In Honor of the Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Mrs. Beatrice Price

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable life and legacy of Beatrice Muse Price, a pioneering Army nurse to the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, who passed away at age 98 on March 4, 2022.

Mrs. Price was born the second of six children on January 21, 1924, in Bessemer, Alabama, to the late Henry and Frances Muse. Graduating from Hale County Training School, she went on to attend Grady Memorial School of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia, where she graduated in 1944 as a Registered Nurse. She continued her education at the University of Maryland, Tuskegee University, and Miles College.

Mrs. Price began her career in nursing, serving as a chief nurse for a private hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She then joined the Army Nurses Corps in WWII, serving as a 2nd Lieutenant then later as 1st Lieutenant. During her time in the military, Mrs. Price was assigned to care for the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military aviator unit in the United States Army. From 1944 to 1948, Mrs. Price showed exemplary courage and service to the Tuskegee Airmen, earning her the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal along with the men she cared for. Her heroic military service to our country broke many barriers for future generations of Black nurses.

Mrs. Price had a stellar 42-year career in nursing. After her discharge in 1948, she went on to work in the U.S. Public Health Service for three years. Then, she spent the next 34 years working as a nurse at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. She was ultimately promoted to be the Night Nursing Supervisor, a position she held for twenty years until she retired on January 2, 1988.

Mrs. Price received countless awards for her remarkable leadership and contributions to the nursing profession. In 1985, VA department heads in Birmingham selected Mrs. Price as the first recipient of the distinguished Administrator's Award for Excellence in Nursing. In 2011, Mrs. Price was selected by America's oral history project, StoryCorps, to create an audio recording of her incredible life story. She also received national recognition in 2013, from the international Black nurse's sorority. Chi Eta Phi, for being a True Nursing Pioneer.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Price was a faithful servant leader. She was an active member of the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, serving for over sixty years as a member of the Deaconess Board, founder of the Wellness Ministry, and co-founder of a Sunday School class.

Mrs. Price is preceded in death by her husband of 37 years, Charles E. Price, Sr; parents Henry and Mary Frances Muse; sister, Ruth Outland; two brothers Eugene Muse and Theodore Muse, Sr.; two stepdaughters Norma Jean Price and Charlotte Price; and granddaughter, April Price. She is survived by one daughter Gill Hickman (G. Michael); two sons Joseph Diop (Betty Ann) and Michael Price (Anita); two surrogate daughters Karen Beverly West (John ``Bev'') and Amelia Jones; a daughter-in-law Sherrell Price; one brother Henry Muse, Sr. (Eulasteen); one sister Annie Bell Dawson; ten grandchildren Angela Terry (Anthony), Kimberly Crago (Stephen), Michael B. Hickman, Bennie Stephen Hurst (Frederica), Mannye Franklin (Preston), Arianne Price, Ashley Price, Tyler Price, Serena James, and Yolanda Roberts; one surrogate granddaughter Anniko ``Nicole'' Richardson (Jay); seven nieces and nephews John Outland, Jr. (Patricia), Monica Chambers, Kenneth Muse, Theodore Muse Jr. (Marquita), Arleen Livingston, Darlene Davis, Anita Muse; best friend and colleague Juanita Hixon; dear friends Leona Steward and Veronica Pettway; and a host of great- grandchildren, cousins, friends and church members.

On a personal note, Mrs. Price was a source of great inspiration for me and so many young black women. A trailblazer and pioneer in the field of nursing, she was devoted to her church, her family, and her service to this nation. A woman of tremendous faith, Mrs. Price served honorably during World War II alongside the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. As Alabama's first Black Congresswoman, it was my high honor to bestow upon her a Congressional Gold Medal for her courage, bravery, and exemplary service. I was also elated to host Mrs. Price in Washington at the State of the Union in 2013. For all of her accomplishments, Mrs. Price was always gracious, sweet, compassionate, and humble--always helping others with a smile and an extended hand. I am eternally grateful for our friendship, mentorship, and special bond. I want to thank her family for sharing her with the world. May we find comfort in knowing that she lived a full blessed life, and her legacy will live on in the hearts and actions of those she impacted. Rest in Peace and Power, thy good and faithful servant.

On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary life and legacy of Mrs. Beatrice Muse Price and her dedicated service that helped transform American History.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source