Congressional Record: June 24, 2003                                                Page E1339 HONORING CLIFFORD THEODORE SHUMATE ______ HON. ERNIE FLETCHER of Kentucky In the House of Representatives Tuesday, June 24, 2003 Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today to pay tribute to a wonderful father and grandfather, resourceful businessman, and lifelong Kentuckian that, unfortunately, passed away on June 21, 2003. I speak of Clifford Theodore Shumate, a self-made man that rose from humble beginnings to build a successful textile-manufacturing outfit that now stretches across Kentucky's Bluegrass Region. Clifford Shumate was born on September 9, 1914 in Fleming County, Kentucky.The eldest of seven children, Mr. Shumate struggled to provide for his family. When he was just eight years old; Mr. Shumate completed the third grade and was sent to work the land and as a tenant farmer while he continued to attend school. Although he received only a limited formal education, Mr. Shumate was, nevertheless, a knowledgeable man that learned a great deal from his own experiences and self-determination. In 1933, Mr. Shumate married Carrie Spivey and, together, they founded Griffin Manufacturing in Carlisle, Kentucky. In 1948, with resources totaling about $6,000 and a workforce of only eight employees, Mr. and Mrs. Shumate oversaw a modest t-shirt manufacturing operation. It took little time, however, for this small company  to grow. Within a year, Mr. Shumate expanded his company to include a second Carlisle factory with 150 employees. Following the construction of a third factory in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, Mr. Shumate consolidated all of his plants into a new 36,000 square foot facility in Nicholas County. By 1973, with new plants in Paris, Cynthiana, and Maysville, Kentucky, Mr. Shumate administered a company with over 3,000 employees. Clearly, Mr. Shumate's accomplishments in his home state of Kentucky cannot be questioned. However, his personal resolve and desire to grow led Mr. Shumate to open international facilities in Merelbeke, Belgium and Carlton Place, Canada. After 33 years of service, Mr. and Mrs. Shumate retired in 1980. They left the company, now known as Kentucky Textiles, in the same manner in which they created it--together. Mr. Shumate's international textile firm, which began 55 years ago as a small t-shirt manufacturer in Carlisle, still remain in family hands. Mr. Shumate's son, Wayne, and his grandchildren, Cliff and Paige Shumate Short, are continuing the legacy that Clifford Shumate began long ago, at the age of eight, on the family farm in Fleming County, Kentucky. ____________________