[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 114 (Friday, June 30, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO MRS. ELISE JONES MARTIN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 30, 2023

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
trailblazer, fearless business owner, voting rights advocate, and my 
good friend, Elise Jones Martin. Mrs. Martin transitioned from this 
life on June 1, 2023, in Palo Alto, California. Having lived in 
Columbia, South Carolina, for the majority her life, Mrs. Martin was a 
pillar of our community who was widely loved and respected for her 
tenacity and compassion.
  Elise Jones Martin was born on February 7, 1915, in Hartsville, South 
Carolina. She was raised in a loving home by her mother, Fannie Jones, 
who worked as a seamstress to support her and her siblings after the 
passing of their father. By age 20, Mrs. Martin had graduated from 
cosmetology school in New Jersey and settled in Columbia, South 
Carolina, where she opened her first beauty shop. A successful business 
owner, she owned several successful beauty shops in the state. She 
would go on to open Elise Beauty Shop in downtown Columbia and become 
the first Black person to own a business on Main Street.
  In addition to her business acumen, Mrs. Martin was deeply dedicated 
to her education and passing the gift of knowledge onto others. She 
took classes at South Carolina State University, Allen University, and 
Benedict College. Mrs. Martin would go on to become a beloved 
cosmetology teacher of 27 years at Columbia's Booker T. Washington High 
School. In addition, Mrs. Martin often kept in touch with her former 
students, offering insight and guidance as they embarked on future 
endeavors.
  Throughout her life, Mrs. Martin was a highly involved member of the 
community and volunteered her spare time to bettering the lives of 
others. She was involved with many groups, including the Columbia 
Housing Authority, the Clyburn Golf Center Committee, the Columbia 
Zoning Commission, the Citizens Advisory Committee for Community 
Development, the City Beautification Committee, the Drew Park Board, 
and the Jones-McDonald Community Club, which was co-founded by her 
mother. Additionally, she was a recipient of the Enduring Spirit Award 
from the Columbia Museum of Art and received accolades from the 
Columbia City Council and the American Cancer Society.
  Having grown up in the Jim Crow South and enduring difficulty at the 
polls, Mrs. Martin closely cherished her civic activities. She became a 
prominent voting rights advocate in South Carolina. In addition to 
spending decades registering people to vote and guiding them through 
the voting process, Mrs. Martin served as a poll worker for more than 
30 years, well into her nineties. She famously met Barack Obama whilst 
he was running for President, telling him proudly, ``You are a good 
man. You've got good brains and don't you stop.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in honoring 
the incredible and inspiring life of Elise Jones Martin. She is 
remembered fondly by her three children, grandchildren, and great-
grandchildren, the products of a more than 50-year loving marriage to 
the dearly departed Montez Martin, Sr. Throughout her life, she 
remained steadfast in her dedication to her state and extending the 
greatness of this country to all Americans. She will be sorely missed 
and well-remembered.

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