[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 55 (Thursday, May 1, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO PHILANTHROPIST ALICE PETERS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. GEORGE P. RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 1, 1997

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Alice 
Peters. Mrs. Peters has demonstrated, time and time again, the ability 
to raise the spirits of people in the Fresno, CA, community. I want to 
honor her today for her service to Fresno.
  As noted in a recent edition of the Armenian General Benevolent Union 
[AGBU] magazine, Alice Peters' family moved to Lynn, MA, from Bitlis in 
1907. After hearing that more Bitlistsies were residing in the Fresno 
area, the family moved to Del Rey, a small farming town outside of 
Fresno. In 1943, she met and married Leon Peters, who was a farmer by 
day and sold pumps for water at night. Their business grew and became 
one of the Nation's premier winemaking machinery plants. Eventually, 
the business grew to be as large as 300 employees before the couple 
sold it to begin pursuing other interests.
  Perhaps even more significant to the region than the wine-making 
machinery business was the formation of the Leon S. Peters Foundation 
in 1959. Today, this foundation, with Mrs. Peters as the board 
chairman, supports many different educational causes in both the Fresno 
community and the world. Locally, the foundation aids humanitarian 
endeavors and university scholarships. Foundation guidelines require 
the money be kept in Fresno to help students locally. Internationally, 
the foundation sends funding to various organizations throughout 
Armenia, including supporting scholarships for students studying at the 
American University of Armenia and funding to assist children at the 
Nork Children's Center.
  Promoting education is not where the work of Alice Peters ends. As 
one of the leading philanthropists in Fresno, Mrs. Peters was 
instrumental in starting the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art, and 
also is a principle fund-raiser for the Fresno Zoo and the Boy and Girl 
Scouts of America. Together, Mr. and Mrs. Peters have shaped Fresno 
from a once small farming town into one of the largest and most 
thriving cities in California.
  Mr. Speaker, as an active member of the Fresno community, Alice 
Peters has contributed to the growth and cultivation of new ideas and 
accomplishments of its residents. Together, she and her husband have 
faced the challenges and enjoyed the successes of the world of 
business. In turn, they have given back to the community that has 
become so important in their lives. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
tribute to a woman who strives each day to make the Fresno community as 
fulfilling a place for others as it has been for her.

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