Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish a well-deserved happy 100th birthday to a pillar of Watauga County, Mr. Robert Gray Shipley, Sr. Mr. Shipley was born in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, on June 23, 1912. Growing up on his parents' farm, Mr. Shipley's aptitude for agriculture and ranching was evident from a young age. {time} 1100 He put that skill to use, working his way through college, milking cows, judging livestock competitions, and maintaining records in Virginia Polytechnic Institute's dairy department. Mr. Shipley began teaching upon his graduation from Virginia Tech in 1933, and aside from the time he spent in the United States Air Force as a gunnery instructor on B 24 bombers; teaching agriculture in an innovative and hands-on manner is what he did for most of his professional life. In fact, Mr. Shipley counts among his many students my husband, Tom. Today, if you take a trip down to Watauga County, evidence of Mr. Shipley's involvement in the community is everywhere. He helped organize the Watauga County Hereford Association, he taught sheep sheering at 4 H clubs, and he ran the Cove Creek Horse Show for two decades. He's a member of the North Carolina State Fair Hall of Fame, the Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Livestock Hall of Fame. He's a charter member of the Boone Rotary Club and is a mainstay in the Cove Creek Ruritan Club, working faithfully at every monthly fish fry. Throughout his busy life, Mr.…”