[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16240]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. JULIAN CROCKER

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 20, 2014

  Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition 
of the outstanding public service of Dr. Julian Crocker, longtime 
educator, superintendent and public servant. Julian plans to retire 
this January after fifty years as a scholastic leader, a fixture of the 
San Luis Obispo County public school system.
  Born and raised in Tennessee, Julian matriculated at Vanderbilt 
University and joined the United States Army shortly after graduating. 
On the completion of his term of service, Captain Crocker settled in 
sunny San Mateo, California in 1964, where he began to teach high 
school. Julian also earned a doctorate in Educational Administration 
from Harvard University in 1972, and upon returning to San Mateo, was 
appointed principal.
  A renaissance man to the core, Julian recognized early in his career 
that education represented only the last, most public component of 
childhood development. All his professional life, he strove to unite 
broad coalitions of businesses, nonprofits and local government offices 
to improve housing and medical care for young and poor children.
  Julian spent twenty one years as superintendent of different school 
districts in California--in San Mateo, Palo Alto and eventually Paso 
Robles. In 1999, he was elected County Superintendent of Schools for 
San Luis Obispo, in which capacity he has worked ever since. Under his 
tenure, San Luis Obispo expanded its charter school system, enlarged 
its English proficiency program, and founded the Grizzly Academy--an 
innovative boarding school for at-risk youth--in partnership with the 
California National Guard. These are but a few of his many 
accomplishments on behalf of his community.
  Julian acquired a wealth of experience and knowledge from his years 
of service, a foundation of wisdom which I have often relied upon 
throughout the years, either by seeking his counsel directly or in 
meeting him and other County Superintendents to discuss educational 
needs on the Central Coast. I could always count on straight talk and 
sound advice--advice I took back with me to the halls of Congress.
  In fact, in his office, Julian kept a framed quotation above his 
desk--one of my favorite Presidential quotes as it happens, from one of 
my favorite presidents: Theodore Roosevelt. It reads: ``It is not the 
critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man 
stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The 
credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is 
marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly . . .'' 
Julian's arena has been the classroom, where he has lived that phrase, 
educating our students, expanding our curriculum, fighting to ensure 
students have the resources they need.
  In this next chapter of his life, I know Julian is looking forward to 
spending more time with his wife, Donna, his children, and his six 
grandchildren. While the next County Superintendent of Schools for San 
Luis Obispo has large shoes to fill and Julian's presence will be 
missed, I know he will always remain involved on the issues important 
to him. I thank Julian for his friendship and counsel, and his 
leadership to improve education in California, and wish him and Donna 
all the best.

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