To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3100 Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the "John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building".

I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois, my friend, Danny K. Davis, for yielding this time to me and thank him for his leadership on this great subcommittee. I also want to thank my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, for her leadership and thank her for the kind words that she had to say a few moments ago about Mr. John Henry Wooten.

But Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor this great American, John Henry Wooten, Sr. by naming the post office at 3100 Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building. John Wooten was a dedicated civic leader. He was a county commissioner in the County of Wayne. It is a fitting tribute to name this post office in his honor.

John Henry Wooten, Sr. was born and reared in Goldsboro, North Carolina, many years ago. The place that he saw grow from a small farming town to a small city. Mr. Wooten attended Goldsboro public schools, a school system to which he later dedicated his professional life. He received both his bachelor's of science and master's degrees from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, and he was a doctoral candidate at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

John Henry Wooten, Sr. served the Goldsboro city school system as a science teacher and as a principal at historic Dillard High School. He was a supervisor of instruction and later an assistant superintendent for the entire school system. As a result of his leadership, the lives of countless students were positively impacted. His accomplished career in education also included teaching at Wayne County Community College. During his entire career as an educator, Mr. Wooten was selected by President Lyndon Baines Johnson to serve on the White House Commission for Education.

John Henry Wooten served on the Wayne County Board of County Commissioners for 12 years. First elected in 1986, he became the commission's first African American chairman. While serving as commissioner, Mr. Wooten was instrumental in helping Wayne County become the great city that it is today.

A lifelong member the First African Missionary Baptist Church in Goldsboro, where incidentally my grandfather was pastor some 90 years ago, he served as chairman of the deacon board, vice chairman of the finance committee, and was also a weekly Sunday school teacher. Additionally, Mr. Wooten served on the board of trustees for North Carolina A&T State University where he served as its secretary and later as vice chairman. He was also president of the university's vast alumni association.

Mr. Wooten was married to Ernestine Whitted who, herself, was the product of a substantial Wayne County family. The Wootens were married many years ago in 1946 and were together for more than 60 years. Together, Mr. Speaker, they raised two children, John Henry, Jr. and Pamela. Mr. And Mrs. Wooten have one granddaughter, Nancy Wooten Coor, and two great granddaughters, Alysse and Abrianne. Sadly, Mr. Wooten passed away in January of 2007 after giving his life to his community.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues in the North Carolina delegation, including Ms. Foxx, who is managing the time for the minority, for their full and unanimous bipartisan support of this legislation. John Henry Wooten, Sr. was a great man. He was my friend. He was a civic leader. This tribute is long overdue.

I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on H.R. 3803.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3803) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3100 Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the ``John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to extend and revise their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3803, which names a postal facility in Goldsboro, North Carolina, after John Henry Wooten, Sr.

H.R. 3803, which was introduced by Representative G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina on October 10, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on December 12, 2007, by a voice vote.

This measure has the support of the entire North Carolina congressional delegation. A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, John Henry Wooten, Sr. was a graduate of the city's Dillard High School where he would later serve as the last principal of the school before it closed after integration. Mr. Wooten's postsecondary educational pursuits took him to North Carolina A&T State University where he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Beyond his educational accomplishments, Mr. Wooten also was a World War II veteran having served as surgical technician in the Pacific theater for the 2nd Infantry, 10th Army Division. A loyal servant to his community, Mr. Wooten held seats on the Board of Trustees of North Carolina A&T University, Wayne County Board of County Commissioners, and on President Lyndon B. Johnson's White House Commission for Education.

Mr. Speaker, for the years in which Mr. Wooten gave unselfishly of himself for the betterment of his community and our country, I wholeheartedly agree that he is worthy of the admiration and recognition of having the postal facility on Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North Carolina, named in his honor. Therefore, I would urge swift passage of this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the chief deputy whip and sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from North Carolina, Representative G.K. Butterfield.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers. I would urge passage of this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of this bill designating the Cashwell Drive postal facility in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building.

As an educator, public servant, and devoted member of the community, Mr. Wooten selflessly dedicated his life to those around him.

A veteran of World War II, he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from North Carolina A&T State University. Throughout his distinguished career as an educator, he served as a science teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent. He was also active in his alma mater, serving as a trustee and as the national president of the alumni association. He was one of two North Carolina educators chosen by President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve on the White House Commission for Education.

Beyond his responsibilities as an educator, Mr. Wooten, in 1986, became the first African American chairman of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, a position he ultimately held for 12 years.

His community lost a tremendous citizen when Mr. Wooten passed away in January. His dedication to family, church and community will never be forgotten. And I urge our colleagues to pass this bill in honor of a deserving human being.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I also urge our colleagues to support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.