[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 149 (Thursday, October 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                HONORING THE LEGACY OF FRANCES CHAMBERS

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                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, South Florida recently lost a truly 
remarkable woman and pillar of our community--Mrs. Frances Chambers. 
Fran, as she was affectionately known, leaves behind a legacy that will 
long endure.
  Fran was the consummate lifelong learner. Born on November 13, 1921, 
in Miami, Fran graduated from Booker T. Washington High, and then went 
on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree--with highest honors--from 
Bennett College in 1942. She then received a Master of Arts degree from 
New York University, and later continued her studies, amassing more 
postgraduate credits than are required for a doctoral degree from 
several Florida universities.
  She turned her enthusiasm for studies into a love of teaching. Fran 
taught and guided generations of students in Miami-Dade County Public 
Schools, where she was loved by her students and admired by her peers. 
For more than 37 years Fran shared her passion with her students at 
Dunbar Elementary, Miami Jackson Senior High, COPE Center North, and 
Holmes Elementary. She was involved in nearly every aspect of education 
for the children of South Florida--finally retiring in 1979.
  But Fran was not just a perennial educator; she was also a committed 
volunteer. She began volunteering for the March of Dimes and American 
Heart Association in the 1950s. Later, she served as board chair of the 
James E. Scott Community Association, a group that provides social 
services for those in need, and was also a member of the Seniors 
Centers of Dade County, League of Women Voters and the NAACP. Fran 
remained active in the community well after her retirement from Miami-
Dade County Public Schools--her commitment to volunteerism and the 
South Florida community is as impressive as it is praiseworthy.
  Her other passion was for the preservation and dissemination of the 
history of Miami's African-American pioneers. Fran had a vision to 
research and publish a book, so that the records of these remarkable 
people could be recorded and shared. Her goal was to help assure that 
future generations could appreciate the long and difficult road so many 
of these pioneers had to endure, and to draw strength and encouragement 
from them.
  In 2000, Fran learned she was afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. But 
this bad news could not keep her dream from being realized. After 
nearly three decades, her vision finally came to fruition. Her resolve 
and her vision were so admired by those in the South Florida community 
that others picked up her mantle and carried out her work to 
completion. In 2010, a collaborative effort made her dream a reality. 
Linkages & Legacies was the end result of all of Fran's hard work. And 
in true Frances Chambers style, the publication was her gift to the 
community so that this history could be told for generations to come.
  Fran may be gone, but her legacy and love will forever be a constant 
presence in South Florida. It is carried on through her work, and 
through her 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. She 
was a unique and truly awe-inspiring woman. All of our hearts in the 
South Florida community are a little heavier this week as we honor and 
remember Frances Chambers.

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