[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 102 (Friday, July 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING CHARLOTTE QUANN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 28, 2006

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life 
and community service of Charlotte Marie Peterson Quann, a courageous 
servant of the public good. A protector of battered women and children, 
an advocate for the poor, and a courageous woman in her personal life, 
Charlotte Quann always strove to lift up the disadvantaged and bring 
light to any situation with her great sense of humor. Her life is being 
celebrated following her passing on May 17, 2006.
  Charlotte was born on December 5, 1934, the first of seven children. 
Charlotte grew up in Detroit and attended Detroit public schools, 
graduating from Northwestern High School at the young age of 16. 
Throughout her childhood, Charlotte was extremely precocious and 
motivated; she was active in the Urban League, YMCA speech and debate, 
ran for President of the school, and excelled academically. 
Unsurprisingly, her picture now sits in the Northwestern High School 
hall of fame.
  Beyond her achievements, she also nurtured a sense of civic duty from 
a young age. Influenced by her father, a union organizer, she helped 
unionize Detroit's factory workers while still in high school. Because 
of her intelligence and political activism, she went to Washington and 
served as one of the youngest Congressional pages, working for 
Congressman John Conyers. Shortly thereafter, she attended Wayne State 
University.
  Charlotte's energy and ambition continued, and she achieved great 
personal success. Charlotte became the first African American to work 
for Capital Airlines, which later became United Airlines, rising 
through the ranks of management. However, she was always cognizant of 
social and racial issues within the company. She became an important 
leader for African-Americans in the organization, serving as Secretary, 
Vice President, and eventually President of the United Airlines Black 
Professional Organization.
  Beyond achieving professional success, she also sought personal 
success, and she worked to balance the different areas of her life. 
During this time, she started her family. After marrying Charles David 
Quann on June 7, 1958, she gave birth to three children, Steven, 
Warren, and Carla. All of her children have grown up to emulate 
Charlotte's compassion, generosity and community-mindedness. I have 
personally known Warren for many years, and have always held him in 
high regard for his constant community advocacy and work for political 
change at the systemic level. He places the same high value on the 
well-being of others and of his community as his mother always did, and 
I am privileged to know and to have worked with someone as special as 
Warren.
  In 1972, Charlotte transferred within United Airlines to San 
Francisco, which ultimately became one of the most important events in 
her life because all of the philanthropic work that she would do in the 
San Francisco Bay Area. Her passions in community service were wide 
ranging, but mostly she focused on underserved children, battered 
women, and impoverished families, and her record of charitable work is 
second to none. She served as the Chair of the Board for the Casa De 
Las Madres emergency residential shelter for battered women and 
children, for the Mary Elizabeth Inn residential shelter for battered 
women, for the Center Point drug treatment programs, and served on the 
board at Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, becoming extremely 
involved there, with a particular focus on Glide's children's programs. 
She also grew involved with the ministry and represented Glide within 
the United Methodist Church and was an active member on the Commission 
on Race and Religion.
  Charlotte was not only cherished by people for her service to the 
community, but also because her bright spirit served to lift up those 
around her. The good humor and optimism that Charlotte radiated could 
make any situation more bearable, and her love and desire to help 
others was cherished by all who knew her.
  A champion of the underserved, a courageous citizen, and a loving 
mother and wife, Charlotte Quann, as her sister said, ``lived well, 
loved much, and laughed often.'' On behalf of California's 9th U.S. 
Congressional District, I am proud to add my voice to the countless 
others who have united in appreciation of this outstanding individual, 
and I salute Charlotte Quann for her invaluable contributions to the 
San Francisco Bay Area, the United States, and to our world.

                          ____________________