[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 11 (Friday, January 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E154-E155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CONGRATULATING MR. CALVIN C. GOODE ON HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 19, 2007

  Mr. PASTOR. Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to proudly bring 
to your attention the 80th birthday of a fellow Arizonan who is one of 
the most respected leaders in my home State and city--Mr. Calvin C. 
Goode. Calvin Goode is celebrating his 80th birthday this month and, 
therefore, it is the perfect time to pay tribute to this well-revered 
public servant who is best known for dedicating 22 years of his life as 
a Phoenix City Councilman. He has been equally dedicated to the 
promotion of education and the advancement of civil rights and 
continues to stand up to injustice, even in his retirement.
  Goode's family came to Arizona to work in the agricultural fields 
when he was an infant,

[[Page E155]]

and he remembers picking cotton as a boy. Calvin graduated from eighth 
grade in Gila Bend and then moved to Prescott to attend high school. 
When he was a junior, he was diagnosed with a heart condition and was 
expected to live only a year. He moved to Phoenix for his health, where 
he enrolled in Carver High School, the only high school in Arizona 
built exclusively for African American students. Upon graduating from 
Carver High in 1945, he attended Phoenix College for two years, and 
went on to Arizona State University where he earned a business degree 
in 1949. He later earned a Master's degree in education at ASU.
  Goode recalls his earlier years as a time when African Americans were 
not allowed to eat in many restaurants, housing was restricted to 
certain areas, and jobs were limited. Under these conditions, Goode 
returned to Carver High as the school accountant. When Phoenix schools 
were integrated in 1954, Carver High was closed, but Goode continued 
working in the Phoenix Union High School District for a total of 30 
years. During those years, he also ran a tax accounting business--
Calvin Goode and Associates--which began with people coming to his home 
and receiving help over the kitchen table. He kept prices low to help 
those who needed it.
  In 1960, Calvin married Georgie, a school teacher. Together they 
raised three sons, Vernon, Jerald and Randolph--a family which has now 
grown to include six grandchildren. During these years, he served on 
the local school board and chaired the Phoenix LEAP Commission to 
improve education and job training opportunities. In 1971, Goode was 
persuaded to run for a seat on the Phoenix City Council. With strong 
community support, the soft-spoken Goode was elected and came to serve 
a total of 11 terms--a record 22 years. As a councilman, Goode became 
the ``Conscience of the Council,'' using his voice to raise questions 
and push for support to neglected parts of the community. In honor of 
those efforts, the Phoenix Municipal Building bears his name.

  Although retired, Goode continues to serve his community. He is 
president of the Phoenix Elementary School Board and worked on the 
transition committee for Governor Janet Napolitano. He is active with 
his local neighborhood improvement association and the Booker T. 
Washington Child Development Center. Goode is also helping bring back 
his high school alma mater as the George Washington Carver Museum and 
Cultural Center, which will showcase the achievements of African 
Americans in Phoenix and Arizona.
  These represent only a handful of the achievements that have earned 
him the Phoenix Urban League's Most Distinguished Citizen Award and the 
Black Heritage Celebration Griot Award, which is given to people who 
perpetuate the African storytelling tradition. Further recognition has 
resulted in the Calvin C. Goode Lifetime Achievement Award which is 
given annually at the Phoenix Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast to 
recognize individuals who have made Phoenix a better place to live.
  Madam Speaker, there is no doubt Calvin C. Goode is an exemplary 
leader and a profoundly committed individual who is a true role model 
for the Nation. He has effected change that has improved the lives and 
broken down barriers for many Arizonans. Therefore, I am pleased to pay 
tribute to my friend Calvin C. Goode, and I know my colleagues will 
join me in wishing him continued success.

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