[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 118 (Thursday, July 13, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MR. DAVID SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELIZABETH H. ESTY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2017

  Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. David 
Smith for his nearly 50 years of service as a Professor of Music at 
Western Connecticut State University and for his community leadership 
in Danbury, Connecticut. Mr. Smith retired this year from his role at 
WCSU, and I thank him for his long commitment to encouraging students 
and their passion for music.
  Percussion has been David's life work. As a student of music, David 
excelled in both his undergraduate and master's degree studies. He then 
began working as a Professor of Music at WCSU in 1970, and David 
demonstrated a remarkable ability to connect with and inspire thousands 
of students. His excellence in teaching and dedication to helping 
students was widely recognized, and he received Connecticut's Higher 
Education Music Educator of the Year Award in 1995 and WCSU's Teacher 
Excellence Awards in 2010. David touched the lives of countless 
students, and his legacy in musical education at WCSU and in our state 
will be remembered for generations.
  In addition to his career as a professor, David also worked as a 
percussionist in several orchestras, including the New Haven Symphony 
Orchestra, the Ives Symphony Orchestra, the Bridgeport Symphony, and 
the Ridgefield Orchestra.
  Mr. Speaker, David Smith committed his career to teaching and public 
service, and his devotion to his students, his work, and his community 
will have lasting impacts. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we 
honor Mr. David Smith here today. I offer my best wishes for a well-
deserved and restful retirement.

                          ____________________