Lynn A. Westmoreland: “I am pleased to support today H.R. 3233, naming the postal facility in Piney Woods, Mississippi, the Laurence C. and…”

“I am pleased to support today H.R. 3233, naming the postal facility in Piney Woods, Mississippi, the Laurence C. and Grace M. Jones Post Office Building. Laurence Jones was well-known in Mississippi history for founding the Piney Woods School in 1909. After graduating from the University of Iowa, he returned to his home State of Missouri, where he was sought out by a local Baptist church to create a school for black children. Jones found himself by himself in an abandoned sheep shed with no students, but one day a small barefoot boy arrived seeking a lesson. The next day, this young boy came back with two friends. This simple and small beginning grew over the years to what is now a premier educational institution, teaching 300 high school students on a 300-acre campus. Piney Woods is the country's largest African American boarding school and the oldest continually operating African American boarding school. Laurence's wife, Grace, was also an educator. They met in Iowa, where she had established a similar school for black children. Upon moving to Mississippi, she helped raise funds for Piney Woods and also taught classes. They believed in the importance of providing these youths with the educational opportunity they deserved. Laurence and Grace Jones were pioneers in the education system in the early 1900s. Their historic achievements are worthy of this recognition, and I am pleased to support H.R. 3233.”