[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E232-E233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SAMUEL J. TENENBAUM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2006

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a man who 
has embraced God's admonition to ``do unto others as you would have 
them do unto you'' as his personal motto. Samuel J. Tenenbaum has been 
honored as the United Way of the Midlands' Humanitarian of the Year, 
and I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition.
  Sam and I have been friends longer than I would like to remember. He 
has always been a loyal supporter and constant advisor, whether I seek 
his advice or not. He and his wife Inez are dear friends and true 
kindred spirits. So when the news images of the devastation in New 
Orleans following Hurricane Katrina spurred me to call on Columbia 
Mayor Bob Coble to initiate an effort in South Carolina to welcome 
those displaced by this enormous tragedy, we both immediately asked Sam 
to lead the operation that became known as South Carolina--S.C.--Cares.
  Under Sam's leadership, S.C. Cares became the model for an effective 
response to a natural disaster. He assembled thousands of volunteers, 
every service provider imaginable, and public and private sector 
organizations to be housed at a community center to provide a one-stop-
shop to meet each and every need of our guests from the gulf coast. 
Sam's adherence to the golden rule meant our guests would stay in hotel 
rooms not shelters. He provided them with dignity, sustenance, and many 
times his own personal emotional or financial support. Sam worked 
around the clock, not because he had to, but because he couldn't sleep 
until he knew the needs of all our guests were met. Sam was the heart 
and soul of S.C. Cares, and he embodies the enormity of the compassion 
this community has to offer.
  Although the S.C. Cares center closed its doors nearly 3 months ago, 
Sam is still involved with the gulf coast guests that remain in the 
Midlands. He is also taking the experience of S.C. Cares, and 
transforming it into an ongoing effort to address homelessness in South 
Carolina's capitol city. Sam knows that if our community could show 
such compassion for strangers from the gulf coast, we can extend the 
same graciousness to those who are homeless in our town. He is working 
with Mayor Coble to create an operation similar to the S.C. Cares 
center for Columbia's homeless that would provide social services, 
medical services, counseling, job training, and other programs in a 
one-stop-shop setting. Access to services and the support of a 
community can go a long way to transforming those who have been 
forgotten back into productive citizens. Sam's compassion is as 
limitless as his vision.
  After working 33 years in his family's business, Chatham Steel 
Corporation, Sam retired in 2000 and dedicated himself to his 
community. Currently he serves on 19 boards and commissions, which 
demonstrate the diversity of his passions. His love of his faith 
manifests in his membership of the governing boards of the Columbia 
Jewish Federation and the Anti-Defamation League of B'Nai B'Rith, 
Southeast

[[Page E233]]

Region. His devotion to animals is exemplified in his service as the 
development chair for Pet Project. His dedication to education is clear 
from his membership on the Allen University Presidential Advisory Board 
and Junior Achievement. His commitment to social causes runs the gamut 
from his chairmanship of the Alston Wilkes Foundation and membership on 
Habitat for Humanity's board. And these only touch the surface of his 
many current associations, and the 50 previous boards and commissions 
on which he has served.

  Sam's list of awards is just as impressive. Back in 1978, the 
Columbia Record recognized him as one of 10 for the Future. Obviously 
that prophecy has been fulfilled. He has won numerous awards for his 
contributions to the arts, for his philanthropy, and for his community 
service. Governor Dick Riley bestowed South Carolina's highest honor, 
the Order of the Palmetto, on Sam in 1985. More than two decades later, 
Sam is continuing his life-long dedication to his community and its 
people.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite you and my colleagues to join me in applauding 
Samuel Tenenbaum for his lifetime of service. As my father, a 
fundamentalist minister, once counseled me, ``the world would much 
rather see a sermon than to hear one.'' Sam has been providing a living 
example of the Golden Rule his entire life, and his recognition as the 
Humanitarian of the Year is just another affirmation of his leadership 
and compassion.

                          ____________________