[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 195 (Friday, December 6, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H9337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING JO MARIE BANKSTON

  (Mr. OLSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor the life of Jo Marie 
Bankston, the first woman police officer to serve the people of 
Houston, Texas.
  The year was 1955, 7 years before I was born, when Jo Marie--or Fena, 
as she was called by her friends and family--graduated in the first 
Houston Police Department class to include women. At that time, the 
mere idea of a woman police officer was something very few could 
imagine, much less pursue.
  Fena paved the way for new female recruits through the 1950s and 
1960s, ushering in a new era of strength and passion.
  Fena passed away, sadly, last week, on Thanksgiving Day. She leaves 
behind a pioneering legacy of protecting and serving the Houston 
community. She also left behind a loving family, including her son, 
Jimmy, who carries out her spirit as a veteran of the HPD and as a 
current U.S. marshal.
  Jo Marie inspired so many--some she knew and many more that she never 
knew. She made history in her own humble way.
  May she enjoy fair winds and following seas in Heaven.

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