[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 83 (Wednesday, June 12, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E848]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE HISTORIC MARKER DEDICATION FOR CUSSETA INDUSTRIAL 
                              HIGH SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 12, 2013

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
the upcoming Historic Marker dedication ceremony for Cusseta Industrial 
High School in Cusseta, Georgia. The grounds of this historic edifice 
will be dedicated Saturday, June 15, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.
  The dedication ceremony will serve as tribute to the preservative 
efforts of dedicated alumni, the Chattahoochee County Historic 
Preservation Society, and members of the community who saw fit to 
treasure this jewel of American history.
  Beginning in 1912, a beacon of light was shone on the education of 
African-American students when philanthropist Julius Rosenwald worked 
with Booker T. Washington and other African-American educators at the 
Tuskegee Institute to build a number of black schools in the racially 
segregated rural South. Known as the Rosenwald Fund, these endeavors 
supported the construction of approximately 5,000 schools in fifteen 
states--242 of which are located in Georgia.
  With the support of the Rosenwald Trust Fund, the neighboring 
African-American community, and funds from Chattahoochee County, 
Cusseta Industrial High School served as the only high school in the 
county to educate students of color. The school was built in 1929-1930 
in conformance with standardized plans for efficient new schools for 
the education of African-American students within the county. The 
Cusseta School is among the best surviving examples of the roughly 
fifty remaining Rosenwald schools in Georgia. It was placed on the 
National Historic Register on April 15, 2011.
  This ``little school on the hill'' educated a number of African-
American scholars until its closure in 1958. Of the seventeen students 
in the last graduating class, four have passed away. Echoing the 
sentiments of the place where ``everybody was somebody and Christ was 
all,'' a place where Friday worship experiences sourced spiritual 
renewal, many hold the memory of this vibrant community in the 
corridors of their hearts.
  Since its closure as a public school, the building has served the 
community as a Country Club, Lion's Club, Kiwanis Club, Boy Scouts 
meeting place, and a school of dance. Envisioned by alumni, Rev. Andrew 
L. Thomas, Jr., Dr. Mildred Gardner, and fifteen others as well as 
three community partners, the dream of establishing a historic marker 
on the grounds of Old Cusseta Industrial High School has become a 
reality.
  Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this 
historic moment as the community of Cusseta, Georgia rises to honor and 
preserve Old Cusseta Industrial High School, a beloved landmark where 
many young African-American students were given the opportunity to earn 
an education.

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