[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 73 (Friday, April 28, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H2945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF JOE MURRAY RIVERS

  (Mr. CARTER of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
life of one of Savannah, Georgia's finest, Mr. Joe Murray Rivers, who 
passed away on April 5, 2017, at the age of 78. Born February 3, 1939, 
in Savannah, Georgia, Mr. Rivers became a proud public servant in the 
area he was born and raised.
  Mr. Rivers graduated from Beach High School before attending the U.S. 
Air Force Institute and the University of Maryland, The City College of 
New York, and Savannah State University.
  Mr. Rivers later opened the Olympic Sport Shop in downtown Savannah, 
and it was during this time that he realized the drastic need for 
improved public transportation. Inspired to solve this issue, Mr. 
Rivers was elected to the Chatham County board of directors in 1985. 
Throughout his 20-year tenure, he became a warrior of public transport 
and cosponsored legislation to solve the transportation problem in the 
county. In appreciation for the work Mr. Rivers has done, Savannah's 
Intermodal Transit Center now bears his name.
  Mr. Rivers' public service extended far beyond elected office and 
transportation reform. His leadership and compassion towards every 
member of the community will be sorely missed.

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