[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 374]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                           HONORING GENE BESS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JASON SMITH

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 9, 2015

  Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gene Bess 
from Poplar Bluff, Missouri for his exceptional years of service to the 
community as a basketball coach and mentor.
  Coach Gene Bess is considered one of the most winningest college 
basketball coaches recently gaining his 1,200th win. Coach Gene has 
been recognized as one of the best coaches in college basketball 
winning two national junior college championships.
  Coach Bess has been named the NJCAA Coach of the Year twice and 
Regional Coach of the Year 18 times. He has led the Raiders of Three 
Rivers College to 17 tournament appearances and the program has kept a 
winning record consistently over .750.
  Coach Bess's impressive winning record is only one of the reasons he 
is such a beloved and respected member of the community Coach Bess not 
only strives to motivate his players to do their best on the court, but 
to keep a clear focus on their future. He has expressed the importance 
he places on seeing his players continuing their education at other 
institutions and finishing their degrees.
  For his remarkable accomplishments as a college basketball coach and 
his dedication to serve our community, it is my pleasure to recognize 
the achievements of Coach Gene Bess before the House of 
Representatives.




                          ____________________