[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E43]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF JOHN T. FISHER II (JOHN T.)

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 18, 2012

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of John T. 
Fisher II, an unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement. John T. was 
born on February 10, 1934 and became a community leader who spent his 
life working on racial equality in Memphis, Tennessee and around the 
world.
  John T. Fisher II earned his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the 
University of Virginia. Afterwards he entered into Officer training 
with the U.S. Marine Corps. After serving two years as a Marine in 
Okinawa, Japan, he returned to Memphis and assumed the presidency of 
the John T. Fisher Motor Company which was founded by his grandfather 
in 1907 and was one of the original Chrysler franchises in the country. 
By 1968, John T. operated a highly successful car dealership and once 
sold a car to Elvis Presley. Even so, he risked his reputation by being 
one of the few white businessmen to support the sanitation strike that 
brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis. In the days after the 
assassination of Dr. King, John T. did not hesitate in trying to bring 
the Memphis community together. Working with clergy members and 
professionals of all races, he invited all members of the community, 
regardless of race, to join in a peace rally called ``Memphis Cares,'' 
which 6,000 people attended.
  Mr. Fisher's ethical and religious convictions took him to work with 
the Council of World Churches in Geneva, Switzerland where he worked 
with the Faith and Society Committee and the Finance Committee. His 
task was to lead the divestment of all World Council financial holdings 
in South African companies that supported apartheid. This work moved 
him across Europe where he attended seminars and coordinated meetings 
with the World Council and eventually was asked to be a delegate to the 
5th Assembly of World Council of Churches in Nairobi, Kenya in 1975.
  In 2001, at age 67, John T. accepted a post at the Regional Medical 
Center at Memphis as Vice President for Development where he oversaw 
the MED Foundation. During his time there, he was credited with raising 
millions of dollars for the MED and was influential in building The 
Rehabilitation Hospital of Memphis (RHM). Today, RHM delivers 
comprehensive acute care, inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient 
treatment. RHM is a complement to the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma 
Center, the Firefighters Regional Burn Center and serves the same five-
state region in which the MED serves.
  John T. Fisher II remained deeply committed to the community. He 
served as Chapter's Warden and Bishop's Warden at St. Mary's Episcopal 
Cathedral, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors at 
St. Mary's Episcopal School, and on the boards of the Memphis Regional 
Chamber of Commerce, the Memphis Arts Council, the Better Business 
Bureau, the Committee of Southern Churchmen, the Center for Urban 
Ministry, and the Wake Forest University Divinity School Board of 
Visitors. In addition to these responsibilities, he was a founding 
director of the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA). Today MIFA 
continues to unite the Memphis community and address the challenges of 
poverty by engaging the community to sustain the independence of 
seniors, transform the lives of families in crisis, and equip teens for 
success.
  John T. will be remembered for his many contributions and 
accomplishments. Those who knew him best will also remember him for his 
collection of ``words to live by,'' which he kept in his wallet to 
reference at any time and any place. Some of his favorite quotes were 
``Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood,'' ``. . 
. Leadership is the willingness to state an opinion, the motivation to 
commit to a project, and the ability to make difficult choices . . .'' 
and ``quality is never an accident; it is always the result of 
intelligent effort.'' He used these quotes to reflect upon vision, 
leadership and quality, all of which embodied his lifelong work.
  John T. Fisher II passed away on Friday, December 30, 2011, at 77 
years of age. He is survived by his wife, Jean Carter Fisher, his three 
children: Jean Kelley Fisher, Suzannah Fisher Ragen, and John T. Fisher 
III, five grandchildren, his sister, Billie Fisher Carr Houghton and 
close mentor, Lewis Donelson of Memphis.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the many 
accomplishments and contributions of John T. Fisher II. His was a life 
well-lived.

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