[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9085]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. LEODREY WILLIAMS

 Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I honor Dr. Leodrey Williams, 
chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Research and 
Extension Center, on his retirement after 50 years of public service.
  Dr. Williams is a 1961 graduate of Southern University of Louisiana 
in vocational agriculture education. Immediately upon graduation, he 
began his distinguished career by joining the U.S. Army and training as 
an oral x-ray technician and hygienist. He then began working for 
cooperative extension, where he helped to build the new curriculum by 
assisting and launching the program throughout the State of Louisiana. 
He earned a master of science degree in 1970 and doctor of education 
degree in 1975 from Louisiana State University. After 5 years as an 
agriculture specialist, Dr. Williams returned to Louisiana State 
University as an associate professor and director of equal employment 
opportunity and civil rights. In 1991, Dr. Williams co-chaired a 
national task force that studied America's cooperative extension 
system. He was subsequently appointed Special Assistant to the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture Extension Administrator, and he was later 
named the National Director of Extension.
  Besides his active involvement in agriculture, Dr. Williams has 
served as a consultant to the governments of Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, 
and Republic of South Africa in the areas of extension administration 
and adult and continuing education. During his visits to China, 
Honduras, and Liberia, he assisted in developing strategies for 
university collaboration and exchange, along with addressing concerns 
and issues facing urban populations.
  For the past 14 years, Dr. Williams has been the first chancellor for 
the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center. He 
has served the citizens of Louisiana, Louisiana State University, and 
the Southern University System with his knowledge, skill, enthusiasm, 
and leadership.
  I am pleased to honor the esteemed career of Dr. Leodrey Williams. I 
thank him for his years of service to our state and country and wish 
him the best in his future endeavors.

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