[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 17 (Thursday, February 4, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E154-E155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORY OF MS. PAULA SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 2010

  Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Ms. Paula Smith, a 
trail-blazing business woman and beloved member of the St. Louis 
community, who recently passed, on January 28, 2010, at 76. Ms. Smith 
devoted over 30 years of her life to public service and worked 
tirelessly to better the lives of those around her.
  At the age of 16, Ms. Smith dropped out of high school, but she later 
earned a high school equivalency diploma and then went on to receive a 
degree in economics from Washington University. Ms. Smith's education 
did not end here; she earned a master's in business administration from 
St. Louis University and did graduate work at Harvard. Ms. Smith's 
dedication to her education was a testament

[[Page E155]]

to her entrepreneurial spirit and allowed her to contribute to the St. 
Louis community, as well as to society as a whole.
  Ms. Smith's career in public service began in 1981, when then 
Governor Christopher S. ``Kit'' Bond appointed her director of the 
state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. At that time she 
was the only woman and the only African-American in the Governor's 
cabinet. Throughout her career Ms. Smith broke barriers and defied 
expectations, proving to those around her that she was capable of 
making an impact in the most profound way.
  After serving the Governor for several years Ms. Smith was summoned 
to Washington by President Ronald Reagan to run the Wage and Hour 
Division of the Department of Labor. In 1990 Ms. Smith returned to St. 
Louis and started her own business: she opened a consulting company and 
used her years of experience in Washington and as an employee of Kit 
Bond to make a difference in St. Louis.
  Throughout her life Ms. Smith demonstrated a commitment to improving 
life for those around her; she strove for social justice and fought to 
ensure equality for all. She was passionate about her civic and 
philanthropic work and determined to make a profound impact in her own 
community. Ms. Smith's powerful legacy lives on through her three 
children. Her daughter, Cheryl Walker of St. Louis, is now a lawyer and 
her two sons, Dwayne and Dwight Bosman, are both well-known jazz 
musicians.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Ms. Smith; a woman who 
always strove to make a difference and succeeded. I ask my colleagues 
to join me in honoring Ms. Paula Smith, an amazing woman whose legacy 
will forever be remembered. I extend my sincerest condolences to her 
family and friends. She will be greatly missed.

                          ____________________