[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 64 (Thursday, April 30, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MR. JOHN RABUN

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2015

  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. 
John Rabun for his absolute passion for child safety and his many years 
of service to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
  A graduate of Savannah High School, Mr. Rabun continued his education 
at Armstrong State University and earned his master's in social work 
from Mercer University. Following his degree, Mr. Rabun began his 
career in legal work for the ACLU of Kentucky where he helped 
``deinstitutionalize'' children after their time in public homes for 
non-criminal activity and later worked as a chief probation officer for 
a county juvenile justice system. In 1980, Mr. Rabun and one of his 
colleagues formed a local exploited child unit, uniting social workers 
with police force during a season of high-profile cases of missing 
children.
  Mr. Rabun wrote about the need for a clearinghouse operation for 
missing and exploited children for the U.S. Department of Justice, and 
in 1984 wrote a grant that would become the National Center for Missing 
and Exploited Children. Mr. Rabun ran the center's operations, built up 
the staff and trained tens of thousands internationally on preventing 
abduction, all while continuing to rescue children. He served as the 
communication link between many government units and helped to reach 
the public through billboards and news media sources. After nearly 30 
years as the executive vice president of the National Center for 
Missing and Exploited Children, Mr. Rabun now works part-time for the 
Alexandria, Virginia, office from his home on Tybee Island.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to honor Mr. 
John Rabun for his work that led to the rescue of 80,000 children. I am 
honored to join his colleagues, family and friends in celebrating many 
years of dedication to the safety of our children.

                          ____________________