[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 27733-27734]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE RETIREMENT OF DR. BETTY CLECKLEY AND HER YEARS OF 
                     SERVICE TO MARSHALL UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 18, 2007

  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Betty 
Cleckley, a dedicated educator for her 17 years of service and 
leadership to Marshall University. She has been at Marshall since 1989 
when she accepted the new position of Vice President for Multicultural 
Affairs in Huntington, West Virginia. For her years of service to the 
students, faculty and staff of Marshall University and the community of 
Huntington I offer my deepest thanks and gratitude.
  A native West Virginian, Dr. Cleckley graduated from Douglass High 
School before going on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from 
Marquette University, a Master of Social Science degree from Smith 
College, A Ph.D. degree from Brandeis University and a post doctoral 
certificate in Higher Education Management from Harvard University.
  Before working at Marshall, Dr. Cleckley held a number of 
administrative and teaching positions in the health and higher 
education fields. She was Associate Dean and Associate Professor of the 
School of Social Work at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; 
Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, Interim Vice President of 
Institutional Advancement and Executive Assistant to the President and 
Coordinator of Meharry's Centers of Excellence at Meharry Medical 
College, Nashville, Tennessee. She also served as the Director of the 
Black College Initiative at the Agency on Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and 
Mental Health Administration in Washington, DC.

[[Page 27734]]

  In 1989, when Dr. Cleckley returned to Huntington, she did so with 
dreams of making a difference in her hometown community. The Harmony 
Institute at Marshall University was one of the many dreams she was 
able to realize during her tenure. The institute was conceived in 1997 
with the mission to actively promote an appreciation for human and 
civil rights, social justice and racial harmony among students, 
administrators, faculty and staff, as well as among residents of 
surrounding communities so that they may have a global impact on 
achieving racial equality in this rapidly changing multicultural 
society. Over the years, the Harmony Institute has continued to fulfill 
that multicultural mission through community engagement and scholarly 
developments.
  During her time at Marshall, she has been an active member of the 
community and has been honored many times over for her hard work and 
dedication. Dr. Cleckley served on the State of West Virginia Human 
Rights Commission and currently serves on the Martin Luther King, Jr. 
State of West Virginia Holiday Commission, Cabell Huntington Hospital 
Foundation and the Center for Aging and Health Care in West Virginia, 
Ins. She is also a life member of the National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People.
  Some of the many honors she has received are: ``The WV Civil Rights 
Award'' from the Governor of West Virginia in 2003, the ``Celebrate 
Women Award in Education'' award by the West Virginia's Women 
Commission in 2003 and the ``Betty Jane Cleckley Minority Research 
Award'' which was established by the American Public Health Association 
and recognizes research on minority health issues, particularly among 
the elderly.
  In her poem, ``Still I Rise'', poet and educator Maya Angelou writes:

     Just like moons and like suns,
     With the certainty of tides,
     Just like hopes springing high,
     Still I'll rise.

  Time and again, Dr. Betty Cleckley has proven her ability to rise up 
and take on new challenges. Her time at Marshall has left an indelible 
footprint and a legacy that will be a hard act to follow. I wish Dr. 
Cleckley my best in all of her future endeavors and know that whatever 
new tasks she decides to take on, she will as always rise to the 
challenge.

                          ____________________