[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 51 (Friday, March 23, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE 80th BIRTHDAY OF MR. HUBERT HOWARD COKER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TRENT KELLY

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 23, 2018

  Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the 
80th birthday of Mr. Hubert Howard Coker. Mr. Coker is an outstanding 
citizen who demonstrates a deep devotion to God, our nation, and to his 
family. Mr. Coker is known for his commitment to helping his fellow man 
through his many roles in life, including public service.
  Mr. Coker was born on March 30, 1938, to Homer and Luna Coker. He was 
the eighth of ten children born on the family farm in the Ryan's Well 
community in Itawamba County. During his early years, he demonstrated 
the meaning of hard work by dividing his time in the fields with school 
work. At the age of 15, Mr. Coker traveled to Florida, where he took a 
job harvesting trees from swamps to help support his family. Mr. Coker 
eventually returned to Itawamba County and continued his education at 
Itawamba Agricultural High School. In 1957, Mr. Coker married Lula Faye 
Newell. In 1958, Mr. Coker earned his General Equivalency Diploma 
(GED). He attended Northwest Alabama Junior College in Phil Campbell, 
Alabama, where he studied electronics.
  In 1959, Mr. Coker and his family moved to Wisconsin, where he began 
working for the American Motors Corporation (AMC). After a brief stay, 
Mr. Coker and his family moved back to Itawamba County, there he began 
working at the True Temper Corporation in Amory, Mississippi. He would 
later become an employee at Mueller Brass Industries, Inc., where he 
embarked on a long-term mission to make sure his fellow workers 
received better pay and opportunities for advancement. Mr. Coker 
assisted in the forming of the United Steel Workers Union at Mueller 
Brass Industries, Inc. He later served as president of the union. Mr. 
Coker also established other unions throughout the south to improve 
wages and working conditions. From 1982-1992, Mr. Coker served as the 
administrator of the Industrial Union Department. He also served as a 
national organizer for the International Woodworkers of America (IWA).
  Mr. Coker has long been a champion of civil rights. In 1968, he took 
part in the Poor People's March on Washington, D.C., where participants 
called for a federal solution to widespread unemployment and poverty in 
America. Mr. Coker continued to push for civil rights reforms as a 
member of the NAACP and the A. Philip Randolph Institute.
  Mr. Coker's desire to help others inspired him to run for public 
office. In 1976, he was elected to serve as an Itawamba County Justice 
Court Judge. He was also elected to serve as chairman of the Itawamba 
County Democratic Executive Committee from 1980-1984. Mr. Coker served 
on the Mississippi Democratic State Executive Committee from 1984-1990. 
One of Mr. Coker's proudest achievements was being chosen as a 
Mississippi delegate to the 1984 Democratic National Convention (DNC) 
in California, supporting presidential candidate, Walter Mondale, and 
the first female nominee for vice president, Geraldine Ferraro.
  Mr. Coker and his wife, Carol Gray Coker, live in Fulton. They have 
two daughters, Patricia Digby and Angela Johnson; one son, Kenneth H. 
Coker; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Mr. Coker 
enjoys spending time with his family, cattle farming, investing in the 
stock market, and staying abreast of the latest news.
  Mr. Coker's love of God and America, backed by humble roots and hard 
work, demonstrates a spirit of true patriotism, honor, and pride in 
being an American. I am honored to wish him a happy 80th birthday and 
all the best on this special day.