Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-09-16

CELEBRATING THE NEW CLARENCE C. SMALLS CITY HALL IN GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA

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Context

On 2026-09-16, Representative Janelle S. Bynum (D-OR-5) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING THE NEW CLARENCE C. SMALLS CITY HALL IN GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA" in the House.

Full Text

CELEBRATING THE NEW CLARENCE C. SMALLS CITY HALL IN GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E942-E943] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE NEW CLARENCE C. SMALLS CITY HALL IN GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA ______ HON. JANELLE S. BYNUM of oregon in the house of representatives Wednesday, September 16, 2026 Ms. BYNUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the dedication of the new Clarence C. Smalls City Hall in Georgetown, South Carolina, and to honor the extraordinary life of public service that inspired its name. For decades, Clarence C. Smalls--affectionately known throughout Georgetown as ``Syrup''--has served his country, his city, his church, and his neighbors with humility, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to others. Now, at 96 years old, his name will permanently grace the home of Georgetown's city government, a fitting tribute to a man whose life has been so deeply intertwined with the community he loves. Georgetown City Council voted to name the new facility in his honor in recognition of his decades of service, including nearly three decades on the City Council and 27 years with the Georgetown Police Department. I include in the Record the following account of Mr. Smalls's remarkable life and legacy: A Life of Service to Georgetown Clarence C. Smalls is the oldest son of Marion Smalls and Aleathia F. Smalls. From an early age, he learned the values of faith, hard work, responsibility, and respect--principles that would guide him throughout a lifetime devoted to his family, his community, and his country. As a young man, Clarence answered the call to serve his nation as a member of the United States Army during the Korean War. When he returned home, his commitment to service continued. He joined law enforcement and spent more than 28 years serving communities in Georgetown and Florence, including 27 years with the Georgetown Police Department. His contributions to public safety extended beyond his years wearing the uniform. As a member of the Georgetown City Council, he helped secure funding for a new police department facility, and his service was later recognized through his induction into the Georgetown Police Department Hall of Fame. Clarence would go on to serve the people of Georgetown for more than 27 years on the City Council, including service as mayor pro [[Page E943]] tempore. Through changing administrations and generations of residents, he remained a steady presence in local government. His leadership was grounded not in recognition or title, but in a practical concern for the people he represented and a belief that public service meant being available, listening, and doing the work necessary to improve his community. His contributions extended far beyond City Hall. Clarence spent 32 years as a member of the Longshoremen's Union, serving as a local president and later as a trustee. He spent four decades providing transportation services to his community, operating a taxi business that did far more than take people from one place to another. For many residents, Clarence was a trusted person they could count on to help them get to work, appointments, errands, and wherever else life required them to go. Faith has been another constant throughout Clarence's life. A member of Bethel AME Church for more than 90 years, he has served the congregation as a trustee and has helped strengthen its connection to the wider Georgetown community. His faith is reflected in the manner in which he has approached every responsibility--with compassion, humility, generosity, and a willingness to help. Clarence's greatest legacy, however, can be found in his family. Together with his wife, Mary G. Smalls, he built a family that today includes five children, ten grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and nine great-great- grandchildren, in addition to his siblings, nieces, nephews, extended family, and countless friends. Through his example, he has passed on the same values of faith, perseverance, generosity, responsibility, and respect that his own parents instilled in him. Over the course of his life, Clarence has earned numerous honors, including induction into the Georgetown Police Department Hall of Fame, the Georgetown Arborist Citizen Award, and the Bethel AME Church Lay Organization Outstanding Service Award. Yet perhaps the most enduring recognition is the one now attached to the institution in which he spent so many years serving his neighbors. After nearly a decade without a permanent City Hall, Georgetown opened its new municipal home at 420 Hazard Street in the West End in August 2026. The facility brings city offices, public works, utility services, and the City Council chambers together under one roof and is intended to make city services more accessible to Georgetown residents. Above all, it now bears the name Clarence C. Smalls City Hall. That name represents more than one man's time in elected office. It represents a veteran who served his country, a police officer who protected his neighbors, a councilman who helped guide his city, a labor leader, businessman, church trustee, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and friend. Clarence C. Smalls has spent a lifetime showing what it means to serve a community faithfully and without seeking recognition for himself. Generations of Georgetown residents have benefited from his steady presence, his wisdom, and his willingness to help. It is fitting that generations to come will walk into a building bearing his name and be reminded that the strength of a community rests on people who dedicate themselves to making it better. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Clarence C. Smalls on this tremendous honor and in recognizing his extraordinary lifetime of service to Georgetown, South Carolina. May the Clarence C. Smalls City Hall stand as an enduring tribute to his service and an example for those who follow in his footsteps. ____________________

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CELEBRATING THE NEW CLARENCE C. SMALLS CITY HALL IN GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E942-E943] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CELEBRATING THE NEW CLARENCE C. SMALLS CITY HALL IN GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA ______ HON. JANELLE S. BYNUM of oregon in the house of representatives Wednesday, September 16, 2026 Ms. BYNUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the dedication of the new Clarence C. Smalls City Hall in Georgetown, South Carolina, and to honor the extraordinary life of public service that inspired its name. For decades, Clarence C. Smalls--affectionately known throughout Georgetown as ``Syrup''--has served his country, his city, his church, and his neighbors with humility, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to others. Now, at 96 years old, his name will permanently grace the home of Georgetown's city government, a fitting tribute to a man whose life has been so deeply intertwined with the community he loves. Georgetown City Council voted to name the new facility in his honor in recognition of his decades of service, including nearly three decades on the City Council and 27 years with the Georgetown Police Department. I include in the Record the following account of Mr. Smalls's remarkable life and legacy: A Life of Service to Georgetown Clarence C. Smalls is the oldest son of Marion Smalls and Aleathia F. Smalls. From an early age, he learned the values of faith, hard work, responsibility, and respect--principles that would guide him throughout a lifetime devoted to his family, his community, and his country. As a young man, Clarence answered the call to serve his nation as a member of the United States Army during the Korean War. When he returned home, his commitment to service continued. He joined law enforcement and spent more than 28 years serving communities in Georgetown and Florence, including 27 years with the Georgetown Police Department. His contributions to public safety extended beyond his years wearing the uniform. As a member of the Georgetown City Council, he helped secure funding for a new police department facility, and his service was later recognized through his induction into the Georgetown Police Department Hall of Fame. Clarence would go on to serve the people of Georgetown for more than 27 years on the City Council, including service as mayor pro [[Page E943]] tempore. Through changing administrations and generations of residents, he remained a steady presence in local government. His leadership was grounded not in recognition or title, but in a practical concern for the people he represented and a belief that public service meant being available, listening, and doing the work necessary to improve his community. His contributions extended far beyond City Hall. Clarence spent 32 years as a member of the Longshoremen's Union, serving as a local president and later as a trustee. He spent four decades providing transportation services to his community, operating a taxi business that did far more than take people from one place to another. For many residents, Clarence was a trusted person they could count on to help them get to work, appointments, errands, and wherever else life required them to go. Faith has been another constant throughout Clarence's life. A member of Bethel AME Church for more than 90 years, he has served the congregation as a trustee and has helped strengthen its connection to the wider Georgetown community. His faith is reflected in the manner in which he has approached every responsibility--with compassion, humility, generosity, and a willingness to help. Clarence's greatest legacy, however, can be found in his family. Together with his wife, Mary G. Smalls, he built a family that today includes five children, ten grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and nine great-great- grandchildren, in addition to his siblings, nieces, nephews, extended family, and countless friends. Through his example, he has passed on the same values of faith, perseverance, generosity, responsibility, and respect that his own parents instilled in him. Over the course of his life, Clarence has earned numerous honors, including induction into the Georgetown Police Department Hall of Fame, the Georgetown Arborist Citizen Award, and the Bethel AME Church Lay Organization Outstanding Service Award. Yet perhaps the most enduring recognition is the one now attached to the institution in which he spent so many years serving his neighbors. After nearly a decade without a permanent City Hall, Georgetown opened its new municipal home at 420 Hazard Street in the West End in August 2026. The facility brings city offices, public works, utility services, and the City Council chambers together under one roof and is intended to make city services more accessible to Georgetown residents. Above all, it now bears the name Clarence C. Smalls City Hall. That name represents more than one man's time in elected office. It represents a veteran who served his country, a police officer who protected his neighbors, a councilman who helped guide his city, a labor leader, businessman, church trustee, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and friend. Clarence C. Smalls has spent a lifetime showing what it means to serve a community faithfully and without seeking recognition for himself. Generations of Georgetown residents have benefited from his steady presence, his wisdom, and his willingness to help. It is fitting that generations to come will walk into a building bearing his name and be reminded that the strength of a community rests on people who dedicate themselves to making it better. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Clarence C. Smalls on this tremendous honor and in recognizing his extraordinary lifetime of service to Georgetown, South Carolina. May the Clarence C. Smalls City Hall stand as an enduring tribute to his service and an example for those who follow in his footsteps. ____________________