[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 173 (Tuesday, October 23, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1448-E1449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF GREGORY CALHOUN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 23, 2018

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary life and legacy of Mr. Gregory Calhoun, who passed away 
on Thursday, October 11, 2018, at the age of 66. Calhoun was a 
pioneering businessman and the first black supermarket owner in the 
South. Through his entrepreneurial success and his contributions to 
Montgomery and communities across Alabama, Calhoun inspired those 
around him. His enterprising spirit and giving nature will not be 
forgotten.
  Calhoun was born on September 10, 1952, in Detroit, Michigan. At an 
early age, his family moved to Montgomery, Alabama. There, Calhoun 
learned about the fundamentals of running a business from his father, 
Thomas Calhoun Sr., who was a business owner, and his mother, who was 
head of housekeeping at a local hotel.
  From his parents, Calhoun also learned about the value of standing up 
for what you believe. In 1965, when Dr. King marched from Selma to 
Montgomery to highlight the injustice of voter suppression in the 
South, Calhoun's family joined the march. Calhoun was just 12, but he 
ran to the front of the march, where he met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
It was this historic march which helped to expose the brutality of Jim 
Crow laws in the South and which built public support for the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965.
  Calhoun began work in the grocery business at a young age, starting 
as a bag boy at the local Southwest Super Foods. He was only 14 years 
old at the time, but he dreamed of someday owning the supermarket 
himself. Climbing the ladder of success was a slow process, but over 
the course of a decade Calhoun rose from stock boy to supermarket 
manager to an executive position with his supermarket's parent firm, 
Hudson-Thompson Co.
  When Calhoun found out that Hudson-Thompson Co. was selling Southwest 
Super Foods, he jumped at the chance to buy the supermarket where he 
had gotten his start. Finding a loan to buy the store was not easy. 
Calhoun approached several Montgomery bankers, all of whom turned him 
down. Eventually, Calhoun found a willing financier in New York, but in 
order to secure funding, he had to put up his house and his life's 
savings as collateral for the loan.
  With everything on line, Calhoun got to work managing his grocery 
business. He immediately began making improvements to the store, 
assuring store employees they would receive raises, buying new 
equipment and opening a deli, bakery and seafood shop, among other 
improvements. It was hard work, but he was not alone. Calhoun pointed 
to his faith in God and his family's support as keys to his success. As 
he was starting his supermarket business, Calhoun was able to work the 
long hours required to grow his stores because his wife, Verlyn, and 
his children were by his side. Over the course of his career, Calhoun 
built his supermarket business up to include 15 locations. Calhoun 
Foods would operate in west Montgomery for more than 20 years.
  As a successful leader in the food industry, Calhoun became the first 
African American elected to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Board of 
Directors. At FMI, Calhoun served three consecutive terms on the 
organization's Executive Committee and launched the popular FMI African 
American Share Group. Calhoun credited his family's help running the 
supermarket business for giving him the time necessary to dedicate to 
his board position at FMI.
  After his success in the supermarket industry, Calhoun diversified 
his business ventures. In 1993, Calhoun and Associates was formed to 
assist Fortune 500 Companies with Minority and Diversity Affairs. 
Calhoun also founded other business ventures including Calhoun 
Communication and Superior Brokerage, both of which built on Calhoun's 
success as an entrepreneur.
  In addition to running businesses and sitting on the board of FMI, 
Calhoun committed himself to uplifting his community and opening doors 
of opportunity for others. Through the establishment of the Greg 
Calhoun Foundation, Calhoun supported charities and community 
organizations that make a difference in the lives of young people, the 
elderly, the homeless, displaced Veterans and the medically inflicted. 
Calhoun also served on the boards of many charitable organizations 
including the United Way, Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation, and the 
Montgomery Area Food Bank. The Calhoun Celebrity Golf Tournament was 
Calhoun's major fundraiser to support donations to The Sickle Cell 
Foundation of Greater Montgomery, Macon and Dallas Counties, The 
Calhoun P.A.R.I.S Parenting Scholardome Program, and R.E.S.T.O.R. 
Shelter for the Homeless and Displaced Veterans. Icons including Smokey 
Robinson and Steve Harvey joined the golf tournament regularly and 
helped to make it a philanthropic success.
  Today we remember Calhoun as an advocate, not as a voice for the left 
or for the right, but as a voice for all people. During his life, 
Calhoun fought for jobs, he fought for our rights, and he fought to 
give underserved communities a shot at success. He would work with 
Republicans or Democrats if he thought they could make a positive 
difference. Calhoun worked side-by-side with freedom fighters like Rev. 
Jesse Jackson as a Rainbow PUSH board member. He also supported now-
Congresswoman Martha Roby, a Republican, when she first ran for City 
Council. Calhoun did not see party affiliation, he saw opportunities to 
make a difference, and he seized on them. For his business success and 
community leadership, Calhoun was recognized with an award for the 
National Minority Retail Firm of the Year in 1990 by the United States 
Department of Commerce. Calhoun was also chosen to tour with President 
Clinton during the 1999 Economic Development Tour, and he was appointed 
to serve on the board of First Lady Michelle Obama's Healthy Food 
Initiative in 2011.
  Calhoun leaves behind his loving and faithful wife Verlyn, his sons 
Malcolm and Gregory Renard, and one of his biggest cheerleaders, his 
daughter ShaKenya, and his grandchildren whom he adored, Jacquenya, 
Mackinzie, Kaylin, Morgan, Yorel, Kelsie, London, and Ari. For future 
generations, Calhoun had a few words of advice. ``Nothing worthwhile is 
free,'' he said. Calhoun's mantra of working hard, studying, and 
knowing what you do took him from bag boy to business leader, and for 
aspiring young leaders in our community today, his words are worth 
remembering. Calhoun taught us that success is not some series of 
shortcuts or lucky draws, what drives success is dedication, it is your 
expertise and your deliberate focus on your work. This was a message 
that Calhoun shared with students, entrepreneurs, and employees. As a 
new generation sets out to blaze their own trail, I believe that the 
advice Calhoun gave and the guidance he provided will have a lasting 
impact.
  On a personal note, Greg Calhoun has always been an inspiration to me 
through my. work in the public and private sectors. I remember Calhoun 
as an optimist who saw the opportunity in every challenge he faced. His

[[Page E1449]]

achievements as an entrepreneur were a constant reminder that there is 
no secret ingredient to success--just our own hard work and dedication.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 7th Congressional District and the 
State of Alabama, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 
life and contributions of Greg Calhoun. He was a community leader and a 
Montgomery treasure whose work to open doors for others has changed 
countless lives.

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