[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 9, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE MEMORY OF MR. JAMES HERMAN FAULKNER, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 9, 2008

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, Bay Minette and indeed the entire State of 
Alabama recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor him and 
pay tribute to his memory.
  Mr. James H. Faulkner, Sr., known to his many friends simply as Mr. 
Jimmy, was a devoted family man and dedicated community leader 
throughout his life. In a loving tribute, Mobile's Press-Register noted 
that Mr. Jimmy ``left behind a lasting legacy of achievements that 
contributed to the economic, educational, and cultural well-being of 
his community, his county and his state.''
  First and foremost, Mr. Jimmy loved Bay Minette; he loved Alabama; 
and he loved his country. In fact, he was one of the most patriotic men 
I have ever known.
  He answered his Nation's call to service and attained the rank of 
first lieutenant serving as pilot and flight instructor in the U.S. 
Army Air Corps during World War II. When Mr. Jimmy went back to Alabama 
following his military service, he returned to what was already a 
successful career. He was the owner of the Baldwin Times newspaper and 
had served as mayor of his beloved Bay Minette. In fact, when Mr. Jimmy 
was elected mayor in 1941, he was said to be the youngest mayor in 
America.
  Years later, Mr. Jimmy went on to serve Baldwin, Monroe, and Escambia 
Counties by becoming one of Alabama's most respected and influential 
State senators. He also ran twice for Governor of Alabama.
  Mr. Jimmy blazed a trail of success in the world of business, 
spanning 42 years as the owner and publisher of a chain of south 
Alabama newspapers, and he served as president of seven radio stations 
in Alabama and Georgia. However, he was not a person to rest on his 
laurels.
  Mr. Jimmy's entrepreneurial talents gave him the confidence to start 
Loyal American Life Insurance Company of Mobile. During most of the 
past 50 years, he was associated with Volkert & Associates, one of the 
top engineering, architectural, planning, and environmental firms in 
the United States. He served on the boards of two Baldwin County banks 
as well as the board of Alpine Laboratories of Bay Minette.
  Undoubtedly, Mr. Jimmy's legacy will be his lifelong dedication to 
improving education. He served as chairman of the board of directors 
for Alabama Christian College in Montgomery, which was renamed Faulkner 
University in his honor and now has campuses in Huntsville and Mobile. 
He was instrumental in bringing a 2-year college to Baldwin County, 
which became the James H. Faulkner State Community College in Bay 
Minette. During his tenure as a State senator, Mr. Jimmy was credited 
with establishing the teachers' retirement system. He was awarded eight 
honorary doctorate degrees in law and humane letters, and he served on 
several commissions that worked to improve Alabama's secondary 
education system.
  Over his lifetime, Mr. Jimmy received more than 35 awards. He was 
named the North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Person of the Century in 
2000, and in 2003, he was awarded the Alabama Press Association's 
Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1992, the Alabama State Senate and House 
of Representatives passed a resolution commending Mr. Jimmy for his 
outstanding personal achievement.
  Madam Speaker, there has been no other individual more important to 
south Alabama or to the life of his community than James H. Jimmy 
Faulkner, Sr. Mr. Jimmy will be deeply missed by his family--his wife, 
Karlene Faulkner; his sons, James H. Faulkner, Jr., and his wife, 
Beverly Faulkner, and Dr. Henry Wade Faulkner and his wife, Ann 
Blackburn Faulkner; his eight grandchildren, and his 14 great 
grandchildren--as well as the countless friends he leaves behind.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult 
time.

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