[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 169 (Tuesday, November 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE BRIDGE DEDICATION CEREMONY FOR MR. ALLEN T. SMALL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 17, 2015

  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Allen 
Thurman Small and to commemorate the North Carolina Department of 
Transportation's Bridge Dedication ceremony in his honor. This is a 
fitting dedication for a man who gave so much to the City of Concord 
and the state of North Carolina.
   Up until the day he tragically passed in 2006, Mr. Small was a 
public servant who deeply cared about his community. He served as a 
member of the Concord City Council from 1997 through 2006 and spent 
more than three decades in public education. During his public 
education career, Mr. Small was an educator and principal at three 
different Concord-area schools: Wolf Meadow Elementary School, 
Coltrane-Webb Elementary School, and Logan High School. Mr. Small, who 
was the first African-American to serve as principal of a desegregated 
school in Concord, was committed to ensuring every student received a 
high quality education that prepared them to be engaged citizens of the 
community.
   During his tenure on the city council, Mr. Small dedicated his time 
and resources toward bringing jobs back to Concord and growing the 
city's economy, all in the hopes of leaving the children he devoted so 
much of his life to with a better future than he ever had. Following 
his passing, Mr. Small's city council seat has been occupied by his 
wife, Ella Mae, who has served the City of Concord with honor and 
distinction, and has continued to build upon Mr. Small's legacy as a 
dedicated public servant.
   On Monday, November 9th, the North Carolina Department of 
Transportation held a bridge dedication ceremony for Mr. Small in his 
beloved City of Concord. The ``Allen T. Small Bridge'' is located on 
Cabarrus Avenue West over the Norfolk Southern Railroad, and serves as 
a gateway in to the heart of downtown Concord.
   Mr. Speaker, please join me today in commemorating the life of Mr. 
Allen Thurman Small for his service to the Concord community and his 
commitment to bettering the lives of everyone in his community, 
particularly those of our area's young students.

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