[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                   IN HONOR OF MR. COMMODORE CONYERS

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 8, 2015

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
outstanding public servant, champion of education, man of God, and 
loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, Mr. Commodore Conyers. 
Mr. Conyers departed this life on Monday, August 17, 2015. A funeral 
service was held on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. at Mt. Zion 
Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.
  Commodore Conyers was born in Thomasville, Georgia and graduated from 
Douglas High School in 1949. He then continued his education at 
Savannah State College, now University, and graduated in 1958 with a 
bachelor degree in Industrial Education. His early passion for 
education motivated him to excel in his studies as he progressed to 
earn a master's degree from Valdosta State College, now University, and 
an L-6 degree in Administration and Supervision from Albany State 
College, also now University.
  Yet, it was Mr. Conyers' services to his alma mater, Savannah State 
College, which remained near and dear to his heart for decades. He 
served as President of the Greater Albany Alumni Chapter of Savannah 
State and was selected as the Grand Marshal of the 2014 Homecoming 
Parade. He recently was chosen as the latest inductee into the Savannah 
State University Foundation Hall of Fame. This prestigious honor will 
allow his legacy to live on for years to come.
  Mr. Conyers' scholastic repertoire, cultivated by his devotion to 
service and leadership, continued to flourish, as his achievements 
earned him numerous recognitions and commendations within the 
educational arena. In 1965, he was named by the State Director of 
Vocational Education to serve with vocational educators and students 
from five high schools across Georgia. In this role, he is credited 
with the major accomplishment of combining two of the state's youth 
organizations into one. After the successful merger, he was appointed 
State President of the Georgia American Vocational Association where he 
also helped merge the two state associations into one, before serving 
as Treasurer of the merged organization.
  In 1983, Mr. Conyers was appointed by the late Georgia Governor 
George Busbee to serve on a Task Force to study the need for a third 
state board to oversee vocational education in Georgia. The Task Force 
indeed recommended a third board, which is in place today. Mr. Conyers 
also served numerous state and community boards and organizations, 
including the Board of Directors of the Georgia Teachers and Education 
Association, the Georgia Association of Educators, and the Georgia 
Retired Educators Association. He also served as Chairman and Board 
member of the Dougherty County Board of Elections and on the Water, 
Gas, and Light Board of Directors, as well as the Board of Directors 
for the Albany Civil Rights Institute.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the many things that I will always remember and 
respect about Commodore Conyers is his unwavering passion for 
education, which made him a trailblazer in his community. During his 
tenure as the first black Principal of Dougherty Comprehensive High 
School in Albany, Georgia, a position he held for eleven years, Mr. 
Conyers was named First Runner-up for State of Georgia Principal of the 
Year and was also named the State of Georgia Administrator of the Year 
by the Georgia Association of Educators. In 1997, he again broke 
barriers when he was named Director of Vocational and Technical 
Education for the Dougherty County School System, the first African 
American to serve in this role. Moreover, he started the first Boy 
Scout Troop for African-American youth in Vienna, Georgia and the first 
Cub Scout and Boy Scout Troops at Shiloh Baptist Church in Albany, 
Georgia.
  In addition to the love and support of his late wife, Anne; their two 
children, Derrick, and Devetrice; and two grandchildren, Derrick and 
Ashley, Mr. Conyers relied on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to guide 
him throughout his life. A member of Shiloh Baptist Church since 1961, 
he served as Superintendent of the Sunday School, Deacon and a Trustee, 
Chairman of the Facilities Committee, and numerous other positions.
  Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the more than 730,000 
people of Georgia's Second Congressional District salute Mr. Commodore 
Conyers for his leadership in education and service to his community. I 
ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join us in 
extending our deepest sympathies to Mr. Conyers' family, friends and 
loved ones during this difficult time. We pray that they will be 
consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the 
days, weeks and months ahead.

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