[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[EXTE]
[Page 21836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  TRIBUTE TO BROTHER MARTIN McMURTREY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CHARLES A. GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 5, 2000

  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank and pay tribute to a 
true San Antonio legend, Brother Martin McMurtrey. After 56 years of 
service as an educator in the Society of Mary Catholic schools, 49 of 
those years being spent at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, 
TX, Brother McMurtrey has announced his retirement.
  Having received a bachelor of arts degree in English from the 
University of Dayton in 1942, and a master of education degree from St. 
Louis University in 1949, Brother McMurtrey first entered a classroom 
as a teacher in 1944. Shortly after, in 1951, Brother McMurtrey moved 
to San Antonio and began teaching at Central Catholic.
  During his years at Central Catholic, Brother McMurtrey taught 
courses in English and drafting, coached football, authored two books, 
and dedicated countless hours to working with the disadvantaged in San 
Antonio parishes. I know that even though he is retiring, Brother 
McMurtrey will continue teaching all of us. As a matter of fact, I am 
sure that he will check the spelling and grammar of this entry in the 
Congressional Record of the U.S. House of Representatives.
  In addition, Brother McMurtrey established a scholarship fund to 
assist students who could otherwise not afford to attend Catholic 
schools. He also spent 22 years volunteering after school as a 
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine teacher and as a worker with the 
Presentation Nuns. He also organized the Guardian Angels at Central 
Catholic, an organization that guided student collections of food, 
toys, and clothing during holiday seasons.
  It is estimated that during his half-century of service, Brother 
McMurtrey touched the lives of some 6,000 students. Those students have 
gone on to careers in education, medicine, law, public service, and 
countless other fields. Indeed the impact that Brother McMurtrey has 
had on the lives of his students and on the San Antonio community is 
immeasurable.
  Upon hearing Brother McMurtrey's announcement, several former Central 
Catholic students joined together to plan a retirement celebration 
aptly titled ``The Last English Class.'' Mr. Speaker, today I join 
those students in thanking Brother McMurtrey for enriching the lives of 
all who had the privilege of his mentorship.

                          ____________________