[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING JOSE LEON GUERRERO RIOS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 5, 2001

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, on September 6, 2001, a statue will be 
unveiled in honor of a great pioneer in the development of Guam's 
educational system. The statue in honor of Jose Leon Guerrero Rios is 
to become a permanent fixture at the middle school in Piti also named 
after him.
  The Honorable Jose L.G. Rios, was born in the city of Hagatna on 
August 14, 1898. He was the son of Brigido Ayubon Rios and Josefa 
Garrido De Leon Guerrero. He was married to Antonia Duenas Leon 
Guerrero and they had eight children--Elizabeth Irene, Albert James, 
Joseph, Helen, Virginia, Eduardo, Teresita, and Ricardo. A career 
educator, Mr. Rios had the opportunity to mold students who would later 
become island leaders. Through his career as a classroom teacher, 
notable figures in Guam's history such as Richard Taitano, Lagrimas 
Untalan, Ben Reyes, and Edward Calvo were among the ranks of his 
students.
  Mr. Rios first received recognition from monthly articles he wrote in 
1915 and 1916 about various schools on Guam at the time. These 
articles, along with articles he wrote about Chamorro folklore, 
contributed toward his selection in 1918 to be among four individuals 
picked by the Naval Government to receive higher education training at 
the Oklahoma A&M College in Stillwater, OK.
  Upon his return to Guam, Mr. Rios gained prominence for his work 
toward the benefit of the island's educational system. The grade level 
structure in the island's elementary and junior high schools was 
established through his efforts. As president of the Guam Teacher's 
Association in1 924, he received great recognition for this 
accomplishment. In 1940, by virtue of an appointment by Governor Henry 
P. Price, Mr. Rios served as an Associate Justice in the Guam Court of 
Appeals--a position he held until the Japanese occupation in 1941. By 
1944, he had served as principal for all of the island's elementary 
schools and, after the Japanese occupation, he served as principal of 
George Washington Junior High School. When the school was later 
designated as a Senior High School, Mr. Rios served as its Vice-
Principal.
  His contributions were greatly recognized and appreciated. The 
Government of Guam awarded him a ``Gold Service Medal'' upon his 
retirement in 1966 for having been of service for 51 years. Widely 
known as ``Mr. Education,'' the College of Guam conferred to him an 
honorary ``Bachelor in Community Service'' degree in 1968 for his work 
toward the advancement of education in the community.
  This great man passed away on July 24, 1983, leaving behind a 
distinguished legacy. As a former educator, I fully appreciate the 
value of Mr. Rios' endeavors and contributions. With the unveiling of 
the statue in Mr. Rios' honor, I am hopeful that it will become a 
reminder of the man's accomplishments and serve as an inspiration, most 
especially to the students of the school bearing his name, to strive 
toward the same remarkable ideals he had advocated during his lifetime. 
Si Yu'os Ma'ase' Tun Jose put todu i setbisiu-mu para i tano'-ta.

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