[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10610-10611]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING ST. PAUL INDUSTRIAL TRAINING SCHOOL AND MR. JAMES WILLIAM 
                SMOTHERS AND MRS. ALICE OLENZA SMOTHERS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 2009

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize St. Paul Industrial Training School and the dedication of a 
Texas State Historical Marker in commemoration of this institute.
  St. Paul Industrial Training school was founded in Henderson County, 
Texas by James William Smothers and Alice Olenza Smothers in the 
1920's. This couple placed a particular emphasis on educating orphaned 
and abandoned children, and throughout the course of six decades, 
thousands of African American students received instruction at their 
institute. The Smothers' dedication to service was unwavering, and even 
when a tornado leveled the campus in 1942, the couple resolved anew to 
continue their work. Today, St. Paul Industrial Training School, Inc. 
continues the legacy of this couple and their school by offering 
financial assistance to needy, college bound students.
  Institutions of this nature played an important role in our nation's 
history, and the work of educators like the Smotherses was integral in 
advancing the civil rights movement. They worked diligently to make 
sure that every child had the opportunity to learn and succeed, and 
they felt that it was vital to ensure these youths had the ability to 
make a lasting contribution to society.
  The placement of this historical marker will take place on May 2, 
2009, and I ask my fellow colleagues to join me in recognizing St. Paul 
Industrial Training School and its founders, Mr. J.W. Smothers and Mrs. 
Alice O. Smothers.

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