[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 319-320]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING MRS. LAURA ROSS BROWN

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 8, 2015

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues, Congressman 
Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott and Congressman Charlie Rangel, to honor the 
extraordinary life of Mrs. Laura Ross Brown. Mrs. Laura Ross Brown was 
a beloved mother, daughter, wife and friend. With her passing on 
December 17, we look to Mrs. Brown's personal legacy of leadership, 
service, and the outstanding quality of her life's work.
  Mrs. Laura Ross Brown was born on April 28, 1932 and raised in 
Sacramento, CA. She was a mother of four, a former Air Force wife, a 
mentor and our friend. Mrs. Brown dedicated her life to community 
service and social activism and was known as a consummate fundraiser. 
She formerly served as the national fundraiser for Links, Inc., and 
dedicated much of her time to supporting political campaigns, serving 
as a member of the financial committees of the campaigns for former 
Congressman Ronald V. Dellums, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson's 1984 
presidential race and Marion Barry's mayoral race.
  In addition to her community service and political involvement, Mrs. 
Brown also led a successful and long career as a real estate agent in 
Alexandria, VA, where she assisted military officers and political 
officials relocating to the Washington Metro area. She later expanded 
her business ventures by starting a financial advisory and investment 
company, as well as offering political consulting and fundraising 
services. Her success was highlighted on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
  We have many fond memories of Laura. As a former member of 
Congressman Ron Dellums' staff, I had the opportunity to work with

[[Page 320]]

Laura on many events. Her focus, diligence and commitment to completing 
any project demonstrated her ability to overcome any challenge in life. 
She always supported the men and women she believed in throughout her 
life, including myself. Even during her health challenges, she was 
upbeat and loved to be around family and friends.
  Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to honor the life of Mrs. Laura Ross 
Brown. Her dedication and community service has had a great impact on 
my life and the lives of many others. For Laura's friendship and love, 
we are deeply grateful. Our thoughts and prayers are with Laura's 
wonderful family. We will deeply miss her, as she was a beautiful 
African American woman who lived an incredible life to the fullest.