[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18410]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING MY FRIEND, HOWARD COBLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend 
of mine and an outstanding Member of this House who passed away on 
November 3.
  Howard Coble served this House with honor, always concerned first and 
foremost with how the policies it enacted would affect those he served 
in North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District.
  Howard Coble was a son of Greensboro, a Coast Guard veteran of the 
Korean war, a prosecutor, and a dedicated public servant. Howard 
believed strongly in this House and its role in our democracy.
  In the 30 years we served together, we stood on opposite sides of 
debate far more than we were on the same side, but we had a close 
friendship that transcended politics or policy. Howard Coble was one of 
the kindest and most warm-hearted individuals I have encountered in my 
years of service in this Capitol.
  Howard was incredibly proud of his North Carolina roots. He tried his 
best to make it to every parade and event in his district that he 
could. He was a champion of our Nation's first responders.
  We served together in the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. Howard 
was steadfast in advocating for firefighter safety and for our Nation 
to meet its responsibility to those who fell in service to their 
communities.
  On many occasions we participated together in ceremonies to honor the 
families of the fallen, and we met with those families as well. 
Howard's compassion and his devotion to these families were 
unparalleled.
  He was also chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus. We worked 
together on intellectual property issues over the years, an area 
critical to our economic competitiveness.
  Mr. Speaker, like so many of our colleagues, I will miss Howard Coble 
very much.
  There was a great incident that happened here on the floor of this 
House. In 1994 or 1993, Howard Coble came over to me. His chief of 
staff was a University of Maryland graduate. Howard Coble came over to 
me. Howard Coble was sort of a curmudgeon soul with a wonderful 
gravelly voice. He came over to me and said: Steny, you need to hire 
Debbie Yow at the University of Maryland as your athletic director.
  Mr. Speaker, frankly, I didn't know what to think of this gravelly 
voiced, hard-nosed North Carolinian because he was not necessarily a 
Maryland fan himself, of course, there being four extraordinary teams 
in North Carolina.
  I looked at Howard Coble. I didn't know Debbie Yow, but she was from 
North Carolina. As a matter of fact, her sister was the great coach at 
North Carolina State of the women's basketball team.
  When I got back to my office, I called up Brit Kirwan, Mr. Speaker, 
who was the president of the University of Maryland at College Park at 
that point in time. I said: Brit, I don't know Debbie Yow, but Howard 
Coble believes she would be a good athletic director. If she can 
convince Howard Coble that one of the few women to head up an NCAA 
Division I athletic program would be a good athletic director, she must 
be really something.
  We hired her just a few weeks later, and Howard Coble was right. She 
was extraordinary. She is now back in North Carolina.
  But it was that kind of relationship I had with Howard Coble, as did 
so many Members on this floor. He loved the House and served it with 
distinction and humor. He believed that working together across party 
lines was in the best interest of America.
  Those of us who were privileged to serve with Howard will always 
remember his geniality, his intellect, his abiding love of country, 
and, of course, his State of North Carolina. He left a lasting imprint 
on his community, his State, his country, and this House.
  Mr. Speaker, we thank him for his lifetime of service.

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