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“HONORING THE LIFE OF EDWARD M. COURSE JR.” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E819 on Sept. 4, 2020.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE LIFE OF EDWARD M. COURSE JR.
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HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON
of mississippi
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 4, 2020
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a remarkable individual, Edward McCoy Course Jr.
Mr. Course, 68, died Tuesday, July 7, 2020, in Greenwood, Mississippi. He was the longest-serving deacon at Providence Missionary Baptist Church and the church secretary. Mr. Course was also a life member of the Mississippi Valley State University National Alumni Association and past president of its Leflore County chapter. He served as chairman of the Leflore County Election Commission for 41 years and worked for the Mississippi State Department of Health for 30 Years, serving as district supervisor of environmental quality.
Working in the civil rights movement at an early age, he marched as a boy and later worked within the NAACP for a short time. Mr. Course displayed a willingness to give back to the community, to work, and asked for very little in return. He spent all his life at Providence and was beloved by many.
As chairman of the election commission, he would help with voter registration drives, going to local high schools, and MVSU to ensure people understood the processes and volunteering to make sure everything was run smoothly. He was able to offer a wealth of knowledge to all those around him.
Mr. Course is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mrs. Linda Course of Greenwood; a special niece, Jakayla Rayford of Greenwood; six sisters, Marjorie Course of Houston, Texas, Joyce Ann Course and Sandra Course, both of Greenwood, Katie Course and Denise (Thad) Johnson, both of Jackson, and Gail (Lucious) Lewis of Clinton; and two brothers, Ervin Course of Greenwood and Terrence Course (Celdrick) of Carrollton.
Mrs. Course said that her husband lived by a simple sentiment that she feels personifies the message they wanted to share to the world:
``Never lose faith or give up.''
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of Mr. Edward McCoy Course Jr., in which he was a faithful community leader, worker, and motivator.
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