[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 172 (Thursday, December 1, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1568]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF DEBRA SAUNDERS-WHITE

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 1, 2016

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of 
one of our nation's finest public servants, Dr. Debra Saunders-White. 
She was a good friend and a tireless advocate for increasing access to 
higher education for all students. This past Saturday, Debra Saunders-
White passed away, and I would like to take a brief moment to celebrate 
her life and legacy.
  For many years, Debra Saunders-White was a leading voice in education 
as she fought to strengthen historical black colleges and universities 
and other minority serving institutions. As a first generation college 
graduate, Debra understood both the opportunities afforded by higher 
education and the many challenges that accompany students as they 
attempt to access and afford a higher education.
  A native of Hampton, Virginia, she attended the University of 
Virginia before receiving her Masters of Business Administration from 
the College of William and Mary and her Doctorate in Higher Education 
Administration from George Washington University. After completing her 
education, Mrs. Saunders-White spent 15 years in the private sector, 
working for IBM as a systems engineer before transitioning to 
marketing.
  From 1999 until 2006, Dr. Saunders-White served as the Assistant 
Provost of Technology at Hampton University. While at Hampton, she 
designed and implemented the university's first information technology 
organization. Her efforts made Hampton University the first HBCU in the 
nation to join the Internet2 community, where they earned the ``most 
wired university'' title by Forbes Magazine and the Princeton Review.
  Ultimately, Dr. Saunders-White left Hampton University and spent some 
time at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) as the Vice 
Chancellor and later served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the 
Department of Education in President Obama's administration. In 2011, 
Mrs. Saunders-White became the 11th chancellor of North Carolina 
Central University. During her tenure, Dr. Saunders-White was held in 
high regard by all of her colleagues and students. Known for her strong 
vision and leadership, Debra was extremely dedicated to ensuring the 
success of the students at NCCU while she carried out her vision for 
growth at the university.
  Mr. Speaker, the education and NCCU communities have lost a 
tremendous advocate for our nation's students. I want to extend my 
deepest sympathies to her two children, Elizabeth Paige and Cecil III; 
her mother, Irene Saunders; her brothers, Roger, Ralph and Kyle 
Saunders, and the rest of her family, friends, and countless students 
she positively impacted during her life.

                          ____________________