[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             MILLARD FULLER

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 9, 2009

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, it often takes loss to remind 
ourselves of our, unwavering appreciation and unfaltering gratitude for 
those few extraordinary people who, despite their ability to enjoy 
tremendous success and reward for themselves, instead commit their 
energies and talents to the betterment of the world. Millard Fuller of 
Americus, Georgia was one of those extraordinary few. Fuller passed 
away February 2, leaving behind a legacy that is all the evidence one 
needs to believe in the power of the human spirit to inspire hope and 
lift the burdens of poverty and despair from the shoulders of one's 
fellow man.
  Throughout his life, Millard Fuller's talent and passion were put on 
display in no small number of ways. He proved to be a great 
entrepreneur, founding a marketing company that made him a millionaire 
before he had turned thirty; a great lawyer, heading the Montgomery 
Southern Poverty Law Center; a great Christian, walking away from his 
hard-earned wealth to pursue a life of service; and a great 
philanthropist, founding the tremendously successful Habitat for 
Humanity. He led the organization for over three decades, and, through 
the application of what he called the ``economics of Jesus,'' helped to 
provide over 300,000 homes to the destitute and the downtrodden across 
the globe. However, more than any of these things, Millard Fuller was a 
great man. His selflessness serves as an inspiration to people 
throughout the nation and across our world.
  Born to a grocer in Lanett, Alabama, Mr. Fuller refused to allow his 
modest beginnings define the course of his life. Always one to take the 
initiative, he began raising pigs at the age of six, trading livestock 
during his teenage years, all before founding what would become known 
as the Fuller and Dees Marketing Group, Inc. after law school. Although 
he obtained a great fortune from his tireless efforts as a businessman, 
he soon found that in order to live a life of fulfillment, he had to 
dedicate himself to a simple life of devotion and service to a higher 
purpose. Fuller traveled to Africa in order to observe what he could do 
to improve the lot of the impoverished. He became a staunch advocate 
for aid to Africa's poor, and traveled the United States seeking 
assistance for his efforts. After moving to Americus, Georgia, Millard 
Fuller and his supporters founded what would become the most visible 
and effective manifestation of his desire to make a difference, an 
organization dedicated to providing housing and support for the poor--
Habitat for Humanity.
  For more than thirty years, Habitat for Humanity, with the help of 
countless volunteers ranging from the average citizen to former 
President Jimmy Carter, has built hundreds of thousands of homes for 
the world's disadvantaged. Its mission has reflected a simple 
philosophy, best expressed in Mr. Fuller's own words: ``We want to make 
it socially, morally, politically and religiously unacceptable to have 
substandard housing and homelessness.'' In 1996, President Bill Clinton 
recognized Mr. Fuller's dedication by awarding him the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom.
  Our deepest condolences go out to Mrs. Linda Fuller, and to all those 
who were touched by this extraordinary life. Let us seek to emulate 
Millard Fuller's passion for the good and the just, and his selfless 
pursuit of a better, gentler world. We should honor the life he lived 
by following the example he so emphatically set.

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