[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17144-17146]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 17144]]

                     REVEREND J.C. WADE POST OFFICE

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4615) to redesignate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 3030 Meredith Avenue in Omaha, Nebraska, as 
the ``Reverend J.C. Wade Post Office.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4615

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REVEREND J.C. WADE POST OFFICE.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 3030 Meredith Avenue in Omaha, Nebraska, 
     and known as the Ames Station, shall be known and designated 
     as the ``Reverend J.C. Wade Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Reverend J.C. Wade Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on H.R. 4615.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr.  Terry) introduced 
H.R. 4615 on June 8, 2000. This legislation has been supported by the 
entire House delegation of the State of Nebraska pursuant to the policy 
of the Committee on Government Reform.
  H.R. 4615 designates the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 3030 Meredith Avenue in Omaha, Nebraska, as the Reverend 
J.C. Wade Post Office.
  Reverend James Commodore Wade was a noted pastor and a civic leader. 
He was born in Oklahoma in 1909. His mother died when he was 5 years 
old, his father died when he was 8, and his grandfather died when he 
was 11. At age 17, he was completely out on his own. He joined the 
ministry at age 21. He was known as being the youngest pastor in the 
State of Oklahoma.
  J.C. Wade was invited to speak in Omaha in 1944 and stayed on. He 
served on the Mayor's Advisory Committee in Omaha and organized the 
first Head Start Program in Salem, Nebraska. He was a member of the 
Baptist Pastors Conference and the Interdenominational Alliance. He 
served as the President of the New Era Baptist State Convention, 
Incorporated, for 9 years, and also as the State vice president to the 
National Baptist Convention for 9 years. On the national level, he was 
a member of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A., Inc.; the Gospel 
Music Workshop of America; and the NAACP. Dr. Wade died in August 1999.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Terry) for introducing this legislation, and I want to urge our 
colleagues to support H.R. 4615.

                              {time}  1515

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 4615, which names a post office after the 
Reverend J.C. Wade, was introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Terry) on June 8, 2000. We thank him for doing that.
  Reverend James Commodore Wade was a noted pastor and a civic leader. 
He was born in Oklahoma in 1909. He served on the Mayor's Advisory 
Committee in Omaha, and organized the first Head Start program in 
Salem, Nebraska. He was a member of the Baptist Pastor's Conference and 
the Interdenominational Alliance.
  He served as a President of the New Era Baptist State Convention for 
9 years, and also as a State Vice President to the National Baptist 
Convention for 9 years. I want to personally note as a member of that 
convention that I am very pleased to see that we are honoring him 
today.
  On the national level, he was a member of the National Baptist 
Convention, the Gospel Music Workshop of America, and the NAACP. Ralph 
Waldo Emerson once said that you cannot judge a man by his station in 
life, but what he has done to get there.
  I listened to the words of my distinguished colleague, the 
gentlewoman from Maryland, as she noted the fact that his parents died 
at an early age but yet he was able to overcome, and as a matter of 
fact, become a minister at a very early age. Again, on a personal note, 
as the son of two ministers, I can appreciate what we are doing here 
today.
  Just to know that this gentleman who hales from Oklahoma was able to 
and became a significant part of the National Baptist Convention says a 
whole lot. It is a very distinguished convention, and it is a very 
important one in our Nation.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I urge the swift adoption of this measure.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry), and I thank him for 
introducing this piece of legislation.
  Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time 
to me, and I thank the gentleman from Maryland. I thank both members 
for managing this bill on the floor. I also thank the chairman of the 
committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), for their efforts 
in committee to make sure that this bill passes and becomes reality.
  In our society I think it is important, and especially for our 
children, to recognize those people that have had such a positive 
impact and effect on their community. It is truly an honor to be able 
to stand here and name a post office after one such gentleman in Omaha, 
Nebraska.
  This bill renames the Ames Street Station after Reverend J.C. Wade, 
who for 44 years was the pastor and emeritus pastor of the Salem 
Missionary Baptist Church in north Omaha, which is the largest African-
American church in Nebraska, and frankly, is one of the largest 
churches, period, in the State of Nebraska, because of his commitment 
and leadership.
  Reverend Wade, as we learned, was born in Oklahoma, Wybark, Oklahoma, 
September 1, 1909. Wybark, by the way, is now called Chase, Oklahoma. 
Unfortunately for the Omaha, Nebraska community to which he moved in 
around 1950, he passed away on August 30, 1999.
  Madam Speaker, I submit for the Record the program of his memorial 
service that outlines in more detail his achievements for his 
community.
  A copy of the memorial service program is as follows:

                   Rev. Dr. James Commodore Wade, Sr.

                       Sunrise--September 1, 1909

                        Sunset--August 30, 1999

      Homegoing Celebration for Rev. Dr. James Commodore Wade, Sr.

       ``And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, 
     which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.''--
     Jeremiah 3:15
       ``And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is 
     written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the 
     gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!''--
     Romans 10:15

 Friday, September 3, 1999 10:00 A.M.; Salem Baptist Church, 3336 Lake 
       Street, Omaha, Nebraska; Rev. Maurice Watson, Officiating


                                Obituary

       (The obituary was prewritten by Rev. Dr. James Commodore 
     Wade, Sr.)
       The life of James Commodore Wade, Sr. is a theocratic reply 
     to the somewhat desparaging question, ``Who's gonna take the 
     boy?'' James Commodore Wade, Sr. was birthed in a small 
     hamlet called Wybark, Oklahoma, now Chase, Oklahoma, on 
     September 1, 1909 to the parentage of George W.

[[Page 17145]]

     Wade and Henrietta Ayers Wade. When the boy, James, was 5, 
     his mother died and that marked the beginning of that 
     disparaging question, ``Who's gonna take the boy?'' At age 8, 
     he experienced the death of his father and again the question 
     was raised, ``Who's gonna take the boy?'' Then at age 11, he 
     witnessed the demise of his grandfather, Mr. Samuel Ayers, 
     who at the time was his guardian. Once more, we encounter the 
     query, ``Who's gonna take the boy?'' Seeming to be an orphan 
     child, living as he says, ``from pillar to post,'' it was at 
     that point that God intervened and replied to that 
     disheartening question by saying, ``I will take the boy and 
     make him the beneficiary of special providence.'' And the 
     rest of the life of James Commodore Wade, Sr. is but a 
     constant unfolding of God's providential care for a boy 
     without a guardian or a home. Prior to the death of his 
     grandfather, at age 10, he accepted Christ at the Union Grove 
     Baptist Church, Wybark, Oklahoma, and was baptized in the 
     Arkansas River by the late Rev. W.L. Turner.
       Because of the twin afflictions of poverty and segregation, 
     James went to a little one-room school, when he could, and 
     finished the eighth grade in his mid-teens. By the time James 
     was 17, he was completely out on his own. It was at this 
     point that James left his native home and moved to Tulsa, 
     Oklahoma. After moving to Tusla, he united with the St. 
     Andrews Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. W.H. 
     Woods. It was during these years that James picked up the 
     pace of his flight from his life's calling. He attempted to 
     do what so many have sought to do, and that is to run away 
     from the ``preacher'' calling. But God always has a way of 
     making his servants give in to the clarion call. For J.C. 
     Wade, God brought about a cataclysmic experience in the solar 
     system. According to Rev. Wade's own testimony, ``The sun, 
     instantaneously switched places.'' Because of that stunning 
     experience, J.C. Wade, Sr. confessed his call to the ministry 
     at age 21 and preached his first sermon on April 1, 1931 at 
     the St. Andrews Baptist Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma, whose pastor 
     was Rev. W.H. Woods.
       The year 1933 began another phase in the life of Rev. J.C. 
     Wade, Sr., for in 1933, Rev. Wade was called to be the pastor 
     of the Fountain Baptist Church in Haynes, Oklahoma for an 
     overwhelming salary of 50 cents per week, sometimes! Pastor 
     Wade had the sweet, torturous task of walking five miles on 
     Sunday to preach the gospel to a dense crowd of 50 to 100 
     people, that is, if it didn't rain or snow. After serving the 
     Fountain Baptist Church, the oldest church in the state of 
     Oklahoma for approximately 2-2\1/2\ years, Pastor Wade, who 
     bore the distinction of being the youngest pastor in the 
     state of Oklahoma, resigned the Foundation Baptist Church and 
     moved to the southern metropolis of Memphis, Tennessee. 
     Memphis, at that time, was considered to be the haven of 
     great preachers. There were two significant reasons for his 
     moving to Memphis. One was that his father in the ministry 
     wanted him to go to school; and secondly, he wanted him to be 
     his assistant pastor at the Bethlehem Baptist Church.
       After moving to Memphis, Rev. Wade met at Bethlehem a 
     tender young lady named Mary Frazier, whom God had delivered 
     from the crippling affliction called polio. Rev. Wade was 
     most impressed with Mary, but Mary was most unimpressed with 
     him. In fact, she was so unimpressed with him until when he 
     would seek to pay her a visit, she would say, ``Here comes 
     that Old Esau.'' But her being unimpressed did not deter nor 
     dissuade Rev. Wade. There was a prominent member of the 
     Frazier family who genuinely admired ``Old Esau,'' and that 
     was Mary's mother, who everybody affectionately called ``Mama 
     Frazier.'' Since Mary refused to court Rev. Wade, Rev. Wade 
     took a most effective alternate approach. He courted Mary 
     through her mother, ``Mama Frazier.'' It was an effective 
     approach because on December 18, 1935, Rev. Wynn united in 
     holy matrimony, Rev. J.C. Wade, Sr. and Mary ``Unimpressed'' 
     Frazier.
       Those early years were some tough days. Because of grave 
     circumstances, Rev. and Mrs. Wade lived five years with her 
     mother, ``Mama Frazier.'' Rev. Wade worked at the government 
     fleet, better known then as working on the levy. While 
     working on the levy in the fall of 1936, Rev. Wade was called 
     to be the shepherd of the Middle Baptist Church. However, a 
     strange thing occurred: After serving as pastor for 
     approximately three months, Rev. Wade permitted a visiting 
     minister to preach for him during the Christmas season; he 
     had to work on Sundays. The congregation, feeling that the 
     visiting minister could outpreach Rev. Wade, dismissed him 
     and called the visiting minister.
       In the year 1937, Pastor Wade became pastor of the Shiloh 
     Baptist Church on Court Street in Memphis, Tennessee. The 
     membership totaled less than 100 people. This time, there was 
     a substantial pay increase from ``sometimes'' 50 cents per 
     week. The financial arrangement at Shiloh was 40/60.
       Whatever was raised on Sunday, 40% was to be retained by 
     the church and 60% was to be given to the pastor-elect. What 
     an arrangement! However, the offering was a modest $6.00 per 
     Sunday.
       Then in 1940, Pastor Wade accepted another church in 
     Memphis called the Riverside Baptist Church in the south 
     Memphis area which had a membership of 200 people. Pastor 
     Wade did something that was a church custom in the South at 
     that time. That custom was to pastor, simultaneously, more 
     than one church. Pastor Wade accepted the Riverside Baptist 
     Church at a great salary increase: He began his ministry 
     there at $25.00 per week.
       To show you that Pastor Wade was concerned about providing 
     for the needs of his family, while pastoring two churches, he 
     took on a job at Mr. Green's store on Horn Lake Road and 
     Ingle as a butcher.
       In Genesis 1:28, we read, ``And God said unto them, be 
     fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.'' The year 
     1937 marks the beginning of the Wade's being fruitful. On 
     March 20, 1937, a little girl was born, and she was named 
     Ruth Evelyn. On July 24, 1938, a boy was born and he was 
     named James Commodore Wade, Jr. In the fall of 1939, tragedy 
     almost struck the Wade household. Mrs. Wade became 
     dangerously ill and was carried to the hospital in an 
     unconscious condition. While Mrs. Wade was en route to the 
     hospital, Rev. Wade went into their pantry and shut up with 
     God and said, ``God, you can't take her now. I don't want my 
     children growing up as I did, not knowing Mother.'' God heard 
     and answered that prayer because by the time Rev. Wade 
     arrived at the hospital, Mrs. Wade was sitting up, dangling 
     her feet on the side of the bed. After Mrs. Wade's recovery, 
     they moved from Mama Frazier's to rent from Mr. George 
     Griffin on Dixon Street. After having moved on Dixon, the 
     Wades continued to be fruitful, for on March 15, 1941, 
     another girl was born. She was named Doretha. Then on 
     September 18, 1944, another son was born, and he was named 
     Melvin Von.
       In the early summer of 1944, Rev. Wade was invited by Rev. 
     Woods, his father in the ministry, to preach a two-week 
     revival at the Salem Baptist Church in Omaha Nebraska. 
     Excitedly, he told many ministers who would gather at the 
     Polk Printing office on Monday mornings. With a jubilant 
     spirit, he went to Omaha to preach, for two weeks, only to 
     find out after reaching Omaha, that Rev. Woods was not in the 
     city. So, in an embarrassed state and at the request of the 
     official board, Rev. Wade remained in Omaha. On the third 
     Sunday in July, Rev. Wade was called to be the pastor of the 
     Salem Baptist Church which had a roll of 250 members with 88 
     present. Rev. Wade states that there were three significant 
     reasons for accepting a church who kept their pastors for two 
     years at a time: 1) God ordained it so; 2) He did not want to 
     rear his children in the segregated South; and 3) His mother-
     in-law's sainted sister Emma Highsmith told him that the Lord 
     told her that his field was not in Memphis, and pointing in a 
     northern direction, she said it's going to be that way.
       The unique thing about Pastor Wade moving to Omaha was 
     that, gradually, all of Sister Wade's family moved to Omaha.
       After moving to Omaha, the Wades continued to be fruitful. 
     In 1949, Sister Wade conceived a son, and to their dismay, 
     that son passed away at birth. However, desiring to have one 
     more child, on March 10, 1951, a little girl was born, and 
     she was named Marsha Ann.
       In 1949, Pastor Wade began to make extensive changes on 
     Salem's structure. Then in 1955, with the membership having 
     exceeded the present seating capacity. Rev. Wade sought to 
     enlarge the sanctuary to accommodate the overflow crowd. That 
     vision met with much opposition. But in spite of opposition, 
     the structure was completed in 1956. Two years after that 
     completion, the loan which they almost didn't get, was paid 
     off.
       1957 and 1958 were exciting years, not only because a loan 
     was paid off, but because in December, 1957, Pastor Wade 
     watched his daughter Doretha conduct her first musical. It 
     was a Christmas cantata. And then in the spring of 1958, his 
     elder son James confessed his call to the ministry and 
     preached his first sermon. Then in 1961, with much ecstasy, 
     he watched his son James receive a B.A. degree from Bishop 
     College. Another exciting year for Pastor and Mrs. Wade was 
     1962. For 27 years, Rev. and Mrs. Wade lived in the following 
     places: with Mama Frazier, in a rental house, and in a church 
     parsonage. But in 1962, a dream came true. They purchased 
     their first home at 3612 North 42nd Street. Then in 1963, his 
     second son, Melvin, preached his first sermon.
       After being told that the freeway was going to include the 
     Salem structure at 28th and Decatur, Pastor Wade began to 
     search out a location for a new Salem site.
       In 1970, ground was broken for a new church structure at 
     34th and Lake Streets and was completed in April, 1971. That 
     loan was paid off in 1978.
       Another milestone was reached when he was informed in 1982 
     that government funds had been granted for the construction 
     of a senior citizens' complex.
       Yes, it was God who took the boy. For only God could take 
     an orphan child, without much education, call him to preach, 
     change his education insight, make him a rhetorical genius, 
     and a linguistical genius. Make him a husband, a father, a 
     pastor, a shepherd, a builder, and an evangelist. Because God 
     had

[[Page 17146]]

     taken care of the boy, Rev. Wade was one of the most 
     influential pastors in Omaha. He stood in some of the great 
     preaching places in America, and he traveled extensively, 
     evangelizing and proclaiming the gospel. Because God had 
     taken care of an orphan boy from Wybark, Dr. Wade held key 
     denominational positions, both locally and nationally.
       Yes, God, indeed had taken care of the boy, James Commodore 
     Wade, Sr. Rev. Wade also acknowledged, lest he seem 
     ungrateful, the three years he spent as a member of the 
     Friendship Baptist Church, Kansas City, Missouri, under the 
     pastorate of the Rev. S. C. Doyle, who was a pastor and 
     friend to him.
       Rev. Wade will be greatly missed by ALL who knew him but he 
     leaves to cherish his memories his wife of sixty-three years: 
     Mary Frazier-Wade, Omaha; three daughters and son-in-law: 
     Ruth Murray, Doretha Wade-Wilkerson, Los Angeles, California, 
     Marsha Ann (Rev. Clyde) Nichols, Denver, Colorado; two sons 
     and daughters-in-law: Rev. James C., Jr. (Ella) Wade, East 
     Chicago, Indiana, Rev. Melvin V., Sr. (Jacquie) Wade, Los 
     Angeles; nephew: Gene Bell, Evanston, Illinois; four nieces: 
     Tina Williams, Chicago, Illinois, Marguerite Anderson, 
     Cincinnati, Ohio, Myrtis Twyman, Westchester, Illinois, Wilma 
     Hardiman, Omaha; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Susan 
     and William Cooper, Queon Temple, Agnes Brown, Sam (Grace) 
     Frazier, all of Omaha; nine grandchildren; six great-
     grandchildren; and other relatives.

  Madam Speaker, renaming this postal facility in his honor is an 
attempt to pay tribute to this outstanding citizen and dedicated man of 
God. The work initiated by Reverend Wade continues to this day in our 
community, and his impact on our community should be remembered, as it 
will forever have changed our community.
  Among the notable community service achievements, Reverend Wade 
created the Salem Preschool for Children. In the early fifties, he 
realized that our youngest children have to go to school ready to 
learn, so he started the preschool to make sure that when they entered 
school they were ready; the precursor to what we call the Head Start 
program today. He started it before anyone in government had ever 
thought of that concept.
  He organized, too, the first adult basic education in Omaha, 
Nebraska, at the church. He participated, and we have heard deeply in 
our community through the Mayors' Advisory Council, the 
Interdenominational Council, which by the way unifies our community 
from all faiths and geographic areas.
  As a leader in the religious community, Reverend Wade served as the 
President of the New Era Baptist State Convention, the State Vice 
President to the National Baptist Convention, and director of religious 
education for the Sunday School and Baptist Training Union of the New 
Era State Convention.
  As a member of the National Baptist Convention U.S.A., Reverend Wade 
brought the Baptist National Convention to Omaha three times. During 
his tenure at Salem Baptist, Reverend Wade grew the congregation from 
250 members to nearly 4,000 members.
  I was reminded the other day of a fascinating story about this man 
who took the Salem Baptist Choir to Crookston, Minnesota, for a concert 
in the late 1960s. This church in Crookston was based in an all-white 
community. Some of the Crookston members had never associated with 
African-Americans before, but this choir performed their concert even 
while their hearts were grieving because of riots that were occurring 
in Omaha, Nebraska.
  The Choir fellowshipped with church members at a picnic following the 
concert, and later stayed in Crookston members' homes. The event broke 
down racial barriers and helped develop friendships between the two 
congregations that last to today. This outreach was a great success, 
particularly at a time when riots were going on not only in our 
hometown but throughout the country. It greatly affected the members of 
both churches.
  All these earthly achievements testify to the character of Reverend 
J.C. Wade, who we seek to honor today by passing H.R. 4615 designating 
the Reverend J.C. Wade Post Office.
  Finally, I would like to honor Reverend Wade's wife of 63 years, an 
amazing woman, Mary Frazier Wade, and thank her for her assistance and 
her support in this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I was very pleased to hear the gentleman from Nebraska 
(Mr. Terry) reiterate the concern that Reverend J.C. Wade had for the 
education of young people. If we were to honor him, I am sure he would 
want to be honored for his pastoral duties and his efforts, but I am 
sure he would also want to be honored for looking towards the future so 
that he could make sure that young children could rise up to be the 
very best they could be.
  When we are talking about establishing the first Head Start center in 
Omaha, I think that says a lot, because he clearly had a vision of the 
future. As I often say, he cared about somebody other than himself. He 
wanted to make sure that those children were able to rise up.
  I am sure that as they pass the post office, a lot of those children 
who benefited from his efforts, they can only stop to salute and say, 
thank you.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I am very moved to hear about the contributions of 
Reverend J.C. Wade. I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Terry) for so acknowledging and for introducing this legislation to 
name a post office building in his name.
  Madam Speaker, I urge support for the bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4615.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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