[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E43]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E43]]


  


                      HONORING MARY YERGAN HUGHES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DWIGHT EVANS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 16, 2018

  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an inspirational and 
dedicated woman from Northwest Philadelphia, Mary Yergan Hughes, a 
children's librarian and volunteer.
  Mrs. Hughes was born in Alice, South Africa to missionary parents. 
Her father was an advocate for black civil rights in Africa. She later 
moved to Massachusetts and enrolled in Northfield Mount Hermon, a 
preparatory school, in which she served as the president of the student 
council and was one of a few African American students in her school. 
For college, she was part of the first group of African American women 
to attend Wellesley College. After her junior year, she contracted 
tuberculosis and had to leave school in order to recover. After three 
years of recovery, she finished her undergraduate degree at Columbia 
University.
  She married Dr. Hughes and had two daughters. Mrs. Hughes went back 
to school and received her master's degree in library science from 
Drexel University which led her to become a children's librarian in 
Philadelphia's Northwest Regional Library. She loved reading to the 
neighborhood children during after-school story hours and inspired so 
many children to have a love for learning and reading.
  Ever since Mrs. Hughes became an adult, she would volunteer. She was 
a Platinum Alumna member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Links, 
Inc., a service organization of distinguished women whose goal is to 
enrich and sustain the culture of African Americans and others of 
African ancestry. She was also a president during one of its National 
Assemblies. Some other organizations she was president of include: the 
Philadelphia chapter of the Circle-Lets, Inc., a social organization 
for black women, and Boule wives, the women's arm of Sigma Pi Phi 
Fraternity.
  Mrs. Hughes was part of our Philadelphia community in many ways. She 
was a member of the Germantown Cricket Club where she loved to 
participate in tournaments. She loved to play tennis. She was also a 
half-century member and elder at Summit Presbyterian Church in Mount 
Airy.
  Mrs. Hughes devoted her life to engaging and helping her community. 
The 2nd Congressional District of Pennsylvania extends gratitude to 
Mrs. Hughes for all that she has done for the Commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania

                          ____________________