[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 194 (Wednesday, December 14, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING RICHARD RUHE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2022

  Mr. LONG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the incredible career 
of Richard Ruhe. I know him personally and you will not find a kinder, 
gentler or more professional and dedicated teacher than Richard. I'm 
excited to honor him with this Congressional Record today so that 
others can get to know the same man I do.
  After beginning his teaching career in public school districts in 
Arizona, Arkansas, and Texas, Richard and his family moved to Missouri 
in 1991 when he accepted a position at my alma mater Greenwood 
Laboratory School on the campus of Missouri State University to teach 
instrumental music for grades 6-12. At that time, the high school band 
was comprised of a grand total of 3 students. Due to Richard's passion 
and dedication the music program at Greenwood grew exponentially over 
the course of his 25-plus years at Greenwood to include nearly the 
entirety of the secondary student body, year after year. The Greenwood 
band program became one of the strongest in the state, routinely 
winning national competitions against schools many times its size, and 
dozens of students achieved individual awards at the district and state 
levels.
  While the success of the band program was absolutely phenomenal in 
terms of achievement, what really made it special was the sense of 
belonging, purpose, and acceptance so many students found within it. 
When Richard talks about his time at Greenwood now, while I know he's 
immensely proud of what the band program accomplished and all of his 
students' achievements over the years, he most often speaks about 
individual students as individual people and the time he spent getting 
to know them on hours-long bus rides to competitions, or when they'd 
pile into the band room between classes, at lunch, or after school to 
socialize with one another, or seek refuge from a hard day, in a place 
that felt safe. To so many students, he was an endlessly patient 
teacher, a mentor, a trusted advisor. It didn't matter how much 
inherent musical ability any given student had, they were part of the 
band's success, and they belonged in the band room. I know that is 
worth more to Richard than any of the trophies the band collected.
  Madam Speaker, it is clear that Richard Ruhe has prioritized not only 
developing students' musical talents, but also forming them into young 
adults. His work with Greenwood Laboratory School is admirable.

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