December 10, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2361 

52, including two Southeastern Conference titles, seven SEC Eastern Division titles and the 

1998 National Championship. 

A Winchester, Tennessee native, Phil graduated from Franklin County High School and 

went on to UT where he played offensive 

guard for the Volunteers’ football team. Phil 

and his team completed the 1969–71 seasons 

with a combined record of 30-5, capturing the 

SEC Championship in 1969 and winning the 

1971 Liberty Bowl. 

After graduating from UT in 1972, Phil 

began coaching as a graduate assistant in 

1972, serving as linebacker coach and defensive coordinator for UT’s freshman team. From 

1974–78, he left UT to coach at Wichita State 

University and later Vanderbilt University. 

Phil returned to his alma mater in 1980 as 

an assistant coach and offensive coordinator. 

In 1992, he became the 20th head football 

coach of the Volunteers. During his tenure, 

Tennessee had 17 All-American selections, 

went to 14 bowl games and produced 16 First 

Round NFL draft picks. Phil was named 1998 

National Coach of the Year by Sporting News, 

the Football Writers Association of America, 

the American Football Coaches Association, 

and the Maxwell Football Club. In 1999, he 

won the State Farm Eddie Robinson National 

Coach of Distinction Award. Phil was inducted 

into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 

2001. Most recently, he was inducted into the 

Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, in 2008. 

UT will always be a special place for Phil, 

having spent more than 34 years there as a 

coach, student-athlete and a father of four UT 

students—Phillip, Jr.; Courtney; Brittany; and 

Allison, who plays on the UT softball team. 

Phil will continue helping his alma mater as a 

special assistant to UT President John Peterson. 

I wish Phil, his wife, Vicky, and their family 

the best in their future endeavors. 

f 

RECOGNIZING HOSPITALMAN 

MARK A. JAMES, UNITED 

STATES NAVY SCOTTSDALE 

HEALTHCARE’S ‘‘SALUTE TO 

MILITARY’’ HONOREE 

HON. HARRY E. MITCHELL OF ARIZONA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today in recognition of a member of the Armed 

Forces from my home state of Arizona. Every 

month Scottsdale Healthcare honors service 

members that perform diligent service to this 

country. For the month of November, they 

have recognized Mark A. James, Hospitalman 

3rd Class, United States Navy. 

I commend Scottsdale Healthcare for paying 

tribute to such an outstanding service member 

for his bravery and service to our country. 

Hospitalman 3rd Class James displayed an 

early interest in military service through his 

participation in the Junior ROTC program offered by his high school. After graduation in 

2005, Hospitalman James joined the U.S. 

Navy. He completed his boot camp training 

and hospital corpsman courses at Naval Station Great Lakes in Great Lakes, Illinois. After 

finishing initial training, Hospitalman James 

was stationed in Sasebo, Japan, and was also 

deployed for one tour in Kuwait. 

After completing his service in Japan, 

Hospitalman James is currently on his way to 

joining the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, 

which is an aircraft carrier based out of Everett, Washington. Hospitalman James has received the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement 

Medal, the Expert Rifle Badge, and a Certificate of Achievement, and is looking forward to 

a career in naval medicine as a physician’s 

assistant. 

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the inspiring efforts of this brave citizen 

who is serving our country and protecting the 

lives of his fellow servicemen in combat. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO MR. ALTON YATES 

HON. CORRINE BROWN OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam 

Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to and 

honor the life achievements of Mr. Alton 

Yates, a man of many talents and passions 

who, by his own convictions and beliefs in the 

dignity of human kind, paved the way for so 

many to achieve their goals, and influence the 

course of history. 

Alton Yates was born of modest yet proud 

means, the second of seven children, raised in 

the powerful and nurturing shadow of his father, a man of principles, character and determination. His father instilled in him the need to 

achieve beyond your born station in life, and 

by so doing help to sew in the fabric of humanity threads of decency, respect, and quest 

for the betterment of mankind. Alton Yates accomplished his earlier goals, and those of his 

father by making sure all that was available to 

him through education and interaction, he 

would absorb and be nurtured by this new 

found knowledge. Here is a man of unparalleled dedication and commitment. He is not 

only a pioneer in the early days of the space 

program and the civil rights movement, Alton 

Yates went on to a successful career in city 

government and business. He was a pioneer 

in the early days of the space program as a 

volunteer for a program that would test the effects of space flight on the human body. This 

was America’s first efforts to put a man in 

space and to ensure that man could survive in 

space. Likewise, as we celebrate the historic 

inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama 

as the next President of the United States of 

America, this journey for him and all of us, including Alton Yates began before he was 

born. Alton Yates was there at the beginning. 

He sat down at lunch counters, time and time 

again, often suffering human indignity and 

physical abuse at the hands of those who 

would seek to deny him, and us, our piece of 

the American dream, simply, and only because of the color of one’s skin. Alton Yates 

and others like him paved the way that has 

led to the election of an African-American 

President-Elect. Alton Yates never recoiled 

from the responsibility of family, community, 

and service to mankind. 

From the early days of segregation, to the 

chance to help establish this nation’s space 

program, as an African-American, to his ability 

to serve and protect the ideals of equality and 

personal responsibility, we are indebted to 

Alton Yates for his courage and his belief in 

the sanctity and strength of the human spirit. 

We acknowledge his wife of 48 years, 

former Jacksonville City Councilwoman, 

Gwendolyn Yates for her individual achievements and the support she and family has 

given to Alton that has allowed him to soar to 

great heights, as a man, a husband, a father, 

a pioneer, and a civil rights leader and gentleman. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO MARTHA L. FRANCO 

HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE 

OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Speaker, in my 

years of public service, I have benefitted from 

the efforts of many capable employees on my 

staff who have come and gone. Yet there has 

always remained one constant in my office, 

Martha Franco, and for that I am truly grateful. 

Martha was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. 

Her parents, Maria and Doroteo Franco and 

her siblings, Jeronimo, Humberto, Benilde, 

Bertha, Oscar, Abel, Hector, Dinora and Gloria 

all emigrated to the United States where they 

settled in the small town of Colusa, California. 

As a naturalized citizen, she is a model example of someone who made the efforts required 

to become a U.S. citizen and has gone on to 

contribute to our country through public service. She is also active in helping needy families in the Sacramento area and from the 

small village in Mexico where her family is 

from. Martha first came to work for me in 1984 

when I served in the California State Senate. 

When I was elected to Congress in 1990, 

Martha became my Executive Assistant and 

Office Manager. She has worked for me in 

Washington and in California, and this year I 

named her as my Deputy Chief of Staff. Martha’s loyal presence has meant so much to my 

wife, Julie, to me, and to our entire organization. The people who call upon our office have 

appreciated seeing a familiar face through the 

years, and I have appreciated having someone who knows the many people who have 

been important to us throughout my career. 

Martha’s unsurpassed character and dedication have allowed me to trust her with confidential and sensitive materials and to do so 

with great confidence. 

Martha’s spirit is demonstrated by her commitment to family and heritage as well. She 

cares for her father at home and is a wonderful aunt to her many nieces and nephews, 

their beloved ‘‘Tia Mart’’. I know she is looking 

forward to spending even more time with her 

large family as she begins a new chapter in 

her life. 

While our work together will soon end, Martha will always remain an important person in 

our lives. As she looks to new opportunities, I 

wish Martha all the best, and look forward to 

her continued friendship in the years to come.