[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 33 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO JOHNNIE L. ALBERTSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 28, 2008

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
achievements of Johnnie L. Albertson, a 32-year employee of the Small 
Business Administration who died on December 26, 2007, at the age of 
83. She leaves behind a legacy of leadership, especially in her 
dedication to equal rights and the development of programs to improve 
the success rate of minority- and female-owned small businesses.
  Following a career in business and advertising, Ms. Albertson served 
at the Small Business Administration from 1973 until her retirement in 
2005. She was the first Associate Administrator for the Small Business 
Development Center program and proved instrumental in the success of 
the initiative, which assists more than 600,000 small businesses every 
year. In recognition of her outstanding service, Ms. Albertson was the 
first recipient of the SBA's Lifetime Achievement Awards, and was 
honored with the Silver Medal for Meritorious Service for her work 
developing a national training program for women entrepreneurs.
  Johnnie Albertson broke through gender and class barriers at every 
stage of her life. During World War II, she served in the Women's Air 
Force Service Pilots corps as a pilot and ferried replacement aircraft 
across the Pacific. She later became the first female to sell 
advertising space for three major newspapers: The Washington Post, The 
New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune. At the Small Business 
Administration, she rose to become the first female Senior Executive--
the highest rank possible for a civil servant without a congressional 
appointment.
  Born in North Carolina, Ms. Albertson was self-educated and a 
voracious reader. She overcame many difficulties in her life, including 
the loss of her parents at a young age, to achieve great successes. 
Beloved by all who met her, she is remembered by her friends and family 
for her outrageous and irreverent sense of humor, owl glasses, love of 
jazz music, generosity, and fierce determination.
  It is my honor, as chairwoman of the Small Business Committee, to 
acknowledge Johnnie Albertson's life accomplishments and celebrate her 
contributions to small business, entrepreneurship, and our nation as a 
whole. She was an inspiration to many and a friend to all. Her 
pioneering spirit, courage, and leadership will be missed, but her 
legacy will endure.




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