November 14, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 182 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H8830-H8831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
               HONORING THE LIFE OF THADDEUS SEYMOUR, SR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Mrs. Murphy) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Thaddeus 
Seymour, Sr., who passed away recently at the age of 91.
  In the obituary that appeared in our local, hometown paper, the 
Orlando Sentinel, Thad was described by one of his many admirers as a 
community treasure, and I think that sums up his life and legacy 
perfectly.
  Thad moved with his beloved wife, Polly, and their children to the 
Orlando area over 40 years ago when Thad was named the 12th president 
of Rollins College, where I had the privilege to teach before being 
elected to Congress.
  Thad served for a dozen years as the president of Rollins, from 1978 
to 1990, and although he had long left by the time I arrived, his name 
was spoken on campus with respect and affection.
  Thad was recognized as a popular and effective leader of the 
institution, helping make this gem of a school shine even brighter.
  One decision Thad made during his tenure may seem modest, but it was 
meaningful to people who know Rollins best. In the 1950s, one of Thad's 
predecessors established Fox Day. Each spring, as finals loomed and on 
a day considered too beautiful to sit in a classroom, the school's 
president would cancel classes and provide students with a surprise day 
off.
  The tradition was ended during the Vietnam war, but Thad brought it 
back. As Thad would recall years later: ``The world had grown so grim, 
I thought we needed to cheer ourselves up.'' It is a choice that 
underscores both Thad's love of life and his belief that, at core, a 
college should be a close-knit community where young men and women live 
together; learn together; and, in many cases, become lifelong friends. 
Because Fox Day helped foster a sense of community and shared 
experience, Thad believed it mattered.
  Thad left Rollins in 1990, but he never left central Florida, and he 
never stopped caring about our community. In fact, he literally helped 
build it, co-founding a chapter of Habitat for Humanity in Winter Park 
and in Maitland.

[[Page H8831]]

  There is a wonderful picture of Thad in the Orlando Sentinel 
obituary. He is helping construct a home for someone less fortunate. He 
is perched on a ladder. His shirt is splattered with paint. He has a 
broad smile on his face. That is how I will always remember Thad: 
happily helping, happily building.
  May President Seymour rest in peace.

                          ____________________