[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14984]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING ELLEN TURNER CARPENTER

 Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, today my home State of Arkansas 
mourns the loss of Ellen Turner Carpenter, 93, a noted educator and 
community leader who helped shape Arkansas history through her work. 
Her life and legacy will be celebrated today during a funeral service 
at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Little Rock. I extend my deepest 
sympathies to Mrs. Carpenter's relatives and loved ones, who have lost 
a cherished member of their family.
  Mrs. Carpenter's service to the city of Little Rock and the entire 
State helped inspire countless Arkansans to pursue their dreams and 
achieve their goals, despite the obstacles they may have faced. A 
staunch civil rights supporter, she encouraged students to work hard 
and always strive for the best.
  Mrs. Carpenter was born July 30, 1916, in Little Rock as the youngest 
of eight children. She graduated from Dunbar High School in 1934 and 
married Rueben Alvin Carpenter in 1935. They had 10 children.
  She received a bachelor's degree in education from Philander Smith 
College in the early 1950s and was a special education teacher for 
decades, beginning at Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Little 
Rock. She later received her master's degree from the University of 
Central Arkansas.
  A lifelong member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Little Rock, Mrs. 
Carpenter was proud of her faith and heritage. Her Christian principles 
guided her service and work for others.
  She was most known for her role in the preservation of the Mosaic 
Templars of America headquarters building. In 1992, she became 
president of the Mosaic Templars Building Preservation Society, which 
worked to preserve the Mosaic Templars building in Little Rock to 
create a museum for black history in Arkansas. Today, the museum is 
dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting, and celebrating 
African-American history, culture and community in Arkansas from 1870 
to the present. Mrs. Carpenter served as president of the society until 
her death and was also appointed by former Governor Mike Huckabee to 
the advisory board, where she served as chairman.
  In 1975, Mrs. Carpenter founded the Meadowbrook Neighborhood 
Association of South Little Rock and served as its president until 
2005.
  Mrs. Carpenter's legacy will live on through the Ellen T. Carpenter 
Scholarship Fund at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, in addition to a State 
scholarship created in 2008 in her honor. She will also have a 
conference room named in her honor at the Mosaic Templars building. She 
received many honors throughout her life, including the CareLink 
Senator David Pryor Award in 2006.
  Along with all Arkansans, I celebrate the work, life, and 
contributions of our beloved community member, Ellen Turner Carpenter. 
Our State has lost one of its finest citizens, and we all mourn her 
loss.

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