Whereas Johnny Grant was born in Goldsboro, North
Carolina, and resided in Hollywood, California;
Whereas Johnny Grant served as the chairman of the famed
Hollywood Walk of Fame Selection Committee, which is responsible for one of
Hollywood's most important visitor attractions, and the Hollywood Historic
Trust, which provided financial support to many historic projects;
Whereas Johnny Grant's ebullient style and sense of
showmanship was evident as he produced the annual Hollywood Christmas Parade,
seen worldwide for more than a quarter of a century;
Whereas Johnny Grant served as Honorary Mayor of Hollywood
and as the community's Ambassador of Goodwill worldwide, and had 50
distinguished years of activity in show business;
Whereas Johnny Grant was an international emissary and was
known throughout the world for his patriotism and enthusiastic promotion of
Hollywood as the Film Capital of the World;
Whereas Johnny Grant was a pioneer in the radio and
television industry, hosting one of television's first game shows, being the
top radio personality in Los Angeles for a decade, serving as vice president of
public affairs for Golden West Broadcasting, and serving in Gene Autry's radio
and television empire for more than 46 years;
Whereas Johnny Grant donated his time and talents as a
producer and master of ceremonies to more than 3,500 events for charitable
organizations such as the USO, Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, and the
Salvation Army, helping them raise tens of millions of dollars for their
causes;
Whereas Johnny Grant led some 60 morale-building trips to
bring joy and a touch of home
to members of the Armed Forces
stationed in Korea, Vietnam, Beirut, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan,
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and many other areas;
Whereas the vision and character that Johnny Grant brought
to the entertainment industry and to Hollywood in particular will be sorely
missed; and
Whereas, on January 9, 2008, Johnny Grant passed away and
left a void in the Hollywood industry: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)recognizes Johnny Grant as a key
contributor to the revitalization of the image of Hollywood;
(2)honors Johnny
Grant for his service to the country, tremendous accomplishments, and
contributions to the industry and the Nation; and
(3)recognizes and
expresses gratitude to Johnny Grant for the generous donation of his personal
and extensive film collection series to the Department of State to be used as
part of the Department's ongoing public diplomacy programs worldwide, the first
official contribution to the Public Diplomacy Resource Centers Act of
2008.