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“SALUTE TO MARGARET BUSH WILSON” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E286 on March 6, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SALUTE TO MARGARET BUSH WILSON
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HON. WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 6, 1996
Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with this year's Black History Month theme, ``African-American Women: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'' I would like to pay tribute to an outstanding St. Louisan who exemplifies the highest values and qualities of leadership in the African-American community, Mrs. Margaret Bush Wilson.
Mrs. Wilson is a St. Louis native who graduated from Sumner High School and received a B.A. degree in economics, cum laude, from Talladega College. She went on to earn her LL.B. from Lincoln University School of Law. Mrs. Wilson has been a highly respected jurist in St. Louis for many years and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. She has also taught at the CLEO Institute and St. Louis University School of Law.
Margaret Bush Wilson has dedicated her life to the fight for civil rights and racial equality, carrying on a family tradition of community service. Mrs. Wilson's mother, Berenice Casey, served on the executive committee of the St. Louis NAACP in the 1920's and 1930's and her father, James T. Bush, Sr., a pioneer real estate broker in St. Louis was the moving force behind the Shelley vs. Kraemer case which led to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawing racial restrictive housing convenants.
In addition to being a prominent St. Louis leader, Margaret Bush Wilson has served in many national positions. She was national chairperson of the NAACP Board of Directors from 1975 to 1984. She has also served in the following Federal, State, and local posts: U.S. attorney, legal division, the Rural Electrification Administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, assistant attorney-general of Missouri, legal services specialist, State Technical assistance Office, War on Poverty; administrator, Community Services and Continuing Education Programs, title I, Higher Education Act of 1965 in Missouri, and acting director, St. Louis Lawyers for Housing.
Mrs. Wilson actively serves in numerous organizations committed to education and social justice. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and is the recipient of many civic and professional awards including honorary degrees from St. Paul's College, Smith College, Washington University, Kenyon College, Talladega College, Boston University, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Margaret Bush Wilson is a cherished member of the St. Louis community and a distinguished black woman. She has demonstrated a deep understanding of the history of the black community and displayed the highest level of compassion for equal justice. She has truly dedicated her life to improving the future of the black community.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to salute Mrs. Margaret Bush Wilson, a force for good in our society who has helped change the course of African-American history.
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