[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

IN MEMORY OF MR. OSCAR CROSS OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY

______

HON. ED WHITFIELD

of kentucky

in the house of representatives

Tuesday, May 25, 1999

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute to the life and
legacy of Mr. Oscar Cross of Paducah, Kentucky, whose passing on April
20, 1999 at the age of 92 ended his long and productive investment in
great causes, high ideals and humanitarian service.
Mr. Cross was not a man of material wealth. Undeterred, he built a
legacy of leadership built on the wisdom of one of his favorite adages:
``If you don't have money, you have time.'' He gave unstintingly of his
time, his energy and his vision of a better community in which none
were left behind.
Mr. Cross was a founder of the Paducah Boys & Girls Club that now
bears his name. He was a tireless advocate of young people and helped
provide a sheltering hand for generations of boys and girls who found
protection, love, guidance and inspiration as the result of his
efforts.
In a front-page account of his funeral service, The Paducah Sun
observed, ``On the day that had been declared Oscar Cross Day by the
city of Paducah to commemorate his legacy, hundreds of mourners turned
out to pay their last respects to one of the city's greatest
humanitarians. Nearly 500 people gathered at First Baptist Church
Sunday afternoon for the funeral of the legendary humanitarian. Both
blacks and whites filled the church to celebrate, not mourn the life
and contributions Cross made.''
Dhomynic Lightfoot, president of the Boys and Girls Club, was quoted
as saying, ``Having people of different colors, cultures and
backgrounds here to celebrate (his life) is a contribution to Mr.
Cross. The perceptions that he broke were astronomical.''
In a fitting eulogy, Reverend Raynaldo Henderson, pastor of the
Washington Street Missionary Baptist Church, used a parable to
illustrate Mr. Cross's faith in young people and in God. ``Whoever gets
the Son, gets it All! Do you want peace? Get the Son! Do you want joy?
Get the Son! Whoever gets the Son, gets it all!'' he said.
Mr. Speaker, in further tribute to his remarkable life, I place
before the House of Representatives and the Nation for inclusion in the
Congressional Record a poem favored by Mr. Cross and a letter written
to me by Mr. Clarence E. Nunn, Sr., executive director of the Boys and
Girls Club.
____

THE HOUSE BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

``He was a friend to man, and lived in a house by the side of the
road.''

Homer

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn, In the peace of
their self-content;
There are souls, like stars, that dwell apart, In a
fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths, Where
highways never ran;
But let me live by the side of the road. And be a friend to
man.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road, Where the
race of men go by--
The men who are good and the men who are bad, As good and as
bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat, Or hurl the cynic's
ban;
Let me live in a house by the side of the road, And be a
friend to man.
I see from my house by the side of the road, By the side of
the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope, The men who are
faint with the strife.
But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears--Both
parts of an infinite plan;
Let me live in my house by the side of the road, And be a
friend to man.
I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead, And mountains
of wearisome height,
That the road passes on through the long afternoon, And
stretches away to the night.
But still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice, And week with
the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road, Like a man who
dwells alone.
Let me live in my house by the side of the road, Where the
race of men go by--
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish--so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat, Or hurl the
cynic's ban?--
Let me live in my house by the side of the road, And be a
friend to man.
Sam Walter Foss.

____
Oscar Cross Boys &

Girls Club of Paducah,

Paducah, KY, May 17, 1999
Dear Congressman Whitfield, I am enclosing a brief history
of Oscar Cross, the founder of the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls
Club of Paducah, who was killed in an automobile accident on
Tuesday, April 20, 1999. The Paducah community and untold
numbers of men and women across the nation owe a huge debt to
Mr. Cross for the countless acts of unconditional love and
service to mankind he performed while living.
For several years, Mr. Cross worked as a janitor at the
courthouse in Paducah, and the courthouse became the initial
meeting place for the newly organized Jr. Legion Boys Club
formed by Mr. Cross and a few local young men in 1950. In
1953, the organization united with the Boys Clubs of America.
It was the first African-American club and is the second
oldest Boys & Girls Club in Kentucky. The dream of operating
a safe, drug-free environment for kids became a reality for
Mr. Cross after many days and nights of soul-searching,
praying and rising above the obstacles of segregation and
separatist attitudes.
When he was refused access to a larger building and better
facilities for his ``boys'' he sought other creative ways to
obtain his goals. He and several club members cleaned and
sold used bricks in order to secure the necessary funds to
purchase the current club location on Jackson Street. Each
time a door was slammed in his face, he invented ``windows''
of opportunity until he was able to achieve his mission. His
tenacity and perseverance enabled him to see his vision of a
facility for the youth of Paducah become a reality and in
1987, the library named in honor of Delbert Shumpert, a
talented athlete and former club member, was erected on the
site of the current boys & girls address.
Throughout his lifetime, Mr. Cross received innumerable
awards, certificates and letters of recognition, far too many
to list in this letter. However, a few of his recognized
achievements include: The Bronze Keystone Award from the Boys
& Girls Club of America for 25 years of service (the first
black to receive this award), Kentucky Colonel Award, a Duke
of Paducah Award, certificate of merit from the Paducah Area
Chamber of Commerce, certificate of appreciation from the 4-H
Club of Paducah Community College, the Lucy Hart Smith-Atwood
S. Wilson Award from the Human Relations Committee of the
Kentucky Education Association and many, many others. His
most recent honor came three days before his death from Kappa
Alpha Psi, a community service fraternity, for his
humanitarian efforts.
His legacy of ``never give up in the face of adversity'' is
something that will be treasured and remembered by all who
had the privilege of knowing him for the brief 92 years he
spent with us. Until his death he continued to be an active
vital member of the club, continuing to look for financial
opportunities and ways to develop our young people so that
they would realize there are alternatives to the streets. He
was and is a remarkable man and an excellent role model.
Sincerely,
Clarence L. Nunn, Sr.,
Executive Director.

____________________