[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8686]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              THE LATE CLARENCE HOLLAND ``ICKY'' ALBRIGHT

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to an old 
friend and one of South Carolina's most public minded citizens, 
Clarence Holland ``Icky'' Albright, who recently passed away at the age 
of 93.
  To those who knew him, Icky Albright was synonymous with the town of 
Rock Hill, a small and charming city in the Olde English District of 
South Carolina. Though a native of Laurens, Icky Albright moved to Rock 
Hill in 1929, shortly after graduating from Clemson Agricultural 
College, and became Rock Hill's leading citizen and cheerleader. He 
essentially spent his entire adult life working tirelessly, as both a 
private citizen and a public official, to promote what is a 
quintessential southern and American town.
  Icky Albright was fiercely proud of his adopted hometown and set his 
roots deep there, starting with his 1934 marriage to Rock Hill native, 
the former Sophie Marshall. Mr. Albright was one of the Rock Hill 
business community's leading citizens, for years, he was part owner of 
a hardware store established by his father-in-law and he later started 
his own business, ``Albright Reality Incorporated''. Furthermore, he 
was active in any number of civic and service organizations. His 
passion for making Rock Hill the best place possible to live prompted 
him to get involved in public service, running for and serving on the 
City Council from 1940-1944, as Mayor from 1948-1954, and as South 
Carolina State Senator from 1966-1968.
  Beyond the many votes he cast as a public servant, the funds he 
raised for charity, or enthusiastically promoting commerce, Icky 
Albright's most enduring legacy was the creation of the ``Come-See-Me 
Festival'' held every April and timed to coincide with the blooming of 
the azaleas in the city's Glencairn Garden. A modest man, Icky Albright 
protested that this successful festival was the idea of many, though 
everyone knew that he was the one who was truly responsible for this 
popular event that draws more than 100,000 people each year.
  Though it sounds a tad cliche, it is true to say that Icky Albright 
lived a long, full, and rewarding life, and that through his efforts he 
touched the lives of many and made a significant difference in his 
community and our state. All that knew him mourn his passing and our 
condolences go out to his widow, their two sons ``Bud'' and Ned, three 
grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

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