[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 116 (Wednesday, August 1, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    TRIBUTE TO DR. CLEMMIE E. WEBBER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2012

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary educator, entrepreneur, author, community activist and 
mother. Dr. Clemmie E. Webber passed away on July 25, 2012, at the age 
of 99. This remarkable trailblazer will be sorely missed by all who had 
the honor of knowing her, and I count myself in that number.
  Dr. Webber was born in St. Matthews, South Carolina in 1913. She 
moved at the age of three with her parents, Henry W. and Colin Embly, 
to Treadwell Street in Orangeburg. She grew up there with her four 
younger siblings, and would later write a book about their childhood 
experiences.
  Education was always important to Dr. Webber. Her early school years 
were spent at Claflin University's elementary department, and in high 
school she attended what is now South Carolina State University. She 
earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry at South 
Carolina State, and went on to earn a doctorate in science education 
from The American University.
  In 1935, at the age of 19, Dr. Webber married Paul Webber, a fellow 
classmate at South Carolina State. They were entrepreneurs who owned 
Webber Motor Sales and the Orangeburg Tigers baseball team. However, 
they were most known for their ownership of two soda shops in 
Orangeburg that were popular hang outs for students and provided them 
much-needed jobs. The College Soda Shop also became the inspiration for 
her second book.
  Dr. Webber began her teaching career at the former Wilkinson High 
School and several elementary schools in the area. She went on to teach 
chemistry and economics at her alma mater for 25 years. While a 
professor on South Carolina State's campus, Dr. Webber was a catalyst 
for change. She led the effort to build the I.P. Stanback Museum and 
Planetarium, which now houses the Clemmie E. Webber Educator Resource 
Center. She and her husband, who also served as a history and economics 
professor at South Carolina State, were mentors for many young people--
myself included--during the student Movement of the 1960s.
  Her love for education extended to serving on the Orangeburg School 
District 5 Board for 11 years. She served as Chair of that body for six 
years, and is credited with developing the compromise that allowed the 
school district to build the current Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School 
on U.S Highway 601. She also served as President of the South Carolina 
School Boards Association and was appointed to a five-year term as a 
Commissioner on the State Education Commission.
  Dr. Webber had an interest not only in educating young people, but 
helping them to develop character and be good leaders. She was actively 
involved in the Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts organizations, the Jack and 
Jill program, the Sunlight Club, and served as the PTA President at two 
schools.
  She also demonstrated her exceptional touch with young people at home 
raising three children--Carolyn, Sheryl, and Paul, III. Her nurturing 
nature led to her recognition as the South Carolina and National Mother 
of the Year in 1983.
  Dr. Webber has received numerous other awards and honors including 
the Order of the Palmetto, the highest honor a South Carolina governor 
can bestow on a citizen. She was also inducted into the South Carolina 
Black Hall of Fame, received the South Carolina School Boards 
Distinguished Service Award, and the South Carolina Legislative Black 
Caucus Award in recognition of her outstanding civic and educational 
achievements. In 2008, an Orangeburg street was renamed Webber 
Boulevard in honor of Dr. Webber and her husband's contributions to the 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in celebrating 
the extraordinary life of Dr. Clemmie E. Webber. She led by example and 
gave generations of young people the tools they would need to excel in 
life. What a tremendous legacy she has left for the City of Orangeburg 
and the State of South Carolina.

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