HONORING JERRY LUDEKE FOR RECEIVING THE BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE FOUNDATION STERLING SILVER MEDAL; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 50
(Extensions of Remarks - March 21, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E332-E333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING JERRY LUDEKE FOR RECEIVING THE BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE FOUNDATION
STERLING SILVER MEDAL
______
HON. KEVIN McCARTHY
of california
in the house of representatives
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Mrs
Jerry Ludeke as the recipient of the 2019 Bakersfield College
Foundation Service Medal.
Jerry's passion for academia can be traced back over half a century
to her days as an undergraduate at Indiana University After graduating,
Jerry began teaching at a junior high school before returning to school
to complete a Masters in Fine Arts at Tulane University in New Orleans,
where she concurrently taught several undergraduate courses. Upon
completion of her Masters, Jerry selflessly decided to serve as a
missionary for the Presbyterian Church in Beirut, Lebanon, at the then-
named Beirut College for Women. Increased hostilities in the Middle
East cut the mission short, and Jerry returned to school once again--
this time as a graduate student at Stanford University There, she met
fellow Stanford graduate and Army veteran, John Ludeke.
Jerry and John married in 1959 and settled in Bakersfield,
California, where they quickly
[[Page E333]]
became involved in the community. Both educators, John taught at
Bakersfield High School while Jerry held multiple positions at
Bakersfield College before leaving to raise her two boys, Kevin and
Scott. Although she did not formally return to teaching until the boys
started high school, Jerry remained committed to her role as an
educator, and founded the Volunteer Tutoring Program at Bakersfield
College. In 1975 she returned full-time to the Bakersfield College
Learning Center, where she worked until she and John retired together
in 1994.
Jerry's commitment to community service is just as impressive as her
academic history. Over the years she developed and served as the first
secretary for the Holloway-Gonzales Library in Bakersfield, volunteered
at the Friendship House pre-school, served as the president of the Kern
County Historical Society, served on the board of both the Kern
Memorial Society and Friendship Force, and directed the Bakersfield
College Archives. Such extensive community involvement would overwhelm
almost anyone, but for Jerry these are just the tip of the iceberg.
The Bakersfield College Foundation Sterling Silver Medal recognizes
Jerry's lifelong commitment to hard work and the betterment of the
Bakersfield community' through the power of education. Her input on
various boards and councils, and her leadership at Bakersfield College,
has had an immeasurable impact on the lives of countless people. On
behalf of California's 23rd Congressional District, I want to thank
Jerry for her leadership and philanthropy to the communities and
citizens of the Central Valley.
____________________