[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 24344]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         THANKING MARY HOWARD FOR A LIFETIME OF PUBLIC SERVICE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank one 
of South Carolina's finest ladies, Mary Talbert Howard, for her 
lifetime of public service.
  Mary will conclude her full-time service to the people of South 
Carolina when she retires at the end of this year. Active in the 
Lexington, South Carolina, community since 1973, Mary served with my 
predecessor and mentor, the late Congressman Floyd D. Spence. In 2001, 
she graciously agreed to stay on as the District Director for the 
Second Congressional District of South Carolina.
  A native of Hartsville in Darlington County, South Carolina, Mary 
attended the Hartsville schools, Limestone College and graduated from 
the University of South Carolina with a BA in education. She began her 
employment with the late Congressman Floyd Spence in 1981, after 
successfully serving as Spence for Congress campaign office manager, 
and she became District Director in 1992. Her responsibilities included 
representing the Congressman at all events throughout the Second 
Congressional District, handling of all constituent concerns, meeting 
with the local and State government officials and attending all local 
and State civic group meetings.
  Mary has been active in the Lexington Women's Club since 1973 and 
served in many of the officer positions, including president. She also 
served as district and State legislative chairman for the State 
Federation of Women's Clubs.
  Mary has also served as president of the Riverbanks Zoo Society, as 
an active member of the Lexington Medical Center Board, as 
Corresponding Secretary of Friends of the Lexington County Museum, and 
as a board member of the Lexington Arts Association.
  She has been a delegate to the State and county Republican convention 
since 1980.
  Mary is a member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, where she served on 
the Worship and Music Committee and is a former Sunday school teacher.
  Mary is married to Jerry Howard, and they have three children: G.G. 
Howard Culpepper, Melissa Howard Henshaw and Amy Talbert Howard. She 
also has two grandchildren, Cate and Jerrod.
  In all the years that I have worked with Mary, she has always served 
with grace and dignity, and I have been extremely honored to have her 
represent me these last 3 years. She will always be a close, personal 
friend of the Wilson family, and Roxanne and I wish her and her husband 
Jerry all the best in their future.
  I ask all of my colleagues to join me in thanking Mary Howard for her 
commitment to serving her community with excellence.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops; and we will never forget 
September 11.

                          ____________________