In Honor of Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper Debro

Floor Speech

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Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an inspiring woman, educator, and woman of God, Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper Debro. Sadly, Mrs. Debro passed away on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, at the remarkable age of 104. But, she leaves behind a legacy of impact upon countless people whose lives she touched. Her funeral service was held on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at the Charles E. Huff International Funeral Home, Incorporated in Columbus, Georgia.

Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper Debro was born in Coffeeville, Mississippi, on October 3, 1916, to the union of Reverend Louis W. Hooper and Mrs. Minnie Hooper. As the daughter of a preacher, she committed her life to being a believer and servant of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at a very early age.

She graduated from Delta Industrial High School, a historical boarding school for gifted Black children in the Mississippi Delta, before earning her undergraduate degree from Alcorn and Campbell College in 1941. She continued her education at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University), where she received her Master's degree in Math Education in 1960. A lifelong learner, with an immense passion for education, she sought to further her studies at the University of Georgia, Florida A & M University, and Tuskegee University as a National Science Foundation Scholar.

Mrs. Debro committed her life to education. She held the position of Math Department Chair at Carver High School in Columbus, Georgia, she was the Tri Hi Y Chair, Student Advisor, and the PTA Chairwoman from 1954 to 1971. Later, she taught at Columbus High School from 1971 to 1978, where she was among the first African American teachers to desegregate the Muscogee County School District. Mrs. Debro's life story was so impactful that it was featured in the SIS Oral History Project at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.

In addition to her dedication in the classroom, she was also a devout servant of God and a member of St. Mark A.M.E. Church for over 70 years, where she chaired the Women's Missionary Society and served in several leadership roles. Her pledge to Christ was echoed in her compassionate leadership, which made her a guiding light within her community.

Mother Teresa once said that ``At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things that we have done. We will be judged by ``I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was naked, and you clothed me, I was homeless, and you took me in.'' Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper Debro lived her life to help other people. Because of her love for Jesus Christ and her service to the least of these, the world is indeed a better place.

Mrs. Debro accomplished much in her life, but none of it would have been possible without the Grace of God and the love and support of her late husband of 30 years, Mr. James Debro, Sr.; and her children, James Jr., William, Lisa, Harriette, and Dwight. She will be greatly missed by her family but will also be missed by her community and all of those whose lives she touched.

Madam Speaker, my wife, Vivian, and I, along with the more than 730,000 people of the Second Congressional District, and all those who mourn her loss, salute Mrs. Anna Mae Hooper Debro for her lifetime of service to humankind. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join us in extending our deepest condolences to Mrs. Debro's family during this difficult time of bereavement. We pray that they will be consoled and comforted by an abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

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