[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 102 (Friday, June 24, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE OF AMBASSADOR RUTH A. DAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2016

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Ambassador Ruth 
A. Davis on receiving the prestigious Lifetime Contributions to 
American Diplomacy award. I want to give thanks to this exceptional 
public servant for her exemplary service to her country as a United 
States diplomat. Her contributions to American diplomacy over the 
length of her impressive career with the Department of State, as well 
as in retirement, have contributed to making the world a safer and more 
peaceful place. Her vision has especially ensured that the future of 
America's diplomacy reflects our country's strength--its diversity.
  Ambassador Davis was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but was primarily 
raised in Atlanta, Georgia during the Jim Crow era. She graduated magna 
cum laude from Spelman College where she studied abroad in Europe and 
the Middle East as a Merrill Scholar. She later received her Master's 
Degree from the University of California at Berkeley. In 1969, she 
embarked on one of the most challenging and rewarding careers as a U.S. 
diplomat.
  Among her many notable accomplishments, Ambassador Davis was the 
first African American to become a Career Ambassador, the highest 
ranking position within the Foreign Service. At the time of her 
retirement, she was the longest-serving Career Ambassador in the 
department's history. Her hard work, sacrifice, and dedication to 
public service allowed her to serve her country all over the globe 
including in Porto, Benin, Nairobi, Kenya, Tokyo, Japan, Barcelona, 
Spain, and Naples, Italy. As the Consul General in Barcelona, Spain, 
she played an important leadership role in the organization of the 1992 
Barcelona Olympic Games, and later utilized her experience to help 
Atlanta's successful Olympic bid in 1996. As a colleague and a friend, 
I have always admired her strength, tenacity, and selflessness in 
choosing to serve on the frontlines of American foreign policy at a 
time when the participation of African Americans and women was not 
welcomed at home or abroad. Through her leadership, she emulated the 
excellence of our society to America's global partners and pioneered a 
path and secured a place for minorities to represent our nation as 
diplomats.
  Her unique talents and skills continued to bring greater 
understanding of and interaction between domestic and foreign policy 
matters. As a Pearson Fellow, she worked as a Special Advisor for 
International Affairs for the Washington, DC Municipal Government where 
she substantially enhanced the city's involvement in the international, 
economic, cultural, and diplomatic fields. In 2002, she was nominated 
by Secretary of State Colin Powell and appointed by President George W. 
Bush as the Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service. As the 
Director General, Ambassador Davis managed the promotion, discipline, 
career development, recruitment, and retirement policies and for all of 
the State Department's Foreign and Civil Service employees. During her 
time in Washington, she generously imparted her knowledge, expertise, 
and wisdom as the Distinguished Advisor for International Affairs at 
Howard University.
  I am lucky to count Ambassador Davis as a friend and a fellow 
advocate of civil rights. She has dedicated her life in the Foreign 
Service and beyond to fostering the next diverse generation of 
diplomats. Her work as a mentor and supporter of those from 
underrepresented backgrounds will ensure that America's diplomatic 
force mirrors the beautiful mosaic of races, religions, and ethnicities 
in our country. From her service at Howard University, to the President 
of the Thursday Luncheon Group, an affinity group at the State 
Department, to her helping found the International Women's 
Entrepreneurial Challenge, to her endless support for the Charles B. 
Rangel Fellowship, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that the Foreign 
Service is a more inclusive, and thus a more effective institution. I 
am certain that her efforts in diversifying the American diplomatic 
corps and mentoring rising diplomats will continue to advance the 
safety, security, and prosperity of our country for years to come.
  Mr. Speaker, for this, I ask that you and my distinguished colleagues 
in Congress join me in applauding this extraordinary public servant, 
whose service to our country has made the U.S. and the world a better 
place.

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