Senate honors Tuskegee Airman Dr. Harold May; adopts resolution and suspends procedural rule to refer petitions

The Senate recognized Dr. Harold May, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, and presented a citation to him and his daughter during a floor ceremony today, also taking several routine procedural votes including adopting a resolution honoring former Senator Mark Pacheco and suspending Joint Rule 12 to refer petitions to committee.

The recognition came when a senator introduced Dr. Harold May and asked colleagues to welcome him, noting that Dr. May and his daughter, Dr. Allison May, were present along with members of the New England chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen. The senator said Dr. May volunteered for service in World War II, trained as one of the original Tuskegee Airmen and later pursued a career in medicine and public service. The Senate presented a citation and invited Dr. May to sign the chamber guest book and join members for a photograph.

Why it matters: senators framed the floor recognition as a reminder of the Tuskegee Airmen’s role in military integration and of Dr. May’s later civic and medical service. The introducer noted, as recorded on the floor, that federal references to the Tuskegee Airmen have been removed from some training materials and web pages, and that supporters are seeking to establish the fourth Thursday in March as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day.

Details from the floor record: the introducer recounted Dr. May’s postwar medical career, including graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1951; serving about 10 years as chief of surgery at a hospital in Haiti where he founded the Ecole La Providance; returning to Boston in 1970 and helping lead improvements to Boston’s emergency medical services, including work on regional disaster planning used after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; directing medical services at the Wrentham Development Center; and founding a nonprofit in 1997 that provides supports for Boston-area children. Dr. May and family members were publicly acknowledged on the Senate floor and joined senators for a citation and photograph.

Votes at a glance - Resolution recognizing the legacy of Senator Mark Pacheco: adopted by voice vote. (Presented by the senator from Bristol and Plymouth; clerk read the resolution; floor record: “The ayes have it, and the resolutions are adopted.”) - Suspension of Joint Rule 12 to refer petitions from the House to their respective committees: approved by voice vote. (Clerk read that the petitions come from the House under suspension of Joint Rule 12; floor record: “The ayes have it. And the rule was suspended, and the petitions will be referred to the respective committees.”) - Adoption of an adjournment order in memory of Thomas S. Cahir: approved by voice vote. (A senator moved that the Senate adjourn in memory of Thomas S. Cahir; the motion was approved and the Senate stood adjourned in his memory.) - Final motion to adjourn: approved by voice vote.

What the record shows, and what it does not: the floor record shows voice votes and the clerk’s announcements that "the ayes have it"; the transcript does not provide numerical tallies or roll-call vote records for these items.

Other floor business: senators read and offered routine orders (for example, an order that when the Senate adjourned it would meet again Monday at 11:00 a.m.), and the chamber observed a moment of silence tied to the memorial order for Thomas S. Cahir. No policy or regulatory changes were taken during the parts of the session recorded here.

The ceremonial recognition and the procedural votes were conducted during the formal session; members and guests were invited to join for a photograph after the citation presentation.