[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 471 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                         July 22, 2002.
Whereas the poinsettia, native to Central America, flourished in the area of 
        southern Mexico known as Taxco del Alarcon, where the Aztecs used it 
        both decoratively and to make practical substances, including medicine 
        to treat fever and dye for textiles and cosmetics;
Whereas the poinsettia was first brought to the United States by Joel Roberts 
        Poinsett, the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 1825 to 1829, who 
        collected specimens of the flower while serving as Ambassador and sent 
        them to his greenhouses in South Carolina;
Whereas Paul Ecke, Jr. has been known and revered for more than five decades as 
        an outstanding business and community leader in the region of San Diego, 
        California, and in both the domestic and international floral 
        industries;
Whereas the Ecke Ranch, established by Paul Ecke, Sr. and subsequently owned and 
        developed by Paul Ecke Jr. and now by his son, Paul Ecke III, has 
        created a worldwide poinsettia market;
Whereas the genetic work of the Ecke Ranch has been licensed to growers 
        everywhere, and poinsettia lines developed there are responsible for 
        more than 80 percent of the world poinsettia market;
Whereas by revolutionizing the way poinsettias are bred, produced, and sold, 
        Paul Ecke, Jr. helped to make poinsettias the best-selling potted 
        flowering plant in the United States and in the world;
Whereas in 2001 poinsettias contributed $256,000,000 in sales at the wholesale 
        level to the United States economy alone, and many times that amount to 
        the economies of countries all over the world;
Whereas December 12 has been traditionally recognized as ``National Poinsettia 
        Day'' for more than 150 years; and
Whereas Paul Ecke, Jr. led the horticultural industry's successful effort to 
        include, for the first time, significant research funding for floral and 
        nursery crops in the research budget of the United States Department of 
        Agriculture: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes Paul Ecke, Jr.'s legendary energy, generosity, 
        integrity, optimism, determination, and love of people which have 
        enabled him to develop the poinsettia industry as well as to touch and 
        improve the lives of children and adults all over the world through his 
        extraordinary contributions; and
            (2) extends its condolences to the Ecke Family and to the floral 
        industry on the death of Paul Ecke, Jr., who was a philanthropist, and 
        advocate for education, and a warm, loving, and brilliant human being.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.