[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DR. ROSE WILDER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 14, 2022

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
trailblazing educator and a good friend, Dr. Rose Ann Davis Hilliard 
Wilder, who transitioned on August 30, 2022 after a valiant battle with 
cancer. Her impact on the State of South Carolina will be felt for 
generations to come.
  Born Rose Ann Davis on November 4, 1955, in Santee, South Carolina, 
Dr. Wilder was a daughter of the late Laco and Ruby Mae Fogle Davis.
  From a young age, Dr. Wilder was passionate about education. It led 
her to earn an undergraduate degree in guidance and counseling, a 
master's in special education, and a PhD in education administration.
  Dr. Wilder began her teaching career in 1979, and 8 years later she 
became assistant principal at Manning Primary School in Clarendon 
County. She went on to serve as the first principal of the new Manning 
Elementary School and later returned as principal of Manning Primary.
  In 1994, Dr. Wilder was appointed assistant superintendent of 
instruction for Clarendon School District 2. Later that year, she was 
chosen to lead the school district and made history by becoming the 
first African American female superintendent in South Carolina since 
the Reconstruction era. She served in that capacity for seven years, 
and in 1999, was named Outstanding Superintendent by the South Carolina 
School Board Association.
  She left Clarendon County to serve as superintendent for the 
Fairfield County School District, but in 2004 returned to Clarendon 
County to serve as superintendent of Clarendon School District 1 in the 
Summerton area. While there, Dr. Wilder was recognized as the South 
Carolina Superintendent of the Year in 2014.
  She retired in 2017, and became Director of Teaching Education at 
Morris College. In 2018, South Carolina Superintendent of Education 
Molly Spearman named her the Superintendent of Williamsburg County 
School District where she led the district under the supervision of the 
state department until her passing.
  Dr. Wilder was an active member of several professional organizations 
and previously served as President of the South Carolina Association of 
School Administrators. In 1999 and 2020, the South Carolina General 
Assembly passed resolutions commending Dr. Wilder for her outstanding 
service in education.
  In 2020, the Clarendon School District 1 Board of Trustees voted to 
officially rename St. Paul Elementary School the Dr. Rose H. Wilder 
Elementary School after receiving overwhelming community support to 
rename the school in Dr. Wilder's honor.
  She was married to Dr. James C. Wilder, and they shared three 
children, Warren Lamont Wilder (deceased), Sharon Hilliard Horace, and 
Michelle Wilder Bedford. They also shared two grandchildren, Jaleah 
Wilder and Blake McKinely Horace.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to rise to celebrate the 
life and legacy of Dr. Rose Wilder. This remarkable woman helped shape 
the education and future of countless children throughout her career. 
They were her passion and her purpose, and she left no stone unturned 
in her determination to educate future generations and improve their 
quality of life. This giant and lifelong educator will be sorely 
missed.

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