[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15552]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING DR. CLEMENT ALEXANDER PRICE

 Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, today I recognize the life and 
legacy of New Jerseyan and Newark city historian Dr. Clement Alexander 
Price, who was taken from us too soon on November 5. Clem was a mentor 
and valued friend to me, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew 
him.
  The foremost authority on the history of African Americans in New 
Jersey, Clement Alexander Price was born in 1945 in Washington, DC, to 
James Price, Sr. and Anna Christine Spann Price. He inherited his love 
of history from his parents and since then instilled in generations 
this love for history. After earning his bachelor's and master's 
degrees at the University of Bridgeport, Clem came to Newark to teach 
at Essex Community College. He earned his Ph.D. at Rutgers University, 
became a professor at Rutgers University-Newark, and founded the 
Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience.
  Clem was devoted to Newark, and he served not only as our leading 
historian but as a powerful spiritual force in our State's largest 
city. He was invested in Newark, and--ever generous with his time--was 
known to arrange tours for visitors that highlighted not only the 
city's rich history but its considerable promise. Clem always 
recognized the vital truth that charting a brighter course for the 
future requires a comprehensive understanding of the past. As a fervent 
believer in Newark's potential, Clem, with his unparalleled knowledge 
and thoughtful advice, was invaluable to me and so many others who were 
elected to serve the city.
  Clem's commitment to the city of Newark was surpassed only by his 
dedication to public service, and he lent his time and expertise to a 
multitude of causes and organizations. From serving as president of the 
Newark Education Trust to chairing President Obama's 2008 transition 
team for the National Endowment for the Humanities, Clem was always 
seeking opportunities to serve his community and his Nation. He 
believed in the power of civic engagement, and he dedicated his career 
to cultivating that engagement through historical literacy and 
unyielding activism in service of Newark and beyond. Clem was truly one 
of Newark's great statesmen.
  Most of all, Clem was kind. He touched so many lives and helped all 
who knew him to learn, grow, heal, and come together.
  Clem is mourned by his wife Mary Sue Sweeney Price, his sister 
Jarmila, and his brother James, and by friends and colleagues in the 
city of Newark, the State of New Jersey, and across the Nation. I ask 
that the Senate join me in remembering and honoring the extraordinary 
life of Dr. Clement Alexander Price.

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