The publication is reproduced in full below:
REMEMBER1NG DR. SAMUEL L. MYERS, SR.
______
HON. STENY H. HOYER
of maryland
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, my district, the State of Maryland, and our country have lost an extraordinary citizen, an outstanding contributor to education and leader for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Dr. Samuel L. Myers, who was a trailblazer for equality and a pioneer in economics and higher education, passed away at the age of 101 on January 8 and will be remembered at a memorial service later this month. I was honored to know him and work closely with him over the years to advance the important causes he championed.
Born in Baltimore, Dr. Myers was the son of Jamaican immigrants and grew up in a home that strongly valued education and public service. After earning his undergraduate degree in 1940 from Morgan State University and a master's degree from Boston University in 1942--both in economics--he was drafted into the U.S. Army and rose to the rank of Captain while serving in the Pacific Theater. At the time, of course, our military was segregated, and Dr. Myers was a trailblazer in speaking out against the injustices facing African-American servicemembers, risking court martial. Following his honorable discharge from service in 1946, he studied at Harvard University and completed his doctorate in economics in 1949, studying with some of the most renowned scholars at that time, including John Kenneth Galbraith.
As an economist, Dr. Myers focused on inequalities and the effects of segregation on African-American businesses and families. That interest led him into government service, and he worked as a research economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics while teaching at his alma mater of Morgan State. Recognizing his leadership abilities and his deep commitment to education, Bowie State University selected him as its fourth president in 1968. During his tenure, which lasted until 1977, Dr. Myers reshaped Maryland's oldest HBCU and laid the groundwork for its success, preparing graduates to seize the opportunities of our twenty-first century economy. While pioneering the launch of computer science programs and new educational practices, he worked to secure funding for new buildings to replace those that were crumbling and dilapidated, and he supported students who had protested against unfair budgets that disadvantaged historically African-American campuses in Maryland and nationwide.
In 1977, Dr. Myers stepped down as President of Bowie State University but continued his passionate commitment to HBCUs. He became President of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) and continued to lead that organization for eighteen years. In that capacity, he lobbied for HBCUs and was instrumental in the 1980 Executive Order, signed by President Carter, directing that federal funding for higher education be prioritized for HBCUs, a principle that has since been expanded to include institutions serving Hispanic and Native American tribal communities. The recipient of many awards and recognitions for his contributions to equality in education, Dr. Myers continued even after his retirement from overseeing NAFEO to be a leader in this national effort, chairing the board of Minority Access, which helps build partnerships between minority-serving institutions and major research universities. He was also a longstanding supporter of foreign language programs and cultural exchanges that expand young Americans' views of our world and help build bridges with students and scholars from other nations.
Dr. Myers will be remembered as a man of vision and of service. His legacy will not be forgotten by the millions of students who were able to access high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs and pursue their dreams because of his tireless efforts. Maryland will long remember Dr. Samuel L. Myers among the pantheon of our great native sons and daughters who dedicated their lives and careers to the improvement of our society, the expansion of opportunities, and the cause of justice and equality for all.
I offer my condolences to his children, Dr. Yvette Myers and Dr. Samuel Myers, Jr., along with their families. Their father now joins their wonderful mother Marion Myers--who was his partner for sixty-four years--and their sister Judge Tama Clark, who passed away last year, in peaceful eternal rest. May his memory continue to bless and inspire so many in Maryland and in our country to pursue service and help build a more perfect union for future generations of Americans.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 105
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