[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 2, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                 IN HONOR OF MRS. ANNA MAE HOOPER DEBRO

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                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 2, 2020

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
an inspiring woman, educator, and woman of God, Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper 
Debro. Sadly, Mrs. Debro passed away on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, 
at the remarkable age of 104. But, she leaves behind a legacy of impact 
upon countless people whose lives she touched. Her funeral service was 
held on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at the Charles E. Huff 
International Funeral Home, Incorporated in Columbus, Georgia.
  Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper Debro was born in Coffeeville, Mississippi, on 
October 3, 1916, to the union of Reverend Louis W. Hooper and Mrs. 
Minnie Hooper. As the daughter of a preacher, she committed her life to 
being a believer and servant of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at a 
very early age.
  She graduated from Delta Industrial High School, a historical 
boarding school for gifted Black children in the Mississippi Delta, 
before earning her undergraduate degree from Alcorn and Campbell 
College in 1941. She continued her education at Atlanta University (now 
Clark Atlanta University), where she received her Master's degree in 
Math Education in 1960. A lifelong learner, with an immense passion for 
education, she sought to further her studies at the University of 
Georgia, Florida A & M University, and Tuskegee University as a 
National Science Foundation Scholar.
  Mrs. Debro committed her life to education. She held the position of 
Math Department Chair at Carver High School in Columbus, Georgia, she 
was the Tri Hi Y Chair, Student Advisor, and the PTA Chairwoman from 
1954 to 1971. Later, she taught at Columbus High School from 1971 to 
1978, where she was among the first African American teachers to 
desegregate the Muscogee County School District. Mrs. Debro's life 
story was so impactful that it was featured in the SIS Oral History 
Project at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.
  In addition to her dedication in the classroom, she was also a devout 
servant of God and a member of St. Mark A.M.E. Church for over 70 
years, where she chaired the Women's Missionary Society and served in 
several leadership roles. Her pledge to Christ was echoed in her 
compassionate leadership, which made her a guiding light within her 
community.
  Mother Teresa once said that ``At the end of life we will not be 
judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have 
made, how many great things that we have done. We will be judged by ``I 
was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was naked, and you 
clothed me, I was homeless, and you took me in.'' Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper 
Debro lived her life to help other people. Because of her love for 
Jesus Christ and her service to the least of these, the world is indeed 
a better place.
  Mrs. Debro accomplished much in her life, but none of it would have 
been possible without the Grace of God and the love and support of her 
late husband of 30 years, Mr. James Debro, Sr.; and her children, James 
Jr., William, Lisa, Harriette, and Dwight. She will be greatly missed 
by her family but will also be missed by her community and all of those 
whose lives she touched.
  Madam Speaker, my wife, Vivian, and I, along with the more than 
730,000 people of the Second Congressional District, and all those who 
mourn her loss, salute Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper Debro for her lifetime of 
service to humankind. I ask my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to join us in extending our deepest condolences to Mrs. 
Debro's family during this difficult time of bereavement. We pray that 
they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy 
Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

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