March 8, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 42 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H2611-H2612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1245
                        HONORING DR. JAMES EARLE

  Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. James Earle of 
College Station, Texas, who passed away on February 4, 2019.
  Jim was born on May 2, 1932, in Jacksonville, Texas, to Herbert and 
Edna Earle. While attending Jacksonville High School, Jim excelled in 
sports, particularly boxing. Jim won many Golden Gloves titles and 
earned the nickname ``The Mangler'' in high school. In high school, he 
also started drawing caricatures.
  After graduating from high school, Jim attended Texas A&M University, 
where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. While at Texas A&M, Jim 
organized the first boxing club and lettered in both boxing and track 
and field.
  Jim graduated from Texas A&M in 1954 with a degree in architecture. 
Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 
United States Air Force.
  While serving in the Air Force, Jim was stationed at Dyess Air Force 
Base in Abilene, Texas. It was at a base event in the summer of 1957 
where he met his future wife, Theresa. She sat in front of him for a 
caricature, and he said: ``You're so pretty, I think I'm going to marry 
you.'' They married just a few months later and raised two loving 
daughters. They had been married 61 years at the time of his passing.
  Jim completed Active Duty in 1957 and returned to Texas A&M to begin 
his career as an educator. He began teaching mechanical drafting to 
first-year engineering students. He later became the head of the 
Engineering Design Graphics Department. In 1964, Jim earned his Ph.D. 
in education. He continued to teach until 1995, when he retired.
  Throughout his career, Jim was active in the American Society for 
Engineering Education and held many leadership positions in the 
Engineering Design Graphics division. From 1986 to 1991, he served as 
chair of the Annual Conference Committee of that organization. He was 
named professor emeritus of Civil Engineering in 1995 and ``A Legend of 
Aggieland'' in 2000.
  During his time as a student and professor at Texas A&M, Jim created 
and drew a beloved cartoon character, Cadet Slouch. Jim depicted Slouch 
as an undergraduate cadet trying to navigate campus life. Topics 
included class assignments, the Aggie football team, and life in the 
Corps of Cadets. Cadet Slouch and his friends, Simp, Cedric, Squirt, 
and Fish Jethro, were published in The Battalion, the student 
newspaper, from 1955 to 1985.
  When drawing Cadet Slouch cartoons, Jim was often influenced by his 
time as a student and, later, as a professor. The Cadet Slouch cartoon 
series was a commentary on the many changes going on at Texas A&M, 
including the enrollment of women and the voluntary participation in 
the Corps. Cadet Slouch was beloved by generations of Aggies while it 
was published.
  In addition to the cartoon's run in the student newspaper, 
collections of Cadet Slouch cartoons were published in several books.
  On a personal note, during my time at Texas A&M in the mid-seventies, 
I always enjoyed reading the Cadet Slouch cartoon in The Battalion 
newspaper.
  In 1979, Jim and Theresa started their own publishing company. Jim 
wrote and published drafting workbooks at affordable prices, which were 
sold to more than 125 universities and colleges across the United 
States. Many more high schools used his textbooks to teach students 
mechanical drafting.
  It was in these workbooks that many of Jim's graduate students 
advanced their own careers by contributing to the content of these 
books. These books introduced the concepts of techniques of engineering 
graphics to over a million students across the country and around the 
world. Jim completed his last workbook, ``Engineering Graphics 
Designs,'' when he was 80 years old.
  Jim's career bridged the gap between drafting by hand to three-
dimensional, computer-aided design. Jim believed that one must always 
adapt to changes in technology, so he bought a computer and mastered 
AutoCAD to the extent that he was a beta tester for Autodesk. 
Nevertheless, he never let technology cloud the basics of good drafting 
and design.
  Jim also had an interest in history. He served as an officer of many 
historical societies, including the Westerners, the National Outlaw and 
Lawman Association, the Western Outlaw and Lawman Association, and the 
Texas Gun Collectors Association.
  Jim became an expert on many historical figures and published a book 
in 1988 about Billy the Kid. Through his publishing company, he worked 
with friends to bring stories of western lawmen and outlaws into 
reality.
  Mr. Speaker, Jim's life was defined by his service to his family, to 
his students, to our country, and to Texas A&M University. He will be 
forever remembered as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a veteran, an 
educator, a mentor, a selfless servant, and a great friend.
  My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to 
the Earle family. We also lift up the family and friends of Jim Earle 
in our prayers.
  I have requested the United States flag be flown over our Nation's 
Capitol to honor the life and legacy of this humble servant.
  As I close, I urge all Americans to continue praying for our country, 
for our veterans, for our military who protects us, and for our first 
responders who keep us safe at home.


                           Honoring Ed Berry

  Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ed Berry of Bryan, 
Texas, who passed away on February 24, 2019.
  Ed was born on April 22, 1940, in Waco, Texas, to Ed Berry, Sr., and 
to Udis White Berry. He graduated from Waco High School and attended 
Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the class of 1962. While 
at Texas A&M, Ed was a member of the Corps of Cadets, where he was a 
member of Squadron 4 and, ultimately, the commanding officer of 
Squadron 8. He was also a member of the Ross Volunteer Company. He 
received his degree in mathematics, and was also in the first class in 
the world to graduate with a master's degree in computer science.
  On August 31, 1963, he married the love of his life, Barbara Teal, in 
Houston, Texas. They raised three sons in the Houston area and moved to 
Dallas in 1983. In both Houston and Dallas, Ed coached his sons' 
basketball and baseball teams for a total of 13 years. He also served 
as a deacon, a choir member, a Sunday school teacher, a Bible study 
leader, and a number of additional volunteer positions at South Main 
Baptist and Tallowood Baptist in Houston, Prestonwood Baptist in 
Dallas, and Travis Avenue Baptist in Fort Worth. At Prestonwood, Ed was 
also the chairman of the deacons and the president of the choir.
  After graduating from Texas A&M, Ed went to work at NASA for IBM and 
contributed to the Gemini and Apollo missions. He also worked for 25 
years as the information systems leader for many companies, including 
Sysco Foods, Zapata Corporation, and Texas Oil and Gas. He later worked 
in technology and management consulting for Oracle Corporation and 
Cambridge Energy Research Associates.

[[Page H2612]]

  For the last 15 years, Ed worked as a Realtor. He spent 10 years as 
the executive director of the Bryan-College Station Association of 
Realtors. During his tenure, the association became one of the top 
three in the State of Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, Ed's life was defined by his service to his family, to 
Texas, to our country, and to God. He will be forever remembered as a 
husband, a father, a grandfather, a community leader, a selfless 
servant, and a great friend.
  My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to 
the Berry family. We also lift up the family and friends of Ed Berry in 
our prayers.
  I have requested the United States flag be flown over our Nation's 
Capitol to honor the life and legacy of this humble servant.
  Also, as I close today, I urge all Americans to continue praying for 
our country, for our veterans, for our military who protects us, and 
for our first responders who keep us safe at home.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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