[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 7, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING TED WELCH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 7, 2013

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, there are citizens making up this great 
country who never cease in offering themselves to their communities 
while improving the quality of our lives. I rise today to celebrate the 
time, talents, and treasures of Ted Welch as he retires from decades of 
active philanthropy.
  Ted Welch grew up in a one-room schoolhouse in Decatur County, 
Tennessee. He joined Southwestern Publishing Company as a student 
salesman and manager in 1953. During his tenure there, he served as 
Executive Vice President, a member of the Board of Directors, and a 
member of the Executive Committee. Working for Southwestern, selling 
books door-to-door, Ted exemplified the true value of hard work. 
Thankfully, that service did not stop with his tenure at Southwestern, 
nor after building a real estate empire. Ted served as a Deacon and 
Elder at Vice Street Christian Church, former board member of Lexington 
Theological Seminary, and as a part of the foundation of the 
Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
  Ted Welch has spent his life's work following his passions. As he 
worked to shape the direction of the country, he labored to shape the 
direction of the next generation of community leaders. Whether by 
selling Bibles or actively participating in democracy, it is no simple 
statement that more have encountered truth and freedom due to Ted 
Welch's work. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating all Ted 
Welch has offered to the great state of Tennessee and our beloved 
country. We join with his wife, his children, and his grandchildren in 
offering our deepest gratitude for his life's work.

                          ____________________