[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 110 (Monday, July 26, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING MR. J. CLYDE HOOKER, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. THOMAS S.P. PERRIELLO

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 26, 2010

  Mr. PERRIELLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of a leader in 
the Martinsville, Virginia, community, Mr. J. Clyde Hooker, Jr., who 
died on Monday, July 12.
  Born December 20, 1920, J. Clyde Hooker, Jr. was the son of J. Clyde 
Hooker, Sr. and Mabel Bassett Hooker. He graduated as valedictorian 
from Virginia Military Institute in 1942, and soon after, joined the 
allied troops in Europe during World War II. He served until 1946 when 
he was discharged with the rank of Captain. During his service in the 
Third Army, he was decorated with the Bronze Star and three campaign 
stars.
  Upon returning from abroad, Mr. Hooker began working at his father's 
furniture business starting out in the factory before entering sales. 
In 1960, he was elected president of Hooker Furniture and during the 
ensuing 40 years, took the business to new heights. His ability to 
recognize changing trends and implement new manufacturing methods 
enabled the company to grow from 375 employees to over 2,000 and to 
increase sales from $4.4 million to $250 million. His peers recognized 
him as a giant in the furniture industry, inducting him into the 
American Furniture Hall of Fame in 1997. Yet, Mr. Hooker will be 
remembered throughout the Martinsville community for far more than just 
his contributions to the furniture industry.
  Mr. Hooker was active as a philanthropist throughout Martinsville, 
helping support programs that benefitted a wide range of interests. He 
provided for children through his support of the local YMCA and Boy 
Scout troops, for the arts through his donations to the Piedmont Arts 
Association, for animals through his contributions to the local SPCA, 
and for the less fortunate through his gifts to the Martinsville-Henry 
County United Way. Mr. Hooker, however, gave far more than monetary 
contributions. He dedicated his time to these organizations and 
provided them with advice and support. As one local leader stated, ``He 
made everybody feel like they were the most important person in the 
world.''
  Most notable, however, was his dedication to his employees. His 
workers admired him and he treated them as equals, often visiting with 
them on the floor of the manufacturing plant. Additionally, he and his 
mother set up the Hooker Educational Foundation to provide scholarships 
to children and spouses of Hooker Furniture employees.
  Mr. Hooker's passing, our community lost a leader and dear friend who 
can never be replaced. His memory will live on in all of the lives he 
touched. Mr. Hooker is survived by his devoted wife, Katherine; his 
daughter Katherine, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. 
On behalf of Virginia's 5th District, I honor the passing of one of our 
finest business visionaries and magnanimous philanthropists, and ask 
that his legacy be remembered for years to come.

                          ____________________