[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2003-2004]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL EVANS WILSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2008

  Mr. BERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to a dear 
friend, Michael Evans Wilson, who was a longtime advocate for 
advancement of education and a veteran who honorably served our 
country. His passion for improving the lives of Arkansans will be 
missed, as well as his unwavering friendship. He delighted in asking 
penetrating questions, and his friendship was a treasure.
  Mike was a compassionate and caring family man who loved his wife and 
children more than anything else in the world. He had a

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never-ending and burning desire to help people, and he made a lasting 
impression on each and every individual who knew him.
  Mike was the son of the late Robert Edward Lee Wilson III and Patte 
Evans Wilson. He was the great-great-grandson of Robert Edward Lee 
Wilson, who founded Lee Wilson and Co. of Wilson in 1886.
  He attended high school at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN, and 
graduated from The Citadel at Charleston, SC, in 1965. He served in the 
United States Army in Korea, and he achieved the rank of captain in air 
defense artillery prior to his honorable discharge in 1967.
  Following his tour of duty in the Army. Mike returned to Wilson to 
work at Lee Wilson and Co. He served as chairman and chief executive 
officer of Lee Wilson and Co. from 1987 to the present.
  Mike loved the State of Arkansas. Throughout his life, he became well 
known and highly respected for his philanthropy, his willingness to 
devote countless hours to charitable endeavors and for his passion for 
the advancement of education, both on a statewide and national level. 
Because of his commitment to his community, he was elected mayor of the 
City of Wilson from 1986 to the present.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Michael Evans Wilson. 
He was an incredible person who made a difference in the lives of so 
many Arkansans. He will be remembered as a great friend and will be 
missed by all who knew him.

                          ____________________