[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10261-10262]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING MR. JOHN AUSTIN WERTHING SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. STEPHEN LEE FINCHER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 5, 2016

  Mr. FINCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and 
career of Mr. John Austin Werthing Sr. of Jackson, Tennessee. On June 
25, 2016, hundreds of family, friends, and former students gathered for 
the dedication of LaBelle Street as ``John Austin Werthing, Sr. 
Boulevard.'' I sincerely congratulate Mr. Werthing on this great honor.
  Mr. Werthing was born, raised and schooled in Lexington, Tennessee 
and completed his education with a Chemistry degree from Lane College. 
Upon graduation in 1952, Mr. Werthing was drafted into the United 
States Army where he served two years and is a veteran of the Korean 
War. While in uniform, he married Sallie Russell of Jackson. The two 
met in chemistry class years earlier while attending Lane College.
  In 1954, Mr. Werthing began teaching in Lexington, Tennessee. Three 
years later, he moved over to Merry High School and joined the Jackson-
Madison School System where he would dedicate the next 40 years of his 
life to educating students. Throughout his tenure, he touched the lives 
of thousands of students as a principal of Washington-Douglass, Merry 
Jr. High, Parkway Jr. High, and Northeast schools.
  Mr. Werthing's lifelong love for education continued as he attended 
several institutes including St. Louis, Tennessee State, Memphis State, 
and Indiana University where he earned

[[Page 10262]]

his Master's degree in 1960. Along with education, he participated in 
numerous community activities including Lane Alumni, Boys and Girls 
Club, the Airport Authority, NAACP, and was a member of Macedonia 
Baptist Church for over 60 years.
  For his unwavering devotion to education and the children of Jackson-
Madison County, Mr. Werthing certainly deserves this appreciation and 
recognition from his students, friends, and entire community. On behalf 
of Tennessee's 8th Congressional District, I would like to congratulate 
and wish the best of luck for all future endeavors to the family and 
friends of Mr. John Austin Werthing Sr.

                          ____________________