[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING MARJORIE BUTLER ON THE OCCASION OF HER 100TH BIRTHDAY

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                        HON. MAURICE D. HINCHEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 15, 2010

  Mr. HINCHEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Marjorie Butler 
on the occasion of her 100th birthday. A longtime resident of the 
Hudson River Valley, 43 years ago Dr. Butler helped establish the Black 
Studies Department at the State University of New York at New Paltz. At 
that time in 1967, only a handful of schools had established similar 
departments, but today, more than 250 colleges and universities are 
engaged in the exploration and analysis of the history and culture of 
African people in the United States, Caribbean, and Africa. Dr. Butler 
is truly a pioneer of this important academic discipline.
  Before her retirement in 1984, as the chair of the department and a 
professor of psychology, she drew from her life experiences to provide 
an enriching learning environment for thousands of students, many of 
whom went on to adopt her goals of human progress and equality as their 
own. It is because of the leadership, personal courage and dedication 
of individuals like Dr. Marjorie Butler that our nation has overcome 
many of its greatest civil rights challenges. Her contributions and 
devotion to this cause must be recognized and understood and cannot be 
overstated.
  Madam Speaker, I am delighted to congratulate and honor Dr. Butler on 
her 100th birthday and for her many years of hard and deeply effective 
work and her service in the cause of social justice.

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