[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 25470-25471]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO BOBBY GERALD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 8, 2005

  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated 
public servant who has served the residents of Marion, South Carolina 
ably for more than 30 years. Mayor Bobby Gerald is a product of Marion 
County, and is a lifelong resident of the community he serves. His 
tremendous impact on his hometown reflects his enduring commitment to 
the city and its people.
  Bobby Gerald has served a remarkable 20 years as Mayor of the City of 
Marion. His success in the political arena is no surprise given his 
talent as a businessman. At the tender age of 16, Bobby began selling 
cars for Neil Padgett Motors. After graduating from Marion High School, 
he joined the sales staff full time and went on to win every 
salesmanship award given by Ford Motor Company. His natural abilities 
and good business sense led him to become the General Manager and 
Executive Vice President of Earl Collins Ford Motor Company in 1967, 
just seven years after his high school graduation. In 1980, Bobby 
purchased the business, which he still runs successfully today.
  Yet being a successful businessman was not enough for Bobby Gerald. 
He also felt a duty to serve his community, and in April 1975 he was 
appointed to the Marion County Board of Commissioners. He first won 
elective office in January 1977 as a member of the Marion County 
Council, where he served as Vice Chairman. Two years later, Bobby 
became Chairman of Marion County Council, a capacity in which he served 
until June 1982. At that time he was appointed by the Marion County 
Delegation to serve on the South Carolina State Highway Commission. In 
June 1985, he resigned that appointment after being elected the Mayor 
of the City of Marion, a position he has held ever since.
  As Mayor of Marion, Bobby Gerald has led his city through difficult 
plant closures and the decline in tobacco farming. Yet his community 
has embraced its rich history and small town charm and become a tourist 
destination. Main Street has been revitalized with many family-owned 
antique shops and quaint boutiques, and a National Register Historic 
District has preserved and protected many of the homes, churches and 
other structures. I am proud to have worked with Bobby on the 
preservation of the old Marion High School, which is a crown jewel of 
this community.
  In addition to his elected and appointed positions, Bobby Gerald has 
also been very active in community organizations. He is a member of the 
Jaycees, Mullins Rotary Club, Civitans, the Pee Dee Regional Council of

[[Page 25471]]

Governments, and the S.C. Automobile Dealers Association. He has held 
several leadership positions within these organizations at the local 
and state levels. He has won numerous awards and citations including 
the American Hometown Leadership Award in 1999, the Public Service 
Award in 1996, the Marion Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award 
in 1995, and the Historic Marion Revitalization Association Board of 
Directors Award in 1995.
  Bobby is in partnership with a lovely wife, Frances, and the couple 
has three children and three grandchildren. They are members of the 
Marion Baptist Church.
  Mr. Speaker, on November 21, 2005 I will sponsor a luncheon in Mayor 
Bobby Gerald's honor to say thanks for his many years of public service 
and personal friendship, and I ask you and my colleagues to join me in 
commending this longtime friend for his business acumen and dedicated 
commitment to public service. He is a natural leader, who has made 
extraordinary contributions to the City of Marion and the State of 
South Carolina.

                          ____________________