[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 151 (Thursday, November 18, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1978-E1979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. W. HENRY MAXWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 18, 2010

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss 
of one of the Commonwealth of Virginia's finest public servants, a 
great man of faith and a trusted friend, former State Senator Dr. W. 
Henry Maxwell. This past Saturday, Dr. Maxwell passed away, and I would 
like to take a brief moment to celebrate his life and legacy.
  A lifelong resident of Newport News, Dr. Maxwell was born on April 3, 
1935, and graduated from Carver High School in 1951. Having been raised 
in the church, Dr. Maxwell nurtured a deep and abiding faith that 
eventually led him into the ministry. In 1967, he was ordained into 
gospel ministry and he formalized his calling, receiving both a 
bachelor of theology degree and a doctorate of divinity from Virginia 
Seminary and College.
  It is hard to separate the life and legacy of Dr. Maxwell from the 
history of Ivy Baptist Church, the institution that Dr. Maxwell 
faithfully led for 37 years. Under his leadership, the church grew in 
size, purchased a new house of worship, and established a child care 
and learning center. As a fitting tribute to his years of dedicated 
service, Ivy Baptist erected the W. Henry Maxwell Family Life Center in 
1999.
  If Dr. Maxwell's only contribution to his community was as a pastor, 
he would have had a lasting legacy. But Dr. Maxwell was a civic 
activist and a public servant who was fond of saying: ``If one was to 
be concerned about

[[Page E1979]]

man, he should be concerned about the laws that govern man.'' Dr. 
Maxwell was an effective and hard-working legislator and a strong voice 
for the downtrodden. When I first became involved in community 
activities and politics in my hometown of Newport News, I was following 
in Dr. Maxwell's footsteps. Dr. Maxwell was serving as President of the 
Newport News branch of the NAACP when I came back to Newport News after 
finishing law school, and I was honored to step into his shoes in 1975 
as President of the branch. Dr. Maxwell ran for Newport News City 
Council in 1976. Although his campaign was unsuccessful, the work of 
his campaign served as a foundation for my successful run for the 
Virginia House of Delegates in 1977. During my tenure in the Virginia 
House of Delegates, Dr. Maxwell was a trusted advisor and friend. When 
I was elected to the State Senate in 1983, Dr. Maxwell was elected to 
my House of Delegates seat. We served as colleagues in the Virginia 
General Assembly, until I was elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives in 1992. Following my election, Dr. Maxwell was 
successfully elected to the State Senate.
  Dr. Maxwell's tenure in the Virginia General Assembly as both a 
member of the House of Delegates and the State Senate, was 
characterized by a deep tie to the needs of his community. He was 
critical in obtaining state funds to restore the historic Newsome House 
and support its use as a community cultural center. He was an advocate 
for the continued operation of the Virginia School for the Deaf and 
Blind. He was also instrumental in ensuring that judges in Virginia 
properly reflected the community they served. In addition to his formal 
duties as a member of the House of Delegates and a State Senator, Dr. 
Maxwell was engaged in many civic organizations. He was a Life Member 
of the NAACP, member of the board of trustees of the Peninsula Economic 
Development Council, the United Way of the Peninsula, and the Newport 
News Alliance for Youth.
  Madam Speaker, the city of Newport News has lost a great public 
servant and I have lost a dear friend. I want to extend my deepest 
sympathies to Dr. Maxwell's wife of 53 years, Gladys, their children 
Walter, Ronald, and Angela, great-grandchildren, sisters Pauline, 
Sallie, Shirley and Gwendolyn, brothers Wesley and Thomas, nieces, 
nephews, other family and friends and the Ivy Baptist Church community.

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