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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E758-E759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE ROGER CLECKLEY
______
HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN
of south carolina
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated public
servant and dear friend, Roger Cleckley. Roger is a man driven by
faith, duty and honor. He has spent most of his career in public
service and all of us are the beneficiaries of his tremendous
commitment to building a better community, state and nation.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ``everybody can be great . . .
because anybody can serve . . . you only need a heart full of grace and
a soul generated by love.'' By that definition, Roger Cleckley is among
the greatest among us.
Roger is a native of the Cope-Cordova community of Orangeburg County,
South Carolina. He was the third of four children born to Solomon and
Celia Mae Cleckley. He attended G.W. Carver High School and Voorhees
College both in Denmark, South Carolina. He has also earned a
Certificate of Leadership Training from the University of South
Carolina.
He began his commitment to service by joining the United States Army.
He served a tour of duty in Vietnam as a combat infantryman. His
distinguished service earned him numerous awards and medals. After two
years on active duty, Roger received an honorable discharge with the
rank of Sergeant (E-5).
A veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, Roger never shies away from
standing up for what he believes is right. After returning from Vietnam
and a year in Washington, D.C., he took a job with Tepeck Industries in
St. Matthews, South Carolina, and quickly discovered that racial
injustice in his home state were still prevalent. He fought against
these injustices in his workplace, which ultimately resulted in his
dismissal from the company.
Undeterred, Roger found work selling insurance at the A.L. Williams
Insurance Company and became active in the NAACP. In 1986, he felt the
call to public service and ran for Orangeburg County Auditor. His hard-
won victory made him the first African American elected to serve in
this capacity in South Carolina since the post-Reconstruction era. When
I offered for Congress in 1992, Roger and his wife hosted my maiden
community event in their home and he became my Orangeburg County
Chairman. When Roger retired he held the distinction as the longest
serving local elected official in Orangeburg County.
Over the years, Roger has tirelessly worked for his church and
community and has been a relentless voice for the voiceless. He is
presently Chairman of the Forfeited Land Commission, Secretary of the
Orangeburg County Fiscal Education Commission, and Chairperson of the
County Democratic Party Nominations Committee.
Roger has held many positions in the African Methodist Episcopal
Church from Sunday School, Steward Board, Class Leader, and the Lay
Organization. He is currently the outgoing Seventh Episcopal District
Lay Organization President, which comprises the entire state of South
Carolina.
His wife, Bessie Idella Cleckley, has been his partner and soul mate
for fifty years. She has always been a tremendous source of
encouragement to him as he served the people of South Carolina. They
are the parents of sons, Roger ``Al,'' Adrian, and Kendrick, and the
grandparents of five.
Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in offering
congratulations and sincere gratitude to Mr. Roger Cleckley on the
occasion of his retirement. His extraordinary work has had a profound
impact on all who have been touched by his selfless service. I believe
he exemplifies the sentiment found in Matthew 25:23, ``well done, my
good and faithful servant,'' and I offer my best wishes as he embarks
on this new phase of his life.
[[Page E759]]
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