[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14172-14173]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN HONOR OF DR. EUNICE S. THOMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 8, 2014

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
distinguished public servant, devoted educator and dear friend to my 
wife, Vivian and me, Dr. Eunice S. Thomas. Sadly, Dr. Thomas passed 
away on Sunday, August 17, 2014. Her life will be celebrated at a 
funeral service on Friday, August 29, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. at First 
African Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia.
  Dr. Thomas worked for four cabinet level secretaries in the U.S. 
Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during two 
consecutive United States Presidents' Administrations. At HHS, she 
worked as Acting Assistant Secretary for the Family Support 
Administration, managing a staff of more than 1,049 and a budget in 
excess of $14 billion. She administered federal programs focused on 
strengthening families and increasing their self-sufficiency, including 
Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Child

[[Page 14173]]

Support Enforcement, Refugee Resettlement, and the Community Services 
programs. She directed the Implementation of Welfare reform as was 
embodied in the Family Support Act in 1988.
  Dr. Thomas retired from HHS as Director of the Office of Community 
Services Administration for Children and Families where she oversaw the 
Community Services Block Grant, Social Services Block Grant, the Low 
Income Home Energy Assistance, the Family Violence Program, 
Demonstration Partnership Programs, and the Community Discretionary 
programs while managing a budget in excess of $5.9 billion.
  Dr. Thomas loved her community and loved her sorority and found a way 
to give her all to both when she became the 19th International Grand 
Basileus of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. in July 1986 at the 66th 
Anniversary Boule. Her service led to one of Zeta's finest 
administrations, restructuring the organization and creating programs 
that reflected strong and effective leadership with integrity, 
compassion, and a sense of social responsibility. Programs were 
instated to address issues such as substance abuse, AIDS Awareness, 
lack of after school and child care, the decline of black men in 
college, and the rise in teen pregnancy rates. For her efforts, Ebony 
magazine named Grand Basileus Thomas one of the 100 Influential Black 
Americans each year from 1987 to 1992 and in 1987, President George 
H.W. Bush selected Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. as one of the 
``Thousand Points of Light.'' She was affectionately nicknamed the 
``Real Grand'' because of the reverence so many Zetas had for her to 
the extent that the membership wanted to extend her term in office 
beyond the maximum six years, but she graciously declined. She was an 
active member of Epsilon Eta Zeta Chapter in Columbus, Georgia for over 
45 years at the time of her death. She was instrumental in getting 
Kappa Epsilon Chapter chartered at Columbus State University (Columbus 
College) in 1974 while she was the Southeastern Regional Director.
  In addition to her mentorship and guidance of Zetas of all ages, she 
touched and enriched the lives of countless young people during her 
time as an educator in the Muscogee County School System.
  Dr. Thomas was more than a civil servant, she was a servant to all 
humankind. She gave herself to so many causes and organizations that 
are too numerous to mention. Dr. Maya Angelou once said that, ``I've 
learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on 
both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.'' Dr. Thomas 
threw a prodigious amount of love and service back to the Columbus, 
Georgia community and our nation that she loved so dearly.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me, my wife, Vivian, and the more than 700,000 residents of 
Georgia's Second Congressional District in paying tribute to Dr. Eunice 
S. Thomas for her outstanding contributions to her sorority, her 
community, and our nation. We extend our deepest sympathies to her 
family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time and we pray 
that they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the 
Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

                          ____________________