[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 144 (Wednesday, September 26, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1981]]


                        IN MEMORIAL OF ED SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 26, 2007

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Ed 
Smith of Raleigh, North Carolina, who passed away on Sunday, September 
19, 2007. In his passing I lost a good friend, and North Carolina lost 
one of its most outstanding citizens and a man who was instrumental in 
his community, county, and State.
  One of the area's most beloved men, my friend Ed, passed away 
peacefully with his family by his side following a brief bout with 
pneumonia. He was only 56. Ed was a happy political warrior who enjoyed 
being in the middle of the political arena, from voter registration to 
fighting for the rights of the disabled. At the age of 5, Ed contracted 
polio which left him confined to a wheelchair, but Ed didn't let his 
disability slow him down in life. He was among the first severely 
disabled students to get a driver's license using hand controls. He was 
one of the first disabled students to attend Ligon High School. Ed also 
graduated from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, NC. As a 
young child Ed learned about politics from his mother, the late Judy 
Hubbard, a seamstress, who won awards for registering voters. As a 
teenager Ed helped elect Clarence Lightner in 1967 who became Raleigh's 
first black mayor.
  Throughout the years, it is estimated that Ed worked on over 65 
campaigns and political committees. The politicians Ed help put into 
office include Vernon Malone, Abe Jones, Bob Hensley, Dan Blue, Henry 
Frye, Reps. Brad Miller, David Price, and G.K. Butterfield, and he also 
worked on my campaign. The name Ed Smith went beyond the State of North 
Carolina. President Bill Clinton appointed him to the Home Loan Bank of 
Atlanta. He was a State co-chairman for the Gore-Lieberman campaign. 
During the 1992 and 1996 Democratic conventions, Ed was the State 
delegation whip for the Clinton-Gore campaign, making sure the Tar 
Heels were working hand-in-glove with the national campaign. Ed is 
survived by his lovely wife Debra Smith.
  Madam Speaker, Ed saw politics as an extension of his activism on 
behalf of civil rights for African Americans and the handicapped. He 
was a respected and a successful dedicated public servant, and a great 
North Carolinian. It is fitting that we honor him and his family today.

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