[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 30 (Thursday, February 15, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING CLIFFORD DeBAPTISTE

  (Ms. HOULAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a resident of my 
community, Clifford DeBaptiste, who will be celebrating his 100th 
birthday this May.
  Clifford has served our community for over 70 years, first in the 
Army, where he reached the rank of sergeant major, and then as a 
business and civic leader in our community.
  After serving in uniform, Clifford moved to West Chester with his 
wife, Inez, and his daughters, Lillian, Inez, and Celeste, where he 
attended our West Chester University and the first degree-granting 
HBCU, our Lincoln University.
  He and Inez opened several funeral homes, becoming active members of 
the local business community. During this time, he also served 13 terms 
as the chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Funeral Directors.
  In 1994, he made history as the very first Black mayor of our West 
Chester. His work revitalized West Chester's downtown and led to 
incredible growth for local businesses, with the number of restaurants 
in the borough rising from 15 to 57 during his term.
  Since his retirement, he has remained very active in our local 
community. We are so grateful for his contributions and for those of 
his daughter, Lillian, who followed in his footsteps and is now the 
current mayor of West Chester. I wish a happy early birthday to 
Clifford.

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