[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 20, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E590-E591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING DARWIN CREQUE AND HIS BROTHER, DR. LAURITZ CLUDGEMANN CREQUE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 20, 2010

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of two 
distinguished native sons of my district, the U.S. Virgin Islands, who 
during their productive lives distinguished themselves in the fields of 
medicine, education, literature, history, and public service. It is my 
honor to remember the lives of Darwin Creque and his brother, Dr. 
Lauritz Cludgemann Creque who attended Morehouse College and who are 
being honored there this week with the establishment of a memorial

[[Page E591]]

scholarship in their name that will help young men of color enter the 
health professions.
  Mr. Darwin Creque distinguished himself as a literary scholar, 
historian, newspaper founder and editor, economist, business man, 
health administrator and a commissioner of housing. He was born on St. 
Thomas on August 30, 1912 and graduated in the Charlotte Amalie High 
School Class of '32. He then attained a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse 
College in 1936 and a Masters of Arts in Economics from Atlanta 
University in 1938. Upon returning to the Virgin Islands, he became 
head of the social science department of Christiansted High School and 
later Assistant Price Economist, Office of Price Administration, Tax 
Assessor, Water Commissioner, and Territorial Director, Office of Price 
Stabilization.
  He then pursued further education in the field of health care and 
attended Harvard University, where he received a Masters in Science in 
Public Health Administration in 1954. After an internship in Hospital 
Administration at Harvard University School of Medicine in 1956, he 
received a certificate in Business and Industrial Management from the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1955. He returned to St. 
Thomas and there served as Executive Health Administrator at the 
Department of Health. He then returned to his training as an economist, 
becoming Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Commerce where he 
organized and headed the Division of Trade and Industry. During the 
administration of the late Governor Melvin H. Evans, the first elected 
Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, he served as the Commissioner of 
Housing and Community Renewal.
  Darwin Creque led a multi-faceted life. He was at one time, the 
editor and co-owner of the St. Croix Avis and owner of a Main Street 
business called ``The Smart Shop.'' He loved music and played the 
violin. He contributed to the historical and literary canon of the U.S. 
Virgin Islands, the most notable of which was The U.S. Virgin Islands 
and the Eastern Caribbean. He also prepared research papers for the 
Federal and local governments and served on many boards and 
commissions, including the V.I. Banking Board. He was a long time 
member of the Grand Lodge of England (Harmonic Lodge 356) and past 
president of St. Thomas Rotary II. For his years of dedicated service, 
he received many awards and citations including from his fraternity, 
Phi Beta Sigma, the Virgin Islands Legislature and the Federal 
Department of Commerce. He was named a Paul Harris Fellow by St. Thomas 
Rotary II for his commitment of service and to world harmony.
  Madam Speaker, Darwin Creque's brother, Dr. Lauritz Cludgemann Creque 
lived an equally distinguished life. Born on St. Thomas in March of 
1917, he too was a gifted musician, writer, and teacher who became a 
medical doctor after obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Physics from 
Morehouse College in 1948 and a medical degree from Meharry Medical 
College in 1952 with a specialty in general surgery. During his early 
career, he served as Chief of Staff of Kate Bitting Memorial Hospital, 
an African American Hospital serving diverse populations. He also 
served as Medical Examiner and County Coroner as well. He was a Member 
of the American Medical Association, the President of the North State 
Medical Association, the Twin City Medical Society and induction into 
the American College of Physicians and Surgeons. He worked to keep 
hospitals that served the African American community open after many of 
them were being absorbed into mainstream institutions. Dr. Creque went 
on to complete his training in pathology at Columbia University in New 
York and remained on the clinical faculty at Columbia University for 
almost 20 years. Fluent in three languages, he served diverse 
populations to include being the Director of the Blood Bank of Harlem 
Hospital and operating an independent clinic for Hispanics in Hunts 
Point, Bronx, New York.
  Madam Speaker, with their scholarship, professionalism and service to 
others, the Creque brothers exemplify the best of what it means to be a 
Virgin Islander. I ask my colleagues to join me in this salute to their 
contributions.

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