[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 18, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING PETTIS NORMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 18, 2010

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize a truly remarkable man and exceptional citizen of Dallas, 
Texas, Mr. Pettis Norman. I am very privileged to consider Mr. Norman a 
dear friend, and it is an honor to recognize him before this Congress 
and the entire country.
  Pettis Norman has always been a man of strong character and deep 
emotional conviction. He was born to Fessor and Eloise Norman in 
Lincolntown, Georgia and spent his formative years in North Carolina. 
As the youngest child in a large family, he learned early on the value 
of his own personal integrity, and to this day, it remains one of his 
most admirable qualities.
  Mr. Norman received a degree from Johnson C. Smith University in 
Charlotte, North Carolina, and it was there that he became active in 
the civil rights movement. He participated in lunch counter sit-ins 
that ultimately spread to cities and states across the country. These 
sit-ins marked a turning point for the movement and served as a spark 
for the African-American community to organize, be heard, and protest 
peacefully. Mr. Norman took part in these with a deep sense of 
integrity and the simple belief that all people should be judged on the 
depth of their character and not the color of their skin.
  After Mr. Norman graduated from college, he moved to Dallas, Texas to 
play for the Cowboys in 1962. To this day, he is regarded as one of the 
greatest tight ends the team has ever had, and his resolve on the field 
has yet to be matched. Truly, the city fell in love with Mr. Norman 
just as Mr. Norman fell in love with Dallas, and I believe that the 
city has gained so much because of him. As a football player, Coach 
Landry held him in high regard, and still says that trading Mr. Norman 
to the San Diego Chargers was one of the most difficult decisions he 
ever made.
  Mr. Norman returned to Dallas after two seasons in San Diego to 
settle into a permanent home. He has been active in civic life ever 
since, and he is still highly regarded in the community. The people of 
Dallas consider him an all time favorite, and I believe that it is his 
moral character and steadfast nature that so endear him to the people 
he meets.
  Madam Speaker, Pettis Norman was an amazing football player and is an 
outstanding citizen today. I ask my fellow colleagues to join me in 
honoring this great man who has done remarkable things throughout his 
life and still considers his personal integrity his most variable 
trait.

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