The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN HONOR OF VIVIAN CREIGHTON BISHOP
______
HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Monday, July 26, 2021
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride and admiration that I rise today to honor and commend an extraordinary public servant, wife, mother, political operative and friend to many, The Honorable Vivian Creighton Bishop, upon her retirement as the elected Clerk of The Municipal Court of Columbus, Georgia. Ms. Bishop retired on December 31, 2020 after 28 years of distinguished service. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a retirement celebration was delayed and combined with a belated birthday party that was held at 6:30 pm on July 23, 2021 at Warehouse Nine, 920 9th Street, Columbus, Georgia.
Vivian Francine Creighton was born July 9, 1951 to the late Frank Richard Creighton and Evelyn Rushin Creighton at Martin Army Hospital, Fort Benning, Georgia. Because her father was a career noncommissioned officer in the United States Army, she and her older sister, Jacqueline and her younger brother Frank, Jr. as military dependents lived and traveled in multiple places across the United States and abroad. Vivian graduated high school in Wurzburg, Germany, but frequently during her childhood and adolescence, the family lived in Columbus, Georgia where she and her siblings would attend school. Following graduation in 1969, she was accepted to the University of Maryland Campus in Wurzburg but had to withdraw when her father received orders for Viet Nam. She attended Columbus Technical College, Atlanta Junior College and Georgia State University. After perfect scores on the Georgia State Merit Exams she secured employment in Atlanta with the Department of Family and Childrens' Services and later with the Georgia State Department of Education where she managed Human Resources for Georgia Public Television.
In 1999 she married Meldon Owens and they produced a daughter, Aayesha. They moved to Columbus where she was hired as an Accounting Clerk in Operations and Purchasing at Jack T. Rutledge State Prison where she rose through the ranks to become comptroller at the Prison, being among the first African Americans and females to do so at the Georgia Department of Corrections. Although her marriage ended in divorce, she worked hard in her career and was named Georgia Department of Corrections ``Employee of the Year for Administrative Support'' after she developed an innovative program for managing inmate accounts that was utilized system wide. After 16 years, Vivian left State government to become an entrepreneur, opening a gift and flower shop,
``Baskets of Delight.''
In 1992, Vivian was asked by a friend who was a victim of domestic violence to go with her to get a warrant from the Municipal Court of Columbus, Georgia. Witnessing the rude treatment she was receiving from Court employees, Vivian questioned their conduct and was told that if she did not like the way the office was being run she should run for it herself. And run she did. Vivian Creighton was elected countywide and became the first African American female to win countywide office in Muscogee County, Georgia--a position she held for 28 years. As Clerk she reorganized the office to maximize customer service, promote efficiency and achieved flawless audits with special recognition noted to City Council regarding her exit audit. During her years as Clerk she was loved and respected by all who used the court as being competent, kind, compassionate and helpful.
In 2001, Vivian Creighton married yours truly, Congressman Sanford Bishop, after a long courtship. We recently celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, having survived as a political couple in spite of conflicting views. She was Co-Chair of the Georgia Hillary Clinton Presidential Campaign and I was Co-Chair of the Georgia Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. In her own right she helped elect countless state and local officials including me, mentored others and is constantly sought out for political advice and counsel.
Vivian was elected President of the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses. She was the first Georgian and the only African American elected President of the prestigious Congressional Club, the Congressionally Chartered bi-partisan organization of the spouses of members of Congress, ambassadors, Supreme Court Justices, and Cabinet secretaries. She chaired the annual ``First Lady's Luncheon'' with First Lady Michelle Obama. Moreover, she raised over$ I million for the National March of Dimes Gala and won top awards as a celebrity chef.
On the local level Vivian has been active in numerous groups, including NAACP, Rotary Club, Girls Inc., The Links, Inc., American Cancer Society, Muscogee Democratic Party and more. She is a longtime member of M.L. Harris United Methodist Church although she regularly attends Mount Zion Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia wherein I am a Deacon.
Vivian has accomplished much in her life but it would not have been possible without the continuous love and support of her family--
daughter, Aayesha; granddaughter, Londyn; sister, Jacqueline, nieces, nephews, cousins and legions of friends, all of whom love her dearly. And beyond the shadow of a doubt, she is the love of my life.
It has been said that ``Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy on this earth.'' Vivian Creighton Bishop has paid her rent and paid it well. She has done so much for so many for so long.
Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues of the House of Representatives join me, along with the more 730,000 people of the 2nd Congressional District in honoring and commending The Honorable Vivian Creighton Bishop for her outstanding career of public service and her many contributions to her community, her State and this nation. Best wishes to her as she enters this new chapter of her life.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 130
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up