[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H9624-H9625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MAYOR WILLIAM V. BELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to honor and 
recognize a great American, a visionary, a statesman, and a friend, 
Mayor William V. Bell, better known as Mayor Bill Bell. Yesterday, Mr. 
Speaker, my friend Bill Bell ended 16 years of distinguished service as 
mayor of the city of Durham, North Carolina, located in my 
congressional district.
  Mr. Speaker, Durham has always been a progressive city, a city where 
I attended undergraduate school and law school at North Carolina 
Central University. Durham has always been a progressive city, above 
the average, but under Bill Bell's leadership, the city has become a 
thriving Southern city rivaling Charlotte and even Atlanta, Georgia.
  Bill Bell's work as mayor is but part of a long tenure of service to 
Durham that spans more than four decades. This week, I join the entire 
Durham community in thanking Mayor Bill Bell for his many, many years 
of public service. With Mayor Bell's retirement last evening, December 
4, 2017, he leaves his office having literally transformed the Durham 
community.
  The city's leadership has now been passed to a new mayor, Steve 
Schewel, who is also a friend and a visionary leader. The city of 
Durham, North Carolina, is in good hands.
  Born William V. Bell in 1941, Bill grew up in Winston-Salem, North 
Carolina. He received a degree in electrical engineering from Howard 
University here in Washington, D.C., and then went on to receive his 
master's degree in electrical engineering from New York University. 
After graduating, Bill returned to North Carolina, where he worked as a 
senior engineer at IBM Corporation in Durham.
  Bill Bell has been a community development trailblazer not only as 
mayor, but as vice president and chief operating officer of United 
Durham Incorporated since 1996, where he used the acronym UDI.
  Even during his days as a young engineer, Bill Bell had a unique 
vision for his beloved community. This vision led to Bill's election to 
the Durham County Board of Commissioners in 1972. At the time, Bill was 
one of two African-American commissioners on the five-member board. 
Bill Bell served on the board of county commissioners until 1994, and 
again from 1996 to the year 2000, even serving as its chairman from 
1982 to 1994.

                              {time}  1015

  In 2001, Mr. Speaker, Bill Bell was elected mayor of the city of 
Durham. He was then reelected seven--yes, that is seven--times, serving 
as Durham's longest serving mayor for 16 years.
  Mayor Bill Bell will be remembered for leading the city of Durham 
toward great progress. His legacy includes heading up the 
transformation of downtown Durham from boarded-up windows to a city 
which is a top destination and is now home to a variety of thriving 
businesses and technology startups as well as major projects, such as 
the Durham Performing Arts Center and the American Tobacco Campus.
  It is a thriving city, Mr. Speaker, and I encourage anyone to take a 
look at Durham and see how impressive this city is. From leading the 
transformation of downtown Durham to placing a renewed emphasis on even 
addressing gun violence in the community, Mayor Bell has always fought 
to improve the lives of his constituents.
  It has been a pleasure to work with Mayor Bell on behalf of the 
citizens of Durham in the first district. The Durham community is 
stronger thanks to Bill Bell's leadership. He is, without a doubt, a 
visionary trailblazer who will go down in history having left a 
positive mark on his city.
  Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, Mayor Bill Bell turned over the office now to 
Mayor Steve Schewel. Mayor Schewel served on the Durham City Council 
since 2011, and I know he will continue to build on this legacy.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am told that Mayor Bell's daughters, Tiffany 
Bell, Anjanee Nicole Bell, and Kristen Vaughan Bell-Hughes, are all 
excited about their dad's decision to enjoy a life of retirement. I 
don't believe Bill Bell is going to actually retire. I am sure he is 
going to spend less time in public service, but I am sure he will 
continue his advocacy in some significant way.
  While Bill Bell is deserving of far greater accolades than I have 
just recited over the last few minutes, I ask

[[Page H9625]]

my colleagues today to join me in recognizing this great American, Bill 
Bell. On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, the 
residents of Durham, North Carolina, and the people of the First 
Congressional District, I express my sincere appreciation for Mayor 
Bill Bell's elective service, his dedicated service, and I wish him 
nothing but my best wishes in the months and years to come.
  I thank Bill Bell for his leadership.

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