[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 27, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H22]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM ``BILLY'' ROLLE

  (Mrs. MEEK of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in sadness for the 
loss of what I call an urban patriot, a young man by the name of 
William ``Billy'' Rolle who resided in Coconut Grove, Florida. He not 
only resided there, Mr. Speaker, but he helped to build the youth of 
that community. Not only did he build the youth, but he also helped the 
elderly. He closed the gap between youth and old age by working very 
hard with all people in Miami and in Dade County.
  Billy Rolle was a jazz man. He played the saxophone, not only from 
the rhythmic standpoint of playing the keys on the saxophone, but he 
did it from the standpoint of training young people in music. He 
trained them in athletics. He had an AAU track team. He did everything 
he could to help the young people in Miami.
  Mr. Speaker, Billy Rolle did not have all the money that government 
puts into programs, but what ``Billy'' Rolle did was to put himself 
into these programs, to train these young people, take them off the 
street, to be sure that they learned many things that would improve 
their quality of life. It is such a time now that we grieve the death 
of William ``Billy'' Rolle, because he died an untimely death. But Mr. 
Speaker, Billy Rolle shall always be remembered as a man in Dade County 
who did a lot for many, many people, but most of all, he gave of 
service and invested in human lives, and for that, we shall always 
remember William ``Billy'' Rolle, Frankie Rolle, his lovely wife of 46 
years, his daughter Melanie, his son, little Billy, and the other 
children throughout Dade County that William ``Billy'' Rolle helped.

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