[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9414-9415]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO LOIS R. HATFIELD

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, last month, Lois R. Hatfield received 
the 2014 Business Woman of the Year award from the Somerset Business 
and Professional Women's Club. I wish to honor this exemplary citizen 
and to recognize her tremendous career as an educator.
  Lois took her first job in 1951, teaching grades one through eight at 
a one-room school house called Union Ridge School in the Jabez portion 
of Wayne County. She continued to devote herself to education in 
Kentucky for the

[[Page 9415]]

remainder of her career, which lasted over 60 years.
  Her accomplishments over the years are many. In 1978, she became the 
principal of her alma mater, Nancy Elementary, making her the first 
female principal in the history of the Pulaski County School System. 
She has also served as president of the Alpha Delta Kappa Educational 
Sorority, precinct chair for the Pulaski County Republican Party, and 
president of the Pulaski County Republican Women's Club.
  Officially in retirement since 1997, Lois has a hard time staying 
away from the classroom and still serves when needed as a substitute 
principal or teacher. The fire that burns within her, propelling her to 
educate the children of our Commonwealth, has not waned in the 
slightest degree since she began her career in education.
  Lois's dedicated commitment to her community and its children 
deserves the praise of this body. Therefore, I ask that my U.S. Senate 
colleagues join me in recognizing Lois R. Hatfield and her many 
accomplishments in the field of education.
  The Commonwealth Journal recently published an article detailing Lois 
Hatfield's career and her receipt of the 2014 Business Woman of the 
Year award. I ask unanimous consent that the full article be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             [From the Commonwealth Journal, May 11, 2014]

 2014 Business Woman of the Year: Lois R. Hatfield is the Recipient of 
                               the Award

       A Pulaski County woman with a passion for education is the 
     recipient of the 2014 Business Woman of the Year award from 
     the Somerset Business and Professional Women's Club.
       Lois R. Hatfield was presented the award Tuesday at the May 
     membership meeting of the Somerset-Pulaski Chamber of 
     Commerce.
       Hatfield was born in Faubush and graduated from Nancy High 
     School in 1947.
       Her teaching career spans more than 60 years and with all 
     her educational achievements she has never grasped the 
     meaning of retirement.
       Working her way through college, Hatfield received her 
     Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Eastern Kentucky 
     University in 1961 and later received her master's degree in 
     elementary education with an emphasis in early childhood 
     education from EKU in 1972.
       She began her distinguished professional career in 
     education in 1951 when she taught grades one-eight at Union 
     Ridge School, a one-room school house in the Jabez portion of 
     Wayne County.
       In 1958 she began working with the Pulaski County School 
     System teaching first-eighth grades at Anderson School, which 
     was eventually consolidated into Nancy Elementary.
       In 1978, she was promoted to principal of Nancy Elementary, 
     making her the first female principal in the history of the 
     Pulaski County School System.
       Hatfield officially ``retired'' in 1997 while serving as K-
     6 supervisor in the Pulaski County School District, a 
     position she had held since 1988.
       She didn't stop. Since retiring, Hatfield has served as a 
     reading consultant and homebound instructor for the Pulaski 
     County school system; a long-term substitute principal at 
     numerous elementary schools in Pulaski County; substitute 
     teacher in Pulaski County and Science Hill school systems; 
     and for the past 14 years she has served and continues to 
     serve as a teacher-educator for Pulaski County, Somerset, 
     Science Hill and Somerset Christian school.
       Very active in community affairs, Hatfield is a board 
     member of Somerset-Pulaski Convention and Visitors Bureau, 
     member of Somerset Business and Professional Women's Club, 
     member and past president of Alpha Delta Kappa Educational 
     Sorority, director of Lake Cumberland Foundation, precinct 
     chair for the Pulaski County Republican Party, member of 
     Fidelis Chapter of Eastern Star, member and past president of 
     Pulaski County Republican Women's Club, member of Pulaski 
     County Lincoln Club and Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church.
       The third of 10 children in a family of limited means, 
     Hatfield had to work while she attended Nancy High School.
       For a time she worked and lived in Somerset, riding a bus 
     to attend high school at Nancy. She got a college education 
     by working and taking classes at Eastern Kentucky University. 
     She attended Butler University while she and husband Avery 
     worked in Indianapolis. She also was a student at Lindsey 
     Wilson College in Columbia.
       The former Lois Roberts was married to Avery Hatfield more 
     than 60 years. The late Mr. Hatfield was a well-known coach 
     at the former Nancy High School, winning several county 
     championships. As an assistant to David Fraley at Pulaski 
     County High School, they guided the Maroons to the state 
     championship in 1986.
       Avery Hatfield died on the first Sunday in November 2010, 
     two days before their son, Martin, was elected as Pulaski 
     County attorney.
       Lois Hatfield is most sympathetic to today's lack of 
     sufficient funding for education.
       Anderson School, her first teaching position with the 
     Pulaski County School System, had no electricity and no 
     lights. She held a pie supper and made money to install 
     electricity, paint the building and buy curtains for the 
     windows.

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