Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-02-12

HONORING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF MRS. ELOSIE RICHARDSON PASCHAL

TaxesEducationLabor

Context

On 2026-02-12, Representative Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF MRS. ELOSIE RICHARDSON PASCHAL" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered education, labor policy.

Full Text

HONORING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF MRS. ELOSIE RICHARDSON PASCHAL

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 30 (Thursday, February 12, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 30 (Thursday, February 12, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E135] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF MRS. ELOSIE RICHARDSON PASCHAL ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Thursday, February 12, 2026 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise with profound pride and deep emotion to honor Mrs. Eloise Richardson Paschal of Americus, Georgia, as she marks her 90th birthday--a milestone that asks us not merely to count years but to measure a life of service, sacrifice, and steadfast love. A celebration will be held Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Georgia Southwestern State University Griffin Bell Conference Center in Americus. Born in Hartsville, South Carolina, Eloise Paschal came of age when opportunities for young Black women were too often limited. Yet she refused to be defined by limitation. She earned a BA in Elementary Education from Benedict College in 1958 and a master's in library science from Atlanta University in 1967. Those degrees were not ornaments but tools she used to open doors for generations of children and light the path for those who would follow. She believed, and taught, that ``education is the passport to the future.'' For more than 38 years Mrs. Paschal stood at the front of classrooms across Sumter County--at Lyons Elementary, Staley Junior High, and schools throughout Americus--teaching not only reading and arithmetic but dignity, perseverance, and hope. She stayed late for the child who needed extra help; she sat with frightened parents; she celebrated every small victory as if it were her own. Countless students who struggled in silence found in her classroom and her heart someone who believed in them fiercely. That belief changed lives, lifted careers, healed wounds, and set ripples into motion that touched families and communities. Her honors--listings in Academic Who's Who of American Teachers and Who's Who Among Black Americans--recognize excellence but cannot capture the quiet, daily acts of love that defined her teaching: handwritten notes of encouragement, patient reteaching until understanding dawned, and the stern but kind firmness that taught children not only what to learn but how to live. Mrs. Paschal's service extended beyond the classroom. As a charter and life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Americus Alumnae Chapter, she worked to uplift women and families. In 1995, she became one of the first two women elected to the Americus City Council--a historic milestone reflecting both her leadership and her community's trust. For 16 years she stewarded the public trust with humility and steady resolve, focusing on education, health, economic opportunity, and dignity for all. Her civic footprint includes service on the Georgia Southwestern Foundation, Magnolia Manor Foundation, Sumter County Library Board, and the Board of Directors of Sumter Bank and Trust--roles where decisions shape institutions and neighbors' lives. As a deaconess and choir member at Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, she nurtured the spiritual life of her community, living proof that faith without works is lifeless. In every role she led with compassion and acted with courage. Behind every public life is a private heart. Mrs. Paschal was married for 55 years to Mr. Willie Paschal; her love sustained a family. She raised her son Stanley with tenderness and conviction and beams with pride at her grandchildren, Grant and Drew. Her family's accomplishments are a living testament to the values she instilled: integrity, hard work, faith, and the conviction that education secures human dignity. Her life traces the arc of our Nation's struggle and progress. She lived through segregated schools and the long work of change; she taught during times of upheaval and hope; she served in local government as Georgia and the Nation strove toward a more perfect union. Through it all she remained constant: steady in faith, fierce in advocacy for children, and tender in care for neighbors. She sought no limelight; her rewards were the lives transformed--the shy child who found confidence, the parent eased by counsel, the community strengthened by steady hands. On a personal note, Mrs. Paschal and her family have been dear friends and supporters for many years. I will be forever grateful for their fidelity and friendship. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife Vivian, me along with the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, in recognizing Mrs. Eloise Richardson Paschal for her extraordinary lifetime of service. Let us thank her for lessons that go beyond any curriculum: perseverance, responsibility, and love. May we each carry forward her example: teach one more child, serve one more neighbor, and believe in the power of small acts to change the world. On behalf of a grateful community and a grateful Nation, I congratulate Mrs. Paschal on her 90th birthday. May God bless her with continued health, comfort, and joy, and may her legacy inspire many more to walk the path of service she has so faithfully trod. ____________________

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HONORING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF MRS. ELOSIE RICHARDSON PASCHAL Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 30 (Thursday, February 12, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 30 (Thursday, February 12, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E135] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF MRS. ELOSIE RICHARDSON PASCHAL ______ HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR. of georgia in the house of representatives Thursday, February 12, 2026 Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I rise with profound pride and deep emotion to honor Mrs. Eloise Richardson Paschal of Americus, Georgia, as she marks her 90th birthday--a milestone that asks us not merely to count years but to measure a life of service, sacrifice, and steadfast love. A celebration will be held Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Georgia Southwestern State University Griffin Bell Conference Center in Americus. Born in Hartsville, South Carolina, Eloise Paschal came of age when opportunities for young Black women were too often limited. Yet she refused to be defined by limitation. She earned a BA in Elementary Education from Benedict College in 1958 and a master's in library science from Atlanta University in 1967. Those degrees were not ornaments but tools she used to open doors for generations of children and light the path for those who would follow. She believed, and taught, that ``education is the passport to the future.'' For more than 38 years Mrs. Paschal stood at the front of classrooms across Sumter County--at Lyons Elementary, Staley Junior High, and schools throughout Americus--teaching not only reading and arithmetic but dignity, perseverance, and hope. She stayed late for the child who needed extra help; she sat with frightened parents; she celebrated every small victory as if it were her own. Countless students who struggled in silence found in her classroom and her heart someone who believed in them fiercely. That belief changed lives, lifted careers, healed wounds, and set ripples into motion that touched families and communities. Her honors--listings in Academic Who's Who of American Teachers and Who's Who Among Black Americans--recognize excellence but cannot capture the quiet, daily acts of love that defined her teaching: handwritten notes of encouragement, patient reteaching until understanding dawned, and the stern but kind firmness that taught children not only what to learn but how to live. Mrs. Paschal's service extended beyond the classroom. As a charter and life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Americus Alumnae Chapter, she worked to uplift women and families. In 1995, she became one of the first two women elected to the Americus City Council--a historic milestone reflecting both her leadership and her community's trust. For 16 years she stewarded the public trust with humility and steady resolve, focusing on education, health, economic opportunity, and dignity for all. Her civic footprint includes service on the Georgia Southwestern Foundation, Magnolia Manor Foundation, Sumter County Library Board, and the Board of Directors of Sumter Bank and Trust--roles where decisions shape institutions and neighbors' lives. As a deaconess and choir member at Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, she nurtured the spiritual life of her community, living proof that faith without works is lifeless. In every role she led with compassion and acted with courage. Behind every public life is a private heart. Mrs. Paschal was married for 55 years to Mr. Willie Paschal; her love sustained a family. She raised her son Stanley with tenderness and conviction and beams with pride at her grandchildren, Grant and Drew. Her family's accomplishments are a living testament to the values she instilled: integrity, hard work, faith, and the conviction that education secures human dignity. Her life traces the arc of our Nation's struggle and progress. She lived through segregated schools and the long work of change; she taught during times of upheaval and hope; she served in local government as Georgia and the Nation strove toward a more perfect union. Through it all she remained constant: steady in faith, fierce in advocacy for children, and tender in care for neighbors. She sought no limelight; her rewards were the lives transformed--the shy child who found confidence, the parent eased by counsel, the community strengthened by steady hands. On a personal note, Mrs. Paschal and her family have been dear friends and supporters for many years. I will be forever grateful for their fidelity and friendship. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join my wife Vivian, me along with the more than 765,000 people of Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, in recognizing Mrs. Eloise Richardson Paschal for her extraordinary lifetime of service. Let us thank her for lessons that go beyond any curriculum: perseverance, responsibility, and love. May we each carry forward her example: teach one more child, serve one more neighbor, and believe in the power of small acts to change the world. On behalf of a grateful community and a grateful Nation, I congratulate Mrs. Paschal on her 90th birthday. May God bless her with continued health, comfort, and joy, and may her legacy inspire many more to walk the path of service she has so faithfully trod. ____________________