[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15656-15657]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO JOHN GABRIEL ``GABE'' SMITH

 Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to a 
Marylander, John Gabriel Smith, whose courage not only broke barriers 
for himself but also advanced the cause of the betterment of humanity. 
We celebrate and honor Mr. Smith, known as Gabe, because he was the 
very first African American to graduate from Gonzaga College 
Preparatory High School, located just a few blocks from the Capitol 
Building, with the class of 1954.
  Gabe was born in the turbulent times of the early 1940s in St. Mary's 
County, MD, where he and his two sisters were introduced to the ugly 
world of racism. His hard-working parents committed their children to a 
Catholic education and religious fellowship at St. Peter Claver, a 
predominantly African-American church in rural Ridge, MD. As an eighth 
grader, Gabe decided to serve as an altar boy; little did he know that 
it would change his life and place him in the annals of American 
history.
  The head pastor of St. Peter Claver was a humble man by the name of 
Father Horace B. McKenna, S.J., a White Jesuit priest who had been 
serving the segregated and neglected African-American community in 
Southern Maryland for two decades. Father McKenna would later found So 
Others Might Eat, SOME, a ministry which continues to feed the hungry 
here in Washington, DC. One day, Gabe listened intently as Father 
McKenna described the spiritual journey many men had taken on the way 
to priesthood. Gabe, who was interested in pursuing this vocation, 
asked Father McKenna how he could become a priest too. Father McKenna 
told Gabe that he would, at a minimum, need to learn Latin. 
Unfortunately, there were no schools in St. Mary's County or the 
surrounding

[[Page 15657]]

areas that Gabe could attend which taught Latin, let alone provide the 
other instruction necessary to launch his vocation, so Father McKenna 
told him about a school in Washington, DC. where he could learn Latin 
and all the other requisites. That school was Gonzaga College High 
School.
  Racial segregation was the barrier that would have prevented Gabe 
from attending Gonzaga, but that was about to change. Gabe often speaks 
about the angels who have been in his life, including Father McKenna, 
football coach Joe Kozik, and Archbishop Patrick A. O'Boyle, a man who 
quietly but diligently worked to break the racial divide here in the 
Nation's Capital. Several years before the Brown v. Board of Education 
decision in 1954 to end segregation, Archbishop O'Boyle ordered the 
integration of all Catholic schools and churches in the Archdiocese of 
Washington. Thus, in 1951, John Gabriel Smith was one of the first 
African Americans to enter Gonzaga, one of the Nation's elite prep 
schools.
  Gabe moved in with his sister, who lived around the corner from the 
school. He had observed and experienced abusive conditions under 
segregation in St. Mary's County; thus, he was on guard among his peers 
at school. Fortunately, during his time at Gonzaga, his classmates 
welcomed him in the classroom and stood with him in the face of 
adversity and strife when they walked outside the school's walls.
  As a member of the Gonzaga Purple Eagle football team, he encountered 
yet another angel in his life, a football coach named Joe Kozik, who 
stood by Gabe, along with his teammates. Whenever the Eagles played an 
opponent opposed to integrated teams, Coach Kozik and his teammates 
always stuck together like a family to overcome hate and ignorance.
  In June of 1954, the year of the Brown decision to end segregation in 
public schools across the Nation, Gabe completed his education at 
Gonzaga College High School as the first African-American graduate. 
Poised with a thorough education, including a command of Latin, he 
entered Howard University, where he choose to pursue a different 
vocation and graduated with a degree in pharmacy. He became a 
pharmacist and worked for over 40 years, retiring just this past spring 
with Shopper's Food Warehouse in Fort Washington, MD, where he spent 
most of his career.
  Gabe has been married to Mrs. Jeanette Graves Smith for 50 years and 
has five children; his eldest, Pamela, passed away several years ago. 
Gabe is a proud Marylander and a proud resident of Prince George's 
County. He has long led his neighborhood association as president and 
served as an active member in good standing of the Mt. Ennon Baptist 
Church Men's Ministry.
  Even though more than 60 years have passed since Gabe attended 
Gonzaga, he still comments, ``I had angels who helped me through and 
they continue to be with me today.'' To this day, Gabe sees his life as 
an example of the power of love in the pursuit of the greater good. 
Gabe's life shows us that, despite dark times and dark moments, where 
there is light through our good deeds and good intentions, there is 
hope.
  John Gabriel Smith was the first of over 1,100 African-American 
students to graduate from Gonzaga College High School so far. He will 
leave an outstanding legacy for the State of Maryland, the halls of 
Gonzaga, and for the United States as an example of what happens when 
we seek inclusion and love for humanity. He shows us that living by 
faith and love, everyone can succeed. I commend Gabe Smith for his 
leadership and life of service.
 Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to a 
Marylander, John Gabriel ``Gabe'' Smith, whose courage not only broke 
barriers for himself but whose courage advanced the cause of the 
betterment of humanity.
  On October 14, he will be recognized at the Gonzaga High School 
homecoming by the Gonzaga Onyx, a group of African-American alumni of 
Gonzaga, due to his achievement of being the very first African-
American to graduate from Washington, DC's Gonzaga College Preparatory 
High School with the class of 1954.
  He was born in the turbulent times of the early 40s in St. Mary's 
County, MD, where he and his two sisters grew up. His parents relied on 
hard work and diligence to pursue excellence and committed their 
children to a Catholic education and religious fellowship at St. Peter 
Claver, a church with a predominantly African-American parish in rural 
Ridge, MD. As an eighth grader, Gabe decided to serve as an altar boy; 
little did he know, it would change his life and place him in the 
annals of American history.
  He listened to Father McKenna describe the ways that people had 
traveled to find God and become a priest. Interested in pursuing this 
vocation, he asked Father McKenna how he, too, could achieve it and was 
surprised when Father McKenna told him that he would, at a minimum, 
need to know Latin.
  Unfortunately, there were no schools in St. Mary's or the surrounding 
areas that taught Latin, let alone the tools necessary to launch his 
vocation, so Father McKenna told him about a school in Washington, DC, 
where he could learn Latin and all the other requisites. That school 
was Gonzaga College High.
  Several years before the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 
to end segregation, Archbishop O'Boyle ordered the integration of all 
Catholic schools and churches in the Archdiocese of Washington. Thus, 
in 1951, he entered the halls of Gonzaga.
  Fortunately, during his time at Gonzaga, his classmates stood with 
him in the face of adversity and strife when they walked outside the 
school walls. As a member of the Gonzaga Purple Eagle football team, he 
encountered additional support from Coach Joe Kozik who stood by him, 
along with his teammates. Whenever the Eagles would play an opponent 
that vehemently rejected the idea of teams with African-American 
players, Coach Kozik and his teammates always stuck together like a 
family to overcome hate and ignorance.
  In 1954, he completed his education at Gonzaga College High School as 
the first African-American graduate. Poised with his education and 
command of Latin, he entered Howard University and graduated with a 
degree in pharmacy, where he commanded his field for over 40 years, 
just retiring this past spring of 2017. He is now spending time with 
his wife and children.
  Gabe says that ``he had angels who helped him through and they 
continue to be with him today.'' He will forever leave an outstanding 
legacy for the State of Maryland and the halls of Gonzaga College High 
School. He was the first African American at Gonzaga, paving the way 
for over 1,100 esteemed African-American alumni to follow in his 
footsteps.

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