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September 16, 2026
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Download official Extensions PDFReturn to issue contextCELEBRATING THE NEW CLARENCE C. SMALLS CITY HALL IN GEORGETOWN, SOUTH
CAROLINA
HON. JANELLE S. BYNUM
of oregon
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Ms. BYNUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the dedication of the new Clarence C. Smalls City Hall in Georgetown, South Carolina, and to honor the extraordinary life of public service that inspired its name.
For decades, Clarence C. Smalls—affectionately known throughout Georgetown as “Syrup”—has served his country, his city, his church, and his neighbors with humility, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to others. Now, at 96 years old, his name will permanently grace the home of Georgetown's city government, a fitting tribute to a man whose life has been so deeply intertwined with the community he loves. Georgetown City Council voted to name the new facility in his honor in recognition of his decades of service, including nearly three decades on the City Council and 27 years with the Georgetown Police Department.
I include in the Record the following account of Mr. Smalls's remarkable life and legacy:
A Life of Service to Georgetown
Clarence C. Smalls is the oldest son of Marion Smalls and
Aleathia F. Smalls. From an early age, he learned the values
of faith, hard work, responsibility, and respect—principles
that would guide him throughout a lifetime devoted to his
family, his community, and his country.
As a young man, Clarence answered the call to serve his
nation as a member of the United States Army during the
Korean War. When he returned home, his commitment to service
continued. He joined law enforcement and spent more than 28
years serving communities in Georgetown and Florence,
including 27 years with the Georgetown Police Department. His
contributions to public safety extended beyond his years
wearing the uniform. As a member of the Georgetown City
Council, he helped secure funding for a new police department
facility, and his service was later recognized through his
induction into the Georgetown Police Department Hall of Fame.
Clarence would go on to serve the people of Georgetown for
more than 27 years on the City Council, including service as
mayor pro
tempore. Through changing administrations and generations of
residents, he remained a steady presence in local government.
His leadership was grounded not in recognition or title, but
in a practical concern for the people he represented and a
belief that public service meant being available, listening,
and doing the work necessary to improve his community.
His contributions extended far beyond City Hall. Clarence
spent 32 years as a member of the Longshoremen's Union,
serving as a local president and later as a trustee. He spent
four decades providing transportation services to his
community, operating a taxi business that did far more than
take people from one place to another. For many residents,
Clarence was a trusted person they could count on to help
them get to work, appointments, errands, and wherever else
life required them to go.
Faith has been another constant throughout Clarence's life.
A member of Bethel AME Church for more than 90 years, he has
served the congregation as a trustee and has helped
strengthen its connection to the wider Georgetown community.
His faith is reflected in the manner in which he has
approached every responsibility—with compassion, humility,
generosity, and a willingness to help.
Clarence's greatest legacy, however, can be found in his
family. Together with his wife, Mary G. Smalls, he built a
family that today includes five children, ten grandchildren,
eight great-grandchildren, and nine great-great-
grandchildren, in addition to his siblings, nieces, nephews,
extended family, and countless friends. Through his example,
he has passed on the same values of faith, perseverance,
generosity, responsibility, and respect that his own parents
instilled in him.
Over the course of his life, Clarence has earned numerous
honors, including induction into the Georgetown Police
Department Hall of Fame, the Georgetown Arborist Citizen
Award, and the Bethel AME Church Lay Organization Outstanding
Service Award. Yet perhaps the most enduring recognition is
the one now attached to the institution in which he spent so
many years serving his neighbors.
After nearly a decade without a permanent City Hall,
Georgetown opened its new municipal home at 420 Hazard Street
in the West End in August 2026. The facility brings city
offices, public works, utility services, and the City Council
chambers together under one roof and is intended to make city
services more accessible to Georgetown residents. Above all,
it now bears the name Clarence C. Smalls City Hall.
That name represents more than one man's time in elected
office. It represents a veteran who served his country, a
police officer who protected his neighbors, a councilman who
helped guide his city, a labor leader, businessman, church
trustee, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and friend.
Clarence C. Smalls has spent a lifetime showing what it
means to serve a community faithfully and without seeking
recognition for himself. Generations of Georgetown residents
have benefited from his steady presence, his wisdom, and his
willingness to help. It is fitting that generations to come
will walk into a building bearing his name and be reminded
that the strength of a community rests on people who dedicate
themselves to making it better.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Clarence C. Smalls on this tremendous honor and in recognizing his extraordinary lifetime of service to Georgetown, South Carolina. May the Clarence C. Smalls City Hall stand as an enduring tribute to his service and an example for those who follow in his footsteps.