[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 23, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H2575-H2576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO RICHARD ROMERO

  (Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor an individual, a friend, and 
pay

[[Page H2576]]

tribute to the late Richard Romero from the Inland Empire, a 
businessman, a philanthropist, a dreamer, a community leader. Richard 
was a pillar of the Inland Empire. From his humble beginning in New 
Mexico, Richard received great success in business and in life, but 
Richard's greatest satisfaction came from helping others.
  Recently I talked to his wife, and she said that one of the most 
important things about Richard was that he cared about people in the 
community. He felt that it was important for people to learn about 
reading, writing and arithmetic. Richard touched the lives of many 
individuals in the community by giving unselfishly.
  He rescued the University of Laverne from the brink of extinction; he 
turned it around and helped the University of Laverne in southern 
California. I know, because my son will be graduating from Laverne 
University on Saturday of this week, and I want to thank Richard for 
taking the leadership and helping the University of Laverne, a private 
institution.
  Mr. Speaker, Richard Romero reached out and touched the lives of many 
individuals in the Inland Empire, contributing to a variety of programs 
to support education of the disadvantaged. Many times he had events at 
his dealership. He continued to do that. The Romero dealership 
continues to provide scholarships for students. The Romero family is 
here, his son, R.J. Romero is here, and I am sure that they will 
continue the same tradition to improve the quality of life for all 
Americans.

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