award and for her many personal and professional 
achievements. I know her husband, Bill, and her many family and friends 
join with me in praising her accomplishments and extending thanks for 
her many efforts on behalf of Mobile and the state of Alabama.

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