[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 44 (Friday, March 11, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN HONOR OF THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. BEATRICE PRICE

                                 ______
                                 

                            TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 11, 2022

  Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable life 
and legacy of Beatrice Muse Price, a pioneering Army nurse to the 
Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, who passed away at age 98 on March 
4, 2022.
  Mrs. Price was born the second of six children on January 21, 1924, 
in Bessemer, Alabama, to the late Henry and Frances Muse. Graduating 
from Hale County Training School, she went on to attend Grady Memorial 
School of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia, where she graduated in 1944 as a 
Registered Nurse. She continued her education at the University of 
Maryland, Tuskegee University, and Miles College.
  Mrs. Price began her career in nursing, serving as a chief nurse for 
a private hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She then joined the Army 
Nurses Corps in WWII, serving as a 2nd Lieutenant then later as 1st 
Lieutenant. During her time in the military, Mrs. Price was assigned to 
care for the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military 
aviator unit in the United States Army. From 1944 to 1948, Mrs. Price 
showed exemplary courage and service to the Tuskegee Airmen, earning 
her the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal along with the men she 
cared for. Her heroic military service to our country broke many 
barriers for future generations of Black nurses.
  Mrs. Price had a stellar 42-year career in nursing. After her 
discharge in 1948, she went on to work in the U.S. Public Health 
Service for three years. Then, she spent the next 34 years working as a 
nurse at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. She was ultimately promoted 
to be the Night Nursing Supervisor, a position she held for twenty 
years until she retired on January 2, 1988.
  Mrs. Price received countless awards for her remarkable leadership 
and contributions to the nursing profession. In 1985, VA department 
heads in Birmingham selected Mrs. Price as the first recipient of the 
distinguished Administrator's Award for Excellence in Nursing. In 2011, 
Mrs. Price was selected by America's oral history project, StoryCorps, 
to create an audio recording of her incredible life story. She also 
received national recognition in 2013, from the international Black 
nurse's sorority. Chi Eta Phi, for being a True Nursing Pioneer.
  Throughout her life, Mrs. Price was a faithful servant leader. She 
was an active member of the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, serving for 
over sixty years as a member of the Deaconess Board, founder of the 
Wellness Ministry, and co-founder of a Sunday School class.
  Mrs. Price is preceded in death by her husband of 37 years, Charles 
E. Price, Sr; parents Henry and Mary Frances Muse; sister, Ruth 
Outland; two brothers Eugene Muse and Theodore Muse, Sr.; two 
stepdaughters Norma Jean Price and Charlotte Price; and granddaughter, 
April Price. She is survived by one daughter Gill Hickman (G. Michael); 
two sons Joseph Diop (Betty Ann) and Michael Price (Anita); two 
surrogate daughters Karen Beverly West (John ``Bev'') and Amelia Jones; 
a daughter-in-law Sherrell Price; one brother Henry Muse, Sr. 
(Eulasteen); one sister Annie Bell Dawson; ten grandchildren Angela 
Terry (Anthony), Kimberly Crago (Stephen), Michael B. Hickman, Bennie 
Stephen Hurst (Frederica), Mannye Franklin (Preston), Arianne Price, 
Ashley Price, Tyler Price, Serena James, and Yolanda Roberts; one 
surrogate granddaughter Anniko ``Nicole'' Richardson (Jay); seven 
nieces and nephews John Outland, Jr. (Patricia), Monica Chambers, 
Kenneth Muse, Theodore Muse Jr. (Marquita), Arleen Livingston, Darlene 
Davis, Anita Muse; best friend and colleague Juanita Hixon; dear 
friends Leona Steward and Veronica Pettway; and a host of great-
grandchildren, cousins, friends and church members.
  On a personal note, Mrs. Price was a source of great inspiration for 
me and so many young black women. A trailblazer and pioneer in the 
field of nursing, she was devoted to her church, her family, and her 
service to this nation. A woman of tremendous faith, Mrs. Price served 
honorably during World War II alongside the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. 
As Alabama's first Black Congresswoman, it was my high honor to bestow 
upon her a Congressional Gold Medal for her courage, bravery, and 
exemplary service. I was also elated to host Mrs. Price in Washington 
at the State of the Union in 2013. For all of her accomplishments, Mrs. 
Price was always gracious, sweet, compassionate, and humble--always 
helping others with a smile and an extended hand. I am eternally 
grateful for our friendship, mentorship, and special bond. I want to 
thank her family for sharing her with the world. May we find comfort in 
knowing that she lived a full blessed life, and her legacy will live on 
in the hearts and actions of those she impacted. Rest in Peace and 
Power, thy good and faithful servant.
  On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary life and legacy 
of Mrs. Beatrice Muse Price and her dedicated service that helped 
transform American History.

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