[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 1245-1246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO DAVID LAWRENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 8, 2006

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. David 
Lawrence of Chadbourn, North Carolina, for his outstanding contribution 
and years of service as a Town Councilman and Mayor Pro Tempore. David 
passed away on January 24, 2006, after a long battle with prostate 
cancer. David's tremendous leadership, dedication, and altruism as an 
elected official and member of the Chadbourn community will live on in 
the hearts and minds of generations to come.
  Born in Chadbourn, David entered first grade the year that the 
landmark case Brown v. Board of Education was decided. David went on to 
graduate from West Columbus High School in 1966. During high school,

[[Page 1246]]

David enjoyed playing in the band and singing in the choir, but he was 
most well-known for being a star athlete of the basketball team. In 
fact, David was the first African-American to play in the N.C. East-
West All-Star basketball game. Well-known coach Cotton Fitzsimmons 
recognized David's ability and spirit and recruited him to play 
basketball at the college level. David went on to become a freshman 
starter on the Moberly Junior College National Championship Team and 
was named the best defensive player on the 1970 Kansas State University 
Big 8 Championship team.
  David showed his talent and perseverance off the court as well. He 
received his undergraduate and Master's degrees from Kansas State 
University. Later, David earned a second Master's degree from North 
Carolina Central University in educational leadership. In 1973, David 
became an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and served in that capacity 
for 16 years. David was elected to the Town Council in 1995, and he was 
elected Mayor Pro Tempore just in the last year.
  David utilized the skills he learned playing basketball and the 
knowledge he learned in school to become a very influential educational 
and sports leader in Southeastern North Carolina. David truly made a 
difference in the lives of his students. For 16 years, David worked as 
an educational administrator for Columbus County schools. His most 
recent position was as an Assistant Principal at Williams Township 
School. From 1970-1988, David coached basketball at Kansas State 
University, Jacksonville University, Pensacola Junior College, Tate 
High School, and Durham High School. In 1988, David's Durham High 
School team was the PAC6 Tournament Champs, and he was named the Durham 
City County Prep Coach of the Year.
  Legendary UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden once said, ``Sports do 
not build character. They reveal it.'' This statement could not be more 
true in the case of David Lawrence. The manner in which David played 
basketball as a youth and coached basketball as an adult not only 
revealed his leadership, but also more importantly, his unselfish 
commitment to others and causes greater than himself.
  Mr. Speaker, dedicated service to others combined with dynamic 
leadership has been the embodiment of David's life. May we all use his 
wisdom, selflessness, and integrity as a beacon of direction and a 
source of true enlightenment for many years to come. Indeed, may God 
bless to all of our memories the honored life and legacy of David 
Lawrence.

                          ____________________