[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 10, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN RECOGNITION OF BILL AND HELEN WILLIAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 10, 2000

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to Bill and Helen Williams, 
friends and community leaders, who will be honored by St. Joseph 
Orphanage at the 2000 Scholar of Life Banquet, on May 19. They were 
selected for the Scholar of Life Award for their life-long charitable 
work assisting needy children and their families, their support to St. 
Joseph Orphanage, the significant and meaningful impact they have had 
on young people, and for their support to cultural institutions in 
Greater Cincinnati.
  The contributions made by Bill and Helen go back a long way. Bill, 
who is currently chairman of the board of Western-Southern Life 
Insurance, says that when he first began selling insurance, he saw that 
some children did not always have the basic necessities. Bill said, ``I 
remember my father taking orphans to Coney Island, [and my family] 
helping to organize donations through the downtown churches.'' In the 
1950's and '60's, Helen says that ``a group of women and I would take 
some of the children at Washington Park Elementary School to Old St. 
Mary's Church . . . adding a spiritual side to their lives they would 
not otherwise have had.''
  The Williamses have improved the quality of life and education for 
the Cincinnati area's most needy in many ways. Over 10 years ago, Bill 
set out to improve the housing for the less fortunate in downtown 
Cincinnati. He has had tremendous success since then, improving the 
living standards for hundreds in Over-the-Rhine.
  Believing a solid education to be one of the keys to living a 
meaningful life, the Williams family sponsors scholarships for children 
who need financial assistance at Xavier University, the University of 
Notre Dame, and Georgetown University. In addition, Bill supports the 
Catholic Inner City Schools Education [CISE] organization where he has 
served as chairman of its annual campaign. CISE is a non-profit group 
that provides financial aid to inner city schools, and Bill helped to 
forge a working program between Hoffman Elementary in the Cincinnati 
Public School System and CISE. In addition, Bill has administered the 
O'Brien Fund through the Williams Foundation, which helps children in 
need. Last year, he was inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Business 
Hall of Fame. In 1995, he received the Great Living Cincinnatian Award.
  Helen also has had a profound impact on our area, and she has been 
very active in many charitable causes, serving as a trustee of St. 
Margaret Hall, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Mercy 
Hospital Foundation, Wilberforce University, and Summit Country Day 
School. Helen formerly served on advisory boards at Mt. St. Joseph 
College and Christ Child Day Nursery. She also was a trustee and past 
president of the Beechwood Home for Incurables.
  All of us in Cincinnati are most grateful to Bill and Helen Williams 
for their leadership, service, and commitment to our community.

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