On the recordDecember 5, 2017
I rise this morning to honor and recognize a great American, a visionary, a statesman, and a friend, Mayor William V. Bell, better known as Mayor Bill Bell. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, my friend Bill Bell ended 16 years of distinguished service as mayor of the city of Durham, North Carolina, located in my congressional district. Mr. Speaker, Durham has always been a progressive city, a city where I attended undergraduate school and law school at North Carolina Central University. Durham has always been a progressive city, above the average, but under Bill Bell's leadership, the city has become a thriving Southern city rivaling Charlotte and even Atlanta, Georgia. Bill Bell's work as mayor is but part of a long tenure of service to Durham that spans more than four decades. This week, I join the entire Durham community in thanking Mayor Bill Bell for his many, many years of public service. With Mayor Bell's retirement last evening, December 4, 2017, he leaves his office having literally transformed the Durham community. The city's leadership has now been passed to a new mayor, Steve Schewel, who is also a friend and a visionary leader. The city of Durham, North Carolina, is in good hands. Born William V. Bell in 1941, Bill grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He received a degree in electrical engineering from Howard University here in Washington, D.C., and then went on to receive his master's degree in electrical engineering from New York University.…
