[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 21216-21217]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         ON THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF JEFFERSON DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 21, 2002

  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 75th 
anniversary of Jefferson Davis High School, located in Houston, Texas. 
As a teenager, growing up in Houston's North Side neighborhood, I had 
the pleasure of attending this fine school.
  Opened on November 2, 1926, the first senior class of 38 students 
graduated on May 30, 1927. Over the decades, this school has excelled 
in educating our youth, giving them the skills they need to become 
leaders in the community, city, state, and nation.
  The alumni of Jeff Davis are known for a variety of achievements and 
accomplishments. Many have served with distinction on our local school 
board, City Council, state legislature, state Supreme Court, and in the 
U.S. Congress, as well as professionals in all fields--doctors, 
lawyers, architects, and engineers. It has also produced nationally 
known entertainers, such as country and western star Kenny Rogers.

[[Page 21217]]

  In athletics, the fighting Panthers have excelled at every level. 
Slater Martin led the school to two state basketball championships in 
1942 and 1943. He went on to become an All-American at the University 
of Texas, a key contributor on several championship Minneapolis (later 
Los Angeles) Laker teams, and is enshrined in the NBA Hall of Fame. In 
the international sports arena, several boxers from Davis have 
excelled, including Jesse Valdez, an Olympic bronze medalist in 1960, 
and Ricardo ``Rocky'' Juarez, who won the World Championships in 1999 
and a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics.
  Although our school receives recognition for our famous graduates, 
the most important accomplishment over the past 75 years is its 
continued ability to produce educated citizens who are a credit to the 
community they live in. Jefferson Davis is more than a school. It is a 
living community of goals, dreams and accomplishments where students 
are pushed to excel.
  In this community, we like to say, ``Once a Jeff Davis Panther, 
always a Jeff Davis Panther.'' Our alumni are key to our school, and 
provide critical support to our mission. You can see our graduates in 
the community, and they are always willing to help, regardless of the 
task. They serve as examples of what students can do, of what they can 
become, if they work hard and believe in themselves. In this spirit of 
giving, and sacrifice, I would note that more than 80 Jeff Davis 
students have given their lives to protect our freedom in the wars and 
conflicts of our country.
  The demographics of the community have changed over the years, but 
the commitment to excellence has never faltered. This school community 
sees a high school diploma not as an end product, but as a stepping 
stone for higher education. The focus of its program is to prepare 
students for post-high school education. Recently, 724 students took 
the PSAT exam in preparation for the SAT that is required for college 
admission. In partnership with Tenneco, El Paso Energy, and Project: 
GRAD, graduates can receive a $4,000 scholarship to pursue higher 
education.
  According to the U.S. 2000 census data, only 26 percent of Hispanics 
who enter college graduate, and the national Hispanic dropout rate is 
34 percent. At Jeff Davis, however, a school that is more than 80 
percent Hispanic, the dropout rate is less than I percent, over half of 
the students go to college, and 42 percent of those who go to college 
graduate. Some choose community or local junior colleges, but the list 
of universities with Jeff Davis alumni includes top-flight schools like 
the University of Houston, the University of Texas, Texas A&M, 
Princeton, Duke, Rice, Cornell, and the University of Virginia.
  Our school is truly a community of learners. Parents, students, 
educators, and businesses come together to provide support so that 
students can succeed. The power of this learning community to realize 
its potential has remained constant throughout its 75 years. Jefferson 
Davis High School is successful because it is a vibrant, caring, 
community that encourages students to not only dream big, but to follow 
those dreams.
  In that way, the first students who walked through these doors in 
1926 are not that different from those here in the year 2002. Success 
is expected, and with support from our community, it is achieved--38 
students graduated in 1927, and more than 300 will graduate in 2003. 
The goals, desires, and dreams of the students are the one constant 
over that time. I am proud of the progress this school is making, and 
proud to be a graduate of Jefferson Davis High School.

                          ____________________