[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 141 (Tuesday, September 12, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              A DEDICATION IN HONOR OF MRS. RUTH WILLIAMS

                                 ______


                         HON. RONALD V. DELLUMS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 12, 1995
  Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join the California Legislature, 
city and county of San Francisco, the outstanding citizens of the Bay 
View Hunters Point district and the constituents of the Ninth 
California Congressional District to honor the later Mrs. Ruth Williams 
at a dedication and commemoration ceremony held September 9, 1995.
  The 1888 historic landmark and the city's oldest structure of its 
kind, the Bayview Opera House, will be dedicated as the Bayview Opera 
House Ruth Williams Memorial Theater as a tribute to her pioneering 
achievements. She played a central role in preventing the untimely 
demolition of the building during the 1960's. As a result of obtaining 
funds to redesign and renovate the structure, Mrs. Williams introduced 
the community to their first contemporary theater. She produced, 
directed, and performed in 37 theatrical and musicals. As a founder of 
the Bayview Repertory Theater Company, she effectively utilized theater 
to heal and enrich the lives of everyone around her.
  In 1971, I had the good fortune to share the same platform with Mrs. 
Williams at a ground breaking ceremony. She delivered a powerful 
oratory to motivate and inspire others even though the day before her 
husband, George, was stricken with a stroke.
  Mrs. Williams' 30 years of community activism, as a champion for 
civil and human rights in California, is visible in the neighborhood 
that she and her family resided. The Jackie Robinson Gardens 
Apartments, a 3,500 unit for low- to moderate-income housing complex 
which included the first single family homes in Hunters Point, is a 
testament to her commitment. She successfully operated a family 
planning clinic for two decades, providing teen and young adult 
counseling in sex education, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse. 
Mrs. Williams produced the first televised Northern California High 
Blood Pressure Telethon raising over $50,000 for community education on 
the effect of high blood pressure on the African-American community.
  The Bayview Opera House Ruth Williams Memorial Theatre is a beacon to 
all those who had the privilege to work with her and to the present and 
future generations who will know of her dedication, devotion, and 
commitment for the betterment of humankind.


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