Date: 2014-11-18
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Speaker. ladies and gentlemen of the Congress. ladies and gentlemen of America. and President Barack Obama. I rise this morning with a heavy. heavy heart at the passing of two great. magnificent Americans from my home State of Georgia. Herman Russell and Governor Carl Sanderstwo men. two giants whose lives intertwined at a most important time in the history of this Nation and especially in the history of the South. for these two men. Herman Russell and Governor Carl Sanders. ushered in and gave birth to the New South. the South away from segregation. It was Herman Russell and Governor Carl Sanders who broke down the barriers of segregation and paved a new way and a new day for this Nation. That is why we are so proud of these two gentlemen. Every school should look at their autobiographies. because they made it the hard way. against the odds. Herman Russell. born into poverty in south Atlanta. came up and didnt let the ravages of segregation stop him. didnt let his speech impediment stop him. and emerged with the worlds largest. most profitable construction and real estate financial firm owned by an African American. But. oh. it wouldnt have happened if he hadnt had a Governor at that time named Carl Sanders. who broke down those racial barriers. I will tell you about him. As a quarterback at the University of Georgia. he left the University of Georgia and went and volunteered at 19 years old to fight in the military for his country. He came back and ran for the State House of Representatives. against the segregationist party. And this man. because of him being in the right place at the right time. and because of Herman Russell being in the right place at the right time. Major League Baseball came knocking. and there we built Atlanta Stadium. Ivan Allen said: Build it. and they will come. It was Carl Sanders who passed the legislation setting up the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority that made it happenall of this happening while all around us in the South was racial turmoil. and Herman Russell building his great company and becoming the first African American to sit on the board and a member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Oh. my friends. the world. these are two great trees who were planted by the rivers of waters. and they brought forth their fruit and their season. and none of their leaves withered. and let me tell you that every single thing they touched prospered. They touched me. I wouldnt be in Congress this day if it werent for Herman Russell. an African American who dared to fight segregation and reach across. and Carl Sanders. a White Governor. who. himself. fought and integrated the schools in Georgia when it was not popular. When I got ready to run for the State House. it was Herman Russell who I asked. Could you help me? He said. Yes. I will. Who have you got with you? I said. I have got Andy Young. I have got Maynard Jackson. I have got "home run king" Hank Aaron. Then Herman said. Well. where are your White folks? I went. and the first door I knocked on was that of Governor Carl Sanders. who took me in and gave me a contribution. He didnt stop there. He even assigned two of his lawyers. Norman Underwood and Dale Schwartz. to get out into the community and help me. That is what Carl Sanders and Herman Russell mean. They built Atlanta the right way. When Pete Rozelle wanted the NFLall of this while the civil rights movement was churning. but in Atlanta. the NFL was cominghe picked up the phone and called Carl Sanders. Can you get me somebody there. Governor. who has got $5 million or $6 million? We will bring an NFL team to Atlanta. Carl Sanders got on the phone and called his old buddy at the University of Georgia. We thank God for Herman Russell and Carl Sanders. God bless Herman Russell and Carl Sanders. and God bless the United States of America.