January 24, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 15 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S584-S585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING J. HAROLD SHEPHERD

 Mr. PERDUE. Mr. President, today I wish to honor an incredible 
man and an incredible Georgian. J. Harold Shepherd passed away earlier 
this month, but his legacy will far outlast his time on earth. If you 
have spent time in Georgia or anywhere in the Southeast you may have 
heard of his family's work at the Shepherd Center. The Shepherd Center, 
located in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the top rehabilitation hospitals 
in the country and the result of Harold's lifetime of passion for 
others and the disabled community.
  A fourth generation Atlantan, Harold was the youngest of six 
children. He started in construction with his father at age 15, and as 
a young man started Shepherd Construction Company with his three 
brothers. Harold and his family members oversaw the construction of 
thousands of miles of interstate highways and city and country streets, 
and built all but one section of I-95 in Georgia.
  Harold's proudest achievement, however, was the Shepherd Center. The

[[Page S585]]

hospital was founded after James, Harold, and his wife Alana's son, 
sustained a serious spinal cord injury on a beach trip. James spent six 
months at a rehabilitation hospital in Colorado, where he ultimately 
regained his ability to walk. When James returned home to Atlanta, he 
and his parents grew frustrated with the lack of rehabilitation care 
options in the Southeast and developed a plan to open the Shepherd 
Center.
  What started as a six-bed rehabilitation unit is now a world-
renowned, 152-bed research and rehabilitation facility spread across 
three campuses. Until his passing earlier this month, Harold spent 
nearly every day volunteering at the hospital and developed a 
reputation for being an incredible storyteller and historian. He was 
beloved by the staff at the Shepherd Center, and dedicated his life to 
them, his family, and the disabled community in Georgia.
  Harold is survived by his wife, Alana Smith Shepherd; his sons James 
H. Shepherd, Jr. and Thomas C. Shepherd; and his grandchildren Julie 
Shepherd, James H. Shepherd III (Sarah), and Thomas C. Shepherd, Jr. He 
is also survived by four great grandchildren, James Harold Shepherd IV, 
Josephine Shepherd, Virginia Shepherd, and Annie Shepherd.
  Mr. Shepherd will be greatly missed, and I thank him for his service 
to our community.

                          ____________________