[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 162 (Monday, September 20, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E987-E988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE MARY ALICE BUCKNER

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 20, 2021

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and 
solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary 
public servant, mentor to many, trailblazer, mother, and dear friend of 
longstanding, Judge Mary Alice Buckner. Sadly, Judge Buckner 
transitioned on Friday, September 10, 2021. A celebration of her life 
was held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 18, 2021, at the Mount 
Pilgrim Baptist Church, 4400 Old Cusseta Road in Columbus, Georgia.
  Mary Alice Buckner was born in Columbus, Georgia on March 3, 1948, as 
the fifth of nine children to the late Reverend Otis Buckner and Mrs. 
Beatrice Rogers Buckner. She was educated in the Muscogee County public 
schools, graduating with honors in 1966, from George Washington Carver 
High School. She decided early what career she would pursue, choosing 
law because she wanted her voice to be heard and to make a difference 
in society. Mary enrolled at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where 
she received a Bachelor of Science degree in History and Political 
Science in 1970. She was accepted into Emory Law School, and after 
completing her first year, transferred to Mercer University, where in 
1973 she received a Juris Doctorate from the Walter F. George School of 
Law, becoming the first African American female to graduate from Mercer 
Law School.
  Mary Buckner accepted Christ at an early age becoming a lifelong 
member of Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church, serving over the years in the 
Sanctuary Choir, the Pulpit Search Committee, the Welcome Circle 
Mission, the Mount Pilgrim Legal Counsel Board and President of the 
Matrons 2. In 1975, Mary Buckner joined my law firm, Bishop and Hudlin. 
In 1978, the firm changed to Bishop and Buckner, P.C., and she became a 
full partner specializing in real estate, probate, bankruptcy, and 
domestic relations. We continued our practice up through 1992 when I 
was elected to Congress at which time, she formed her own private 
practice. Madam Speaker, Mary Buckner was a pioneer, paving the way for 
women and minorities. In February of 1984, she became the first African 
American woman appointed Judge Pro Tem of the Columbus Recorder's 
Court, and in 1991, she was appointed by the City Council to serve full 
time, which she did with distinction until her retirement in 2019.
  Judge Buckner made significant contributions to the community through 
her involvement and volunteer work in organizations such as the 
Columbus Community Center, Past President of the Columbus Technical 
College Board, member and Past President of the Georgia Legal Services 
Board, member of the A.J. McClung YMCA Board, and a member of

[[Page E988]]

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her concern for others, especially 
children, led her to become a foster parent. Judge Buckner's bar 
affiliations include memberships in the State Bar of Georgia, American 
Bar Association, National Bar Association, Columbus Bar Association, 
and the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys.
  Among her numerous honors and awards are: The Tony Baldwin 
Trailblazer Award presented by the Black Law Students Association 
Alumni Council of Mercer University; The Barbara A. Harris Award for 
Service to the Community; and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., 
Gamma Tau Omega Chapter 2009 Rosa Parks Women of Courage Honoree. She 
always advised others and especially young people that a person can 
achieve any goal with hard work, dedication, and commitment. She 
continued to make strides and create paths for diversity in the legal 
profession and wanted her legacy to show that she was fair yet 
compassionate on the bench. She knew that she had to follow the law but 
at the same time show empathy and concern for the wellbeing of all.
  Judge Buckner accomplished much throughout her life, but none of this 
would have been possible without her enduring faith in God, the love 
and nurture of her parents, siblings, children, Jontell and Jackie, as 
well as her vast extended family, friends, and associates, all of whom 
will miss her deeply.
  On a personal note, I have known Judge Buckner as ``Mary B.'' since 
1970, when I met her at Emory Law School. She and her family have 
inspired me and countless others. Not only was she my law partner, but 
she was my sister and trusted friend. Her friendship and support over 
the years have contributed mightily to my professional and political 
success, and I will be forever grateful that she has been a part of my 
life.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with the more than 
730,000 residents of the Second Congressional District of Georgia in 
paying tribute to the Honorable Mary Alice Buckner for her service to 
humankind and in extending our deepest condolences to her family, 
friends, and all those who mourn her loss. Moreover, we pray that we 
will all be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy 
Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

                          ____________________