[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E942-E943]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN MEMORIAL OF STATE SENATOR VERNON MALONE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 2009

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of State 
Senator Vernon Malone, who passed away on Saturday, April 18, 2009. In 
his passing, I lost a friend and North Carolina lost one of its most 
outstanding citizens; a man who was instrumental in his community, 
county, and state.
  A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Senator Malone was known for his 
passionate support for education. After graduating from Shaw 
University, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Malone 
worked for 34 years as a teacher and eventually superintendent at the 
Governor Morehead School for the Blind. As chairman of the Wake County 
school board, he presided over the merger of Raleigh city schools and 
Wake County public schools in 1976. This was a significant achievement 
because it took other school systems in the state years to do the same. 
When others shied away from issues of race and class, Senator Malone 
tackled them head-on.
  After his work with the school board, Vernon served as a Wake County 
Commissioner, and eventually as chairman of the Commission, from 1980 
until his election to the State Senate in 2002. As always, he fought 
fervently for education and for equality. He also found time to serve 
his community in his spare time, serving as vice-chair of Shaw 
University's board of

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trustees; as a trustee for North Carolina State University, the North 
Carolina Museum of Art and the Wake Education Partnership; as Chairman 
of the Wake County Coalition for the Homeless; and as a director of 
Capital Bank, a community bank headquartered in Raleigh.
  Most recently, Vernon served in the North Carolina General Assembly 
representing the state's 14th Senate district and was reelected three 
times. In the State Senate, he continued to work on education. He was 
co-chairman of the Senate's Higher Education Committee and 
Appropriations Committee for Higher Education.
  Vernon Malone rose to prominence during a time when prejudice ran 
high. Rather than succumb to intolerance, he was able to rise above it. 
I am glad that he was able to witness the inauguration of President 
Barack Obama earlier this year. It was Vernon and his contemporaries 
who made it possible for our nation to eventually elect an African 
American President.
  Madam Speaker, Senator Vernon Malone had a commitment to excellence 
in everything he did. He was a respected legislator, a dedicated public 
servant, and a great North Carolinian. It is fitting that we honor him 
and his family today.

                          ____________________