[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 4 (Tuesday, January 21, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E109]]



               RECOGNIZING THE GENEROSITY OF ALLEN LEEPA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 21, 1997

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
extraordinary generosity of two wonderful people who live in my Ninth 
Congressional District in Florida. Allen Leepa and his wife Isabelle 
have donated a $2.15 million endowment and a multimillion dollar art 
collection to be housed in a new museum at the Tarpon Springs campus of 
the St. Petersburg Junior College in Tarpon Springs, FL.
  Mr. Leepa has said that ``art is a vehicle to promote education,'' 
and his gift will certainly benefit not only the students and faculty 
of the college, but the residents of Florida's suncoast as well.
  The college will be building the Leepa/Rattner Museum of Fine Arts, 
which is to honor Mr. Leepa and his late stepfather, Abraham Rattner. 
The museum will house 150 works by Mr. Leepa, an abstract artist, and 
20th century modernists including Georges Rouault, Hans Hoffman and 
Henry Moore. Two works by Pablo Picasso will also be included.
  A resident of my birthplace in Tarpon Springs for 14 years, Dr. Leepa 
studied art in Chicago, New York, and Paris at the Sarbonne. He has 
taught at several fine universities around the country, and he has 
published three books about modern art.
  Mr. Speaker, art means different things to different people. However, 
it does serve as an outlet for the creative side of all of us. 
Throughout history, the expressions of talented artists have 
contributed to a greater understanding of our society and of ourselves.
  As a result of Dr. Leepa's generosity and kindheartedness, Floridians 
will be able to enjoy the finest in art right in the heart of Florida's 
suncoast. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. Leepa and 
wishing the Leepa/Rattner Museum all of the best in the future.

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