[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2656-2657]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF JOHN EDWARD BUSH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Hill) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month, I rise in 
honor of an Arkansas son, John Edward Bush, whose entrepreneurial 
spirit and history of service to his community continue to inspire us 
to this day.
  John Edward Bush was born into slavery on November 14, 1856, orphaned 
at the age of 7, and freed from slavery at the end of the Civil War. 
When he had no permanent home or means to support himself, he worked 
odd jobs until, one day, he was taken to Capital Hill City School in 
Little Rock and forced to attend. He became a dedicated student, 
working as a brick molder to pay for his education. In 1876, he 
graduated with honors from Capital Hill City School in Little Rock, 
where he then served as principal for 2 years.
  Mr. Bush served as the chairman of the Republican Party in Arkansas, 
but he is best known in Arkansas as the cofounder of the Mosaic 
Templars of America in 1883.
  Together with Chester Keatts, Mr. Bush began the Mosaic Templars to 
aid African Americans who were being refused insurance coverage for 
illness, death, and funeral costs by White insurers. The efforts of Mr. 
Bush and Mr. Keatts, in service to their community, brought economic 
security and advancement to a group that had been marginalized and 
neglected. By 1900, the activities of the Mosaic Templars had broadened 
to include an insurance company, a publishing company, a nursing 
school, a building and loan association, a business college, and even a 
hospital.
  What started as a small enterprise to provide services to former 
slaves seeking a better life evolved into a thriving business. At its 
height in the 1920s, the positive influence of the Mosaic Templars was 
felt by its more than 80,000 members belonging to chapters in 26 States 
and six foreign countries. While this noble institution fell on hard 
times during the Great Depression, its impact continued.

[[Page 2657]]

  A pillar in the Little Rock community, Mr. Bush rose to heightened 
levels of prominence when he was appointed as the Receiver of Public 
Moneys by President William McKinley. His success in this role and 
deep-seated sense of integrity brought him to the attention of Booker 
T. Washington and facilitated his reappointment four times by President 
Theodore Roosevelt and President Taft.
  That relationship with Dr. Washington became one of trusted 
confidence and close friendship. Mr. Bush was invited to give the 
commencement address at Tuskegee, and Washington, in turn, was the 
dedication speaker of the Mosaic Templars' new building in 1913.
  Mr. Bush passed away at the age of 60 in 1916.
  Today, Mr. Bush's descendants remain pillars of our civic community 
in Little Rock, and his legacy lives on at the Mosaic Templars Cultural 
Center, which is an outstanding educational resource for our rich 
African American traditions in Arkansas.
  As we celebrate Black History Month, we remember John Bush's legacy 
that continues to inspire and that remains a major and important part 
of Arkansas history.

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