[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1652]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CELEBRATING THE WORK OF MADAM ANNIE B. DANIELS

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 2008

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
life and work of a treasured citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 
Madam Annie B. Daniels. The year 2008 marks the 50th year Madam Daniels 
has operated her business on Chestnut Avenue in Newport News. In 
recognition of both this anniversary and her many civic 
accomplishments, I would like to say a few words about this remarkable 
woman.
  Annie B. Daniels was born in Grove Hill, Alabama. At an early age, 
Madam Daniels had the desire to become a hairdresser, having been 
inspired by her great aunt Lady Bell Pugh, a local hairdresser. Madam 
Daniels began her formal beautician training at the Barnett Institute 
in Grove Hill and continued at the Freeman Beauty School of Savannah, 
Georgia. She moved to Newport News, Virginia, and enrolled in the 
Spratley Beauty College. Upon graduation, she worked in privately owned 
salons until she opened her singularly owned and operated beauty parlor 
on 1309 30th Street in 1948.
  Although the ability to operate her own salon was empowering, Madam 
Daniels was unsatisfied with her first business and in 1958 she 
established the Madam Daniels' Salon at 2901 Chestnut Avenue. A year 
later she added an educational component to the salon and the Madam 
Daniels' School of Beauty Culture was born. Starting with just four 
students and a basic course of study, the school has grown tremendously 
in both enrollment and curriculum. Madam Daniels' School of Beauty 
Culture is a fixture of the southeastern Newport News community, and 
its graduates have gone on to make their mark in the beauty industry 
around the world.
  Hand in hand with her entrepreneurial work, Madam Daniels has been an 
important advocate for civil rights and social justice in Virginia. She 
was active in the Civil Rights Movement in Virginia, becoming the first 
fully paid female life member of the Newport News branch of the NAACP. 
For over a decade she chaired the local life membership committee, and 
through her efforts to increase life memberships, the branch was 
nationally recognized.
  Madam Daniels's civic engagement has been recognized by the City of 
Newport News, the NAACP, Hampton University, the Urban League of 
Hampton Roads, the Peninsula Chapter of 100 Black Men of America, and 
the Virginia General Assembly. Her advice and counsel are actively 
sought by local mayors, city council members, and state and national 
representatives, including myself. I congratulate Madam Daniels on her 
50 years as a successful entrepreneur and for her 50 years of 
commitment and service to her community, state, and country.

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