A concurrent RESOLUTION

 

TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE PORTION OF AUGUSTA STREET IN THE CITY OF GREENVILLE FROM ITS INTERSECTION WITH UNITED STATES HIGHWAY 29 TO ITS INTERSECTION WITH SOUTH MAIN STREET "FRED D. GARRETT, SR. MEMORIAL HIGHWAY" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE SIGNS OR MARKERS ALONG THIS PORTION OF HIGHWAY CONTAINING THESE WORDS.

 

Whereas, Mr. Fred Douglas Garrett, Sr., was born December 23, 1924, to the late Rev. John E. and Mattie Baston Garrett in Modoc, South Carolina. Following a long life dedicated to God, family, and community, Mr. Garrett went to be with the Lord on November 8, 2018; and

 

Whereas, after graduation from Schofield Normal Industrial High School in 1943, Mr. Garrett served three years in the United States Navy, then earned a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science at South Carolina State College, graduating in 1951; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Garrett began his career as a county agent for Clemson University's Agricultural Extension Program in Florence, South Carolina. Here he met and married the love of his life, Miss Mamie Williams. The couple was blessed with two daughters and a son. In 1952 the Garretts moved to Greenville where he became the county's extension agent; and

 

Whereas, hired as a part-time employee, Mr. Garrett became a partner and subsequent owner of Watkins, Garrett and Woods Mortuary; and

 

Whereas, a faithful member of Springfield Baptist Church, Mr. Garrett served on numerous committees, with twenty-two years as chairman of the Trustee Board. He held life memberships in the NAACP and National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association Board. Other affiliations include president of the South Carolina Morticians Association, board member of the Goodwill Industries, Minority Business Development Corporation, Minority Economic Development Institute, Greenville Technical College Advisory Board, Greenville Chamber of Commerce, and USC Spartanburg's Carolina Piedmont Foundation, to name a few; and

 

Whereas, Mr. Garrett's many honors for public service in his profession, community, and church include the South Carolina Morticians Association's Outstanding Service Award in 1980, the 1988 Man of the Year Award and the 2012 Living Legends of Funeral Service award from the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association Board, Minority Business Person of the Year by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce in 1996, the 2003 Business Person of the Year award from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and the 2007 Outstanding Leadership Award from Springfield Baptist Church.  South Carolina State University established the Fred D. Garrett, Sr., Scholarship in his honor in 2013, awarded him the Stellar Alumni Award in 2014; and

 

Whereas, it would be fitting and proper for the members of the South Carolina General Assembly to acknowledge the lifetime contributions and accomplishments of this proud son of the Palmetto State by naming a portion of Augusta Street in the City of Greenville in his honor.  Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

 

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly request the Department of Transportation name the portion of Augusta Street in the City of Greenville from its intersection with United States Highway 29 to its intersection with South Main Street "Fred D. Garrett, Sr. Memorial Highway" and erect appropriate signs or markers along this portion of highway containing these words.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation.

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