[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 33 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H1162-H1163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              JOHN HENRY WOOTEN, SR. POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 3803) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 3100 Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, 
North Carolina, as the ``John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3803

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. JOHN HENRY WOOTEN, SR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 3100 Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North 
     Carolina, shall be known and designated as the ``John Henry 
     Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to extend and revise their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 
3803, which names a postal facility in Goldsboro, North Carolina, after 
John Henry Wooten, Sr.
  H.R. 3803, which was introduced by Representative G.K. Butterfield of 
North Carolina on October 10, 2007, was reported from the Oversight 
Committee on December 12, 2007, by a voice vote.

                              {time}  1045

  This measure has the support of the entire North Carolina 
congressional delegation. A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, John 
Henry Wooten, Sr. was a graduate of the city's Dillard High School 
where he would later serve as the last principal of the school before 
it closed after integration. Mr. Wooten's postsecondary educational 
pursuits took him to North Carolina A&T State University where he 
earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees.
  Beyond his educational accomplishments, Mr. Wooten also was a World 
War II veteran having served as surgical technician in the Pacific 
theater for the 2nd Infantry, 10th Army Division. A loyal servant to 
his community, Mr. Wooten held seats on the Board of Trustees of North 
Carolina A&T University, Wayne County Board of County Commissioners, 
and on President Lyndon B. Johnson's White House Commission for 
Education.
  Mr. Speaker, for the years in which Mr. Wooten gave unselfishly of 
himself for the betterment of his community and our country, I 
wholeheartedly agree that he is worthy of the admiration and 
recognition of having the postal facility on Cashwell Drive in 
Goldsboro, North Carolina, named in his honor. Therefore, I would urge 
swift passage of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H1163]]

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of this bill designating 
the Cashwell Drive postal facility in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the 
John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building.
  As an educator, public servant, and devoted member of the community, 
Mr. Wooten selflessly dedicated his life to those around him.
  A veteran of World War II, he earned his bachelor's and master's 
degrees from North Carolina A&T State University. Throughout his 
distinguished career as an educator, he served as a science teacher, 
principal, and assistant superintendent. He was also active in his alma 
mater, serving as a trustee and as the national president of the alumni 
association. He was one of two North Carolina educators chosen by 
President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve on the White House Commission for 
Education.
  Beyond his responsibilities as an educator, Mr. Wooten, in 1986, 
became the first African American chairman of the Wayne County Board of 
Commissioners, a position he ultimately held for 12 years.
  His community lost a tremendous citizen when Mr. Wooten passed away 
in January. His dedication to family, church and community will never 
be forgotten. And I urge our colleagues to pass this bill in honor of a 
deserving human being.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 
such time as he may consume to the chief deputy whip and sponsor of 
this legislation, the gentleman from North Carolina, Representative 
G.K. Butterfield.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois, my 
friend, Danny K. Davis, for yielding this time to me and thank him for 
his leadership on this great subcommittee. I also want to thank my 
friend and colleague, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, for her leadership 
and thank her for the kind words that she had to say a few moments ago 
about Mr. John Henry Wooten.
  But Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor this great American, John 
Henry Wooten, Sr. by naming the post office at 3100 Cashwell Drive in 
Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office 
Building. John Wooten was a dedicated civic leader. He was a county 
commissioner in the County of Wayne. It is a fitting tribute to name 
this post office in his honor.
  John Henry Wooten, Sr. was born and reared in Goldsboro, North 
Carolina, many years ago. The place that he saw grow from a small 
farming town to a small city. Mr. Wooten attended Goldsboro public 
schools, a school system to which he later dedicated his professional 
life. He received both his bachelor's of science and master's degrees 
from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, and he was a 
doctoral candidate at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
  John Henry Wooten, Sr. served the Goldsboro city school system as a 
science teacher and as a principal at historic Dillard High School. He 
was a supervisor of instruction and later an assistant superintendent 
for the entire school system. As a result of his leadership, the lives 
of countless students were positively impacted. His accomplished career 
in education also included teaching at Wayne County Community College. 
During his entire career as an educator, Mr. Wooten was selected by 
President Lyndon Baines Johnson to serve on the White House Commission 
for Education.
  John Henry Wooten served on the Wayne County Board of County 
Commissioners for 12 years. First elected in 1986, he became the 
commission's first African American chairman. While serving as 
commissioner, Mr. Wooten was instrumental in helping Wayne County 
become the great city that it is today.
  A lifelong member the First African Missionary Baptist Church in 
Goldsboro, where incidentally my grandfather was pastor some 90 years 
ago, he served as chairman of the deacon board, vice chairman of the 
finance committee, and was also a weekly Sunday school teacher. 
Additionally, Mr. Wooten served on the board of trustees for North 
Carolina A&T State University where he served as its secretary and 
later as vice chairman. He was also president of the university's vast 
alumni association.
  Mr. Wooten was married to Ernestine Whitted who, herself, was the 
product of a substantial Wayne County family. The Wootens were married 
many years ago in 1946 and were together for more than 60 years. 
Together, Mr. Speaker, they raised two children, John Henry, Jr. and 
Pamela. Mr. And Mrs. Wooten have one granddaughter, Nancy Wooten Coor, 
and two great granddaughters, Alysse and Abrianne. Sadly, Mr. Wooten 
passed away in January of 2007 after giving his life to his community.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues in the North 
Carolina delegation, including Ms. Foxx, who is managing the time for 
the minority, for their full and unanimous bipartisan support of this 
legislation. John Henry Wooten, Sr. was a great man. He was my friend. 
He was a civic leader. This tribute is long overdue.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on H.R. 3803.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I also urge our colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers. I 
would urge passage of this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3803.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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