The Honorable John Lewis (D-GA)

An icon of nonviolent civil rights activism, and a respected Member of Congress who served his Atlanta, Georgia constituents for 34 years, Rep. John Lewis lived his values. Known by many of his colleagues as "the conscience of Congress," he demonstrated what a life of deep engagement and activism looks like. His motto was to get into "good trouble," and he inspired countless people around the world to stand up for what they believe in.

Rep. Lewis was born to sharecroppers in segregated rural Alabama. As a child he practiced his ministry and oratory skills on his chickens, and his family called him "Preacher." He expected to become a religious leader, attending American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, TN. While at seminary, he was inspired by the words and activities of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and became a leader of the civil rights movement and a champion of nonviolence, despite repeatedly being on the receiving end of violence during his activism.

Rep. Lewis was one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, through which he organized and led lunch counter sit-ins to protest segregation in the eateries. He was one of the original Freedom Riders protesting segregated interstate travel. He spoke at and helped organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, at which Dr. King was the headline speaker. And he led the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965, which—because of the brutal response of state troopers—became known as Bloody Sunday and galvanized support for desegregation and the Voting Rights Act.

He began his career in elected public service in 1981 as a member of the Atlanta City Council, and he was elected to Congress in 1986. In Congress he remained true to his activist roots, even getting arrested several times during protests as a Member of Congress. He spoke often on and off the floor of the House of Representatives about civil and human rights, maintaining his moral grounding through his religion and personal experience. In 2011, Rep. Lewis was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.

He also maintained a sense of humor. His staff—many of whom worked for him long beyond typical congressional staff tenures—remember a man who liked to laugh and who could be seen breaking into a dance in the office from time to time.

The Honorable Amory "Amo" Houghton (R-NY)

Scion of one of the wealthiest families in the United States, Representative Amo Houghton was known in both business and Congress as an affable, self-deprecating leader with an unwavering sense of conscience and integrity. A man of faith who considered the priesthood and missionary work at various points in his life, he lived by his favorite prayer: "Grant, oh Lord, that in all the joys of life, we may never forget to be kind. Help us to be unselfish in friendship, thoughtful of those less happy than ourselves and eager to bear the burden of others. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord."

Born to a wealthy and influential family of corporate leaders, ambassadors, and philanthropists, he worked his way up in his family's business—Corning Glass works, one of the world's biggest glassmakers—ultimately serving for nearly 20 years as Chairman and Chief Executive. During his tenure at the glass works, he greatly expanded its revenues and employment, even after having to guide it through recovery after a destructive hurricane in the 1970s. He is beloved by the upstate New York community in which Corning is based because, immediately after the hurricane, he took to the radio to pledge not to relocate the company and to rebuild bigger and better than before. He kept that pledge.

Prior to his work at Corning, he volunteered in the Marine Corps in the final year of World War II. Upon completing his service, he went on to Harvard University to earn his BA and MBA. After more than 30 years at Corning, he stepped down in 1983 and was elected to Congress in 1986—following in his grandfather's footsteps—where he served his constituents for nine terms.

In Congress he was known as a hard-working moderate who voted his conscience, even when it meant going against his party on major legislation, including the war in Iraq, tax cuts, the minimum wage, organized prayer in public schools, and impeaching President Clinton. Rep. Houghton was also a champion for comity and bipartisanship, leading and organizing periodic retreats for Members of Congress and their families to get to know each other and build relationships across the aisle. His vision was to foster greater cooperation and civility in a time where Congress was becoming increasingly polarized.

As a boss in Congress, Rep. Houghton applied his management and leadership skills. Many of his employees stayed with him long beyond the average staff tenure, and even those who did not stay long attributed working for him as critical to their later success. He supported and encouraged his employees' professional development, often providing guidance himself.

Celebrating the Friendship

Rep. Lewis and Rep. Amo Houghton maintained a deep and abiding friendship. The two men—good friends from the very beginning of their congressional careers—worked across the aisle not only on legislation, but on moral leadership. Together they were co-chairs of the Faith and Politics Institute, leading annual commemorations of civil rights by marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of one of the most brutal attacks of protesters during the 1960s movement. They also worked tirelessly together to gain their colleagues’ support in awarding Nelson Mandela a Congressional Gold Medal before he became the international beacon of human rights he today represents.

After Rep. Lewis died in August, Rep. Houghton’s son-in-law, Mark Grayson, wrote and op-ed piece about their friendship, and said this:

“I’ve asked myself many times how they found so much common ground between them. That they could do so seems to be a lesson for us all today. Strange as it may sound, I think it was the common features of their unique personalities that brought them together. Both were heart-centered men who listened deeply. Although they both dug into the analytical work that shaping policy requires, their decisions came from an inner space where their compassion and innate sense of decency lived. They each understood the use of status and power but had little patience for people — many of them peers — who forgot that we entrust our leaders with power to affect the common good, not their personal gain. Both were men of above-average courage who had an independent streak and were unafraid to vote their conscience. Neither was interested in the hyper-aggressive command and control models that so dominate today’s world. They preferred to lead by example, respecting and relying on the capacities of others whom they often considered more capable than themselves, while inspiring all to pick up the ball and move it down the field, as we are able. They placed great trust in others and built networks of influence as a result. These attributes not only made them effective politicians. It made them great men.”

Rep. Houghton died March 4, 2020. Rep. Lewis died July 17, 2020. CMF is honored to posthumously award Representatives John Lewis and Amo Houghton for their exemplary careers in Congress.