[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19871]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LIFE OF ERBY WALKER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOHN LEWIS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 18, 2008

  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
one of Atlanta's greatest icons. A humble man who loved his job and 
worked hard to be the best he could be, Erby Walker became one of 
downtown Atlanta's most beloved figures. Presidents, celebrities, 
athletes and Atlantans alike came to know Erby Walker as the heart and 
soul of the Varsity, Atlanta's most famous drive-in diner and a 
downtown landmark.
  Erby Walker started his career at the Varsity in 1952 sweeping up 
after customers at the tender age of 15.
  Back then the diner was segregated--whites worked the counter, blacks 
worked in the back--but in 1964 the diner was integrated and Erby 
Walker was promoted to the counter, the first black man to work there. 
And work he did. He worked so hard that the owners of the Varsity sent 
Erby and his family to Disney World, all expenses paid--twice. He 
received awards, honors and recognitions--he was even inducted into the 
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau Hospitality Hall of Fame.
  It was Erby who first asked, ``What'll ya have?''--a question still 
asked today when customers approach the counter and just one of the 
many phrases Erby coined as he shaped the Varsity into a place as 
famous for its unique vernacular as for its food.
  Over the years, I have brought many friends to the Varsity. When I 
brought former President Clinton, Erby greeted him warmly, saying, 
``What'll ya have, Mr. President?''
  Erby Walker loved his job; he loved the Varsity and, most of all, he 
loved Atlanta and the thousands of customers she brought to his counter 
every day. Madam Speaker, Erby Walker was an Atlanta icon and his 
service to his community must not be forgotten.

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