TO CONGRATULATE DR. FRANKLIN G. MASON OF MULLINS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS NINETIETH BIRTHDAY AND TO WISH HIM MUCH HAPPINESS IN THE DAYS AHEAD.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is delighted to learn that Dr. Franklin G. Mason of Mullins celebrated his ninetieth birthday on November 20, 2014, a very special time in his life during which family and friends joined with him to mark the occasion on Sunday, November 23, 2014, at Mullins First Baptist Church; and

Whereas, born in Mullins on November 20, 1924, the young Franklin came into this world when the twentieth century was still in its youth, and he has been witness to nearly all the incredible changes and developments that have come to this nation from that time into the twenty-first century; and

Whereas, heeding the call of his country, Dr. Mason served in World War II as a paratrooper and earned the rank of first lieutenant during that conflict; and

Whereas, Dr. Mason, a graduate of Clemson University and Emory University School of Dentistry, has practiced dentistry in Mullins for sixty-one years, is past president of the South Carolina Dental Association, and still works at the profession he loves; and

Whereas, a devoted family man, he married Lucy Reames (now deceased) and with her parented four beautiful daughters, Mary, Lucy Anne, Deby, and Fran, who have given their parents the joy of twelve grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and

Whereas, at age fifty-eight, Dr. Mason began running, and since then has run seven hundred forty races of various distances, winning more than four hundred first-place awards. He ran his first marathon at age sixty and completed one hundred twenty full marathons by the end of his running career. He still holds ten state records, all achieved since age seventy-five, and in 2001 he was elected to the South Carolina Runners Hall of Fame. Though he has retired from running, Dr. Mason continues to work out at a gym six days a week; and

Whereas, because he believes strongly in giving back to the community, Dr. Mason has been part of the Mullins Lions Club for more than sixty-one years and is still an active member. He used many of his marathons to raise funds for Lions foundations, including more than one hundred thousand dollars for the South Carolina Lions Foundation. His fellow Lions have shown their respect for him by naming their highest award in his honor, the Dr. Franklin G. Mason Fellowship. Further, Dr. Mason served from 1988 to 1990 as a Lions International director, the second-highest office in Lions International; and

Whereas, Dr. Mason finds his spiritual home at Mullins First Baptist Church, where he has been a member for eighty years and an active deacon for sixty years. He is a veteran of thirty-five short-term mission trips as a missionary dentist to eight countries; and

Whereas, in addition, he currently serves as secretary to the Charleston Southern University Board of Trustees; and

Whereas, the House of Representatives is pleased to honor Dr. Franklin G. Mason at the celebration of his ninetieth birthday and joins with his family and friends in congratulating him on reaching this extraordinary milestone. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, congratulate Dr. Franklin G. Mason of Mullins on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday and wish him much happiness in the days ahead.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to Dr. Franklin G. Mason.