[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 27, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL R. HOLLIS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 27, 2012

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a natural 
born leader, an entrepreneur, a trailblazer and a very dear friend. 
Michael R. Hollis departed this life on June 18, 2012, at the tender 
age of 58, but not before he achieved his goal to ``do something in 
life that would make a difference.''
  A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Michael was born in Grady Memorial 
Hospital, a beloved institution that later in life he would help save. 
From a young age he demonstrated he was extremely gifted. When he was 
only 15, he led the Atlanta Youth Congress and worked on Sam Massell's 
mayoral campaign, which earned him a spot on the Mayor's race relations 
commission. The following year, Michael's talents landed him a coveted 
job in the Atlanta Braves' public relations department. At 16, he also 
served as a Georgia delegate to the White House Conference on Youth and 
led the Young Atlantans for Maynard Jackson during Jackson's 1969 bid 
for the U.S. Senate. It was only after he accomplished these remarkable 
achievements that he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School.
  Michael went on to graduate with honors from Dartmouth College and 
earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. 
While in law school, he continued to demonstrate extraordinary 
leadership by becoming the first African American to be elected 
national president of the American Bar Association's student 
organization.
  Following law school, Michael returned home to Atlanta, but his 
political connections called him into service. President Jimmy Carter 
appointed him to serve as associate chief counsel to investigate the 
legal implications of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant 
accident in 1979. In that position, he helped lead the investigative 
committee to recommend nuclear safety protocols that are still in 
effect today.
  In addition to his political acumen, Michael was an entrepreneur at 
heart. While serving as Vice President for Public Finance at 
Oppenheimer & Co. in New York, he incorporated Air Atlanta at the age 
of 27. He left the investment firm three years later in 1983 to lead 
his fledgling airline. It folded in 1987, but Michael was not deterred.
  In the years that followed, he formed Hollis Communications and 
helped build a 50,000 watt radio station in Atlanta. He also launched 
Hanover Credit Company, Blue Sky Petroleum Company and Nevis 
Securities, LLC.
  Michael served on the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority and the Grady 
Memorial Hospital board. He was founding trustee of Clark Atlanta 
University and served as a member of the Emory University Board of 
Visitors.
  Michael is survived by his beloved wife, Deena Freeman Hollis; 
sisters Virginia Hollis and Joan Hollis Mitchell; and brothers, Flem 
Hollis and Julius Hollis.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in honoring 
Michael R. Hollis, a bright light that was dimmed too soon. He was a 
remarkable example of what one can accomplish if you hold fast to your 
dreams. In his own words he couldn't ``pass through this life and pass 
up on great opportunities.'' His many achievements stand as testaments 
to a life well lived, and will serve as his lasting legacy.

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