[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 112 (Monday, September 9, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H6097-H6099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NAT KING COLE POST OFFICE

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4797) to redesignate the facility of the 
United States Postal Service located at 265 South Western Avenue, Los 
Angeles, California, as the ``Nat King Cole Post Office.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4797

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles in 
     Montgomery, Alabama, during the difficult period of 
     segregation in the United States, and was raised in the 
     ghettos of the south side of Chicago, Illinois, where he 
     endured the harshness of poverty.
       (2) Nat King Cole was often confronted with racism during 
     his career, including being attacked by members of a white 
     supremacist group while he was on stage in Birmingham, 
     Alabama, in 1956.
       (3) Nat King Cole allowed neither poverty nor racism to 
     prevent him from sharing his music with people worldwide and 
     from leaving a lasting impression on American culture.
       (4) Nat King Cole established himself as the best selling 
     African-American recording artist of his generation.
       (5) Nat King Cole and his family became the first African-
     American family to integrate the community of Hancock Park in 
     Los Angeles when, despite threats and protests from local 
     residents, they purchased their English Tudor mansion in 
     1948.
       (6) ``The Nat King Cole Show'', primarily broadcast from 
     Burbank, California, aired nationally for more than a year 
     beginning in 1956 and was the first television show to be 
     hosted by an African-American artist.
       (7) Nat King Cole graced southern California with his music 
     during the formative years of his music career and formed the 
     successful ``King Cole Trio'' in Los Angeles, California.
       (8) Nat King Cole's recording of ``Route 66'' serenaded 
     generations of eager California immigrants.
       (9) Nat King Cole's recorded rendition of ``The Christmas 
     Song'' symbolizes the family warmth of the yuletide season.
       (10) Nat King Cole's disarming delivery teaches people the 
     meaning of ``Unforgettable''.
       (11) Although Nat King Cole died from lung cancer on 
     February 15, 1965, the music and embracing baritone voice of 
     Nat King Cole are lasting legacies that continue to be 
     enjoyed by people worldwide.
       (12) Nat King Cole exemplifies the American dream by having 
     overcome societal and other barriers to become one of the 
     great American entertainers.
       (13) Members of the community surrounding the Oakwood 
     Station Post Office in Los Angeles, California, have 
     advocated for the renaming of the post office in honor of Nat 
     King Cole, a former resident of the area.

     SEC. 2. REDESIGNATION AND REFERENCES.

       (a) Redesignation.--The facility of the United States 
     Postal Service located at 265 South Western Avenue, Los 
     Angeles, California, and known as the Oakwood Station Post 
     Office, shall be known and designated as the ``Nat King Cole 
     Post Office''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Nat King Cole Post Office''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann 
Davis).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  H.R. 4797, introduced by the gentleman from the State of California 
(Mr. Becerra), designates the post office located at 265 South Western 
Avenue, Los Angeles, California, as the Nat King Cole Post Office. 
Members of the entire delegation from the State of California are 
cosponsors of the bill.
  Nat King Cole was truly one of the most unforgettable entertainers in 
our Nation's history. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1919, Nat King 
Cole was a musical pioneer that helped to pave the way for countless 
black musicians to achieve success in the United States. Most widely 
known for his music as a pop ballad singer and jazz pianist, Nat was 
also the first African American man to have his own radio show, which 
began in 1946. Ten years later he was the first African American to 
host his own television show, and it was enormously popular as well.
  Although his life was sadly cut short in 1965, his legacy has lived 
on in part because of the great success of his daughter, Natalie, who 
has revived much of Nat King Cole's music by singing many of his songs 
in recent years.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to honor Nat King Cole by 
supporting this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  H.R. 4797, to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 265 South Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 
as the Nat King Cole Post Office, was introduced by the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Becerra), on May 22, 2002.
  Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles in 1919 in Montgomery, 
Alabama. He moved to the great jazz city of Chicago when he was four 
because his father, a Baptist minister, had accepted pastorship of the 
True Light Baptist Church.
  In Chicago, Nat King Cole's mother, Perlina, directed the choir at 
her husband's church and introduced all the Coles children, Edward, 
Nathaniel, Eddie Mae, Evelyne, Issac and Lionel, to music early on. All 
four of the Coles sons went on to become professional musicians.
  Nat's singing career began early. He was just four when he performed, 
``Yes, We Have No Bananas.'' He went on to take piano lessons and play 
the organ in his father's church. While attending Wendell Phillips High 
School in Chicago which, of course, is in my congressional district, 
Nat and his brothers became true believers of jazz music and constant 
fixtures on Chicago's South Side, the center of jazz.

                              {time}  1445

  Growing up, he was most influenced by pianist Earl ``Fatha'' Hines. 
After organizing and playing in a series of music groups, Nat ``King'' 
Cole moved to Los Angeles, where he formed the group which later became 
the King Cole Trio. He recorded his First National hit, Straighten Up 
and Fly Right, and went on to record such favorites as The Christmas 
Song, Mona Lisa, Route 66, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Rambling 
Rose, and many more.
  Not only a talented singer, he was also the first black jazz musician 
to have his own weekly radio show in 1948 and 1949 and network 
television show in 1956 and 1957. He was also an actor in St. Louis 
Blues, 1958, and Cat Ballou in 1964.
  Although a great man with a fantastic voice, Nat ``King'' Cole was 
not

[[Page H6098]]

immune to discrimination. His television show was canceled because he 
could not find a national sponsor. Being black was seen by many as the 
reason for the lack of advertising. When he moved to an exclusive 
section of Los Angeles in 1949, neighbors formed an association to keep 
him from moving in. In 1956, while playing to a segregated audience in 
Birmingham, Alabama, he was attacked by a group of white men. After 
completing his performance, Nat ``King'' Cole vowed never to return to 
the South, and he never did.
  In 1965, after battling an advanced case of lung cancer, Nat ``King'' 
Cole died on February 15 at Saint John's Hospital in Santa Monica, 
California.
  Mr. Speaker, I would urge swift passage of this bill and commend my 
colleague from California for seeking to honor the legacy of the late 
Nat ``King'' Cole in this manner.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Los Angeles, California (Mr. Becerra).
  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois, 
someone who represents the area where Mr. Cole lived for a time, for 
yielding me this time. I also would like to thank the chairman of the 
committee, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), and the gentlewoman 
from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) as well for this opportunity to bring 
forward a tribute to an individual who will go down in the annals of 
America as not just a grand entertainer but a decent and loving 
American.
  I want to extend my thanks to my colleagues from California, the 54 
Members of the California delegation, which includes our two Senators, 
for their support of the Cole family in this effort to give Nat 
``King'' Cole the recognition in this small way that he so deserves 
from this country. I would also like to thank the many other Members 
who signed onto this legislation as original cosponsors, many from the 
Congressional Black Caucus and other colleagues who recognized that it 
was fitting to pay tribute to this individual.
  Mr. Speaker, Nat ``King'' Cole is but a legend in America, but in our 
hearts he is someone who was able to touch us. H.R. 4797 is but a small 
token of appreciation that will forever give memory to his work and his 
love of this country. On South Western Avenue in Los Angeles, 
California, at the site of 265 South Western Avenue, those who happen 
to cross that busy street will have an opportunity to see the name of 
Nat ``King'' Cole, and, hopefully, they will appreciate what it takes 
to have one's name on the marquis of a post office, a building owned 
and operated by the people of this government and of this Nation.
  I cannot, however, nor can my colleagues, be the only ones to take 
credit for this opportunity to fete Nat ``King'' Cole. The fact that we 
are designating this post office after a legend is truly due to the 
people who live in and around the area of 265 South Western Avenue, 
because it is the folks who live in the community that surround this 
area who chose Nat ``King'' Cole as the person to pay tribute to and to 
name this post office after. I want to thank all of them for having 
stepped forward and in a very democratic process and deciding that it 
was best and most fitting to name this post office after a former 
resident of the area, and certainly a man that we will all remember.
  As my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), had said, 
Nat ``King'' Cole remains an icon as one of America's most beloved 
entertainers, even 37 years after his untimely death in 1965. His story 
is one of determination, courage and resilience. We recognize him today 
as one of the pioneers who left his mark in an industry that is now 
part of the fabric of Los Angeles. But his impression on our city and 
this Nation goes far beyond that.
  Nat ``King'' Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles in Montgomery, 
Alabama, in 1919 during that very regrettable period of segregation in 
this country. At the age of 4, Nat's father moved the Coles family, and 
it is Coles with an ``s,'' to Chicago, where his father accepted the 
pastorship of the True Light Baptist Church. Nat spent his childhood in 
the ghettos of the South Side of Chicago. But while Nat did not have 
the means to dream, he certainly had the capacity to do so, and, 
ultimately, live out those dreams.
  Perlina Coles, Nat's mother, directed the choir at the True Light 
Baptist Church, and she is the one that introduced the Coles children 
to music early on. Nat's musical talents exhibited themselves at a 
very, very young age. His first public performance was at the age of 4 
in Chicago's Regal Theater. As a youngster, Nat would sing and play the 
organ at his father's church. His mother wanted Nat to become a 
classical pianist, but Nat's passion was jazz.

  Chicago was just the place to be for Nat ``King'' Cole to satisfy 
those tastes for jazz music. The city, at the time, hosted jazz talents 
like Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Earl Hines. And we should all 
recognize that not long ago, this past week, we lost Mr. Lionel 
Hampton, another great of American entertainment and art and a great 
jazz artist in his own right.
  Nat and his brother Eddie would go off as often as they could to hear 
jazz musicians play and to perform in Chicago's South Side, which was 
the African American community's center for jazz action in the 1930s. 
Even when Nat could not afford the price of admission, he would stand 
at the alley and listen right next to the stage door.
  During his teenage years, Nat ``King'' Cole was involved with several 
musical groups. He loved to perform and to share his music with others. 
In 1937, Nat and Eddie joined a revival of the review ``Shuffle 
Along.'' The show took the road after 6 weeks in Chicago. When the show 
suddenly folded, Nat found himself in Southern California, and that is 
where he decided to stay. This was the beginning of his life in the Los 
Angeles area, and we are all fortunate for his impression on Southern 
California.
  In the late 1930s, Nat ``King'' Cole was asked to form a small group 
to play at a Los Angeles nightclub. It was the owner of this nightclub, 
Mr. Bob Lewis, who gave Nat his new renowned nickname of ``King'' Cole, 
and he asked Nat to wear a crown of gold on stage. In fact, the group 
became known as the King Cole Trio, and it was led by Nat. While the 
gold-colored paper crown did not last, the name and its significance 
endures to this day.
  Many legends of entertainment got their break in Los Angeles and in 
Southern California, and that area proved to be fertile ground for Nat 
``King'' Cole as well. The King Cole Trio developed a huge following. 
They found almost constant work in the Los Angeles area. And by the 
way, prior to booking the King Cole Trio, many of these nightclubs had 
never hired African American entertainers before. This trio went on to 
make some of their own recordings on what was known as the ``race 
record'' market, which is what made it possible for Nat ``King'' Cole 
to do the recordings. Because, remember, those were days when it was 
very difficult for talented men and women of African American descent 
to record and even to present their music and their talents before 
audiences.
  In 1943, Capitol Records, then a fledgling company, signed the King 
Cole Trio. The Trio's recording on that label of Straighten Up and Fly 
Right became a smash hit in 1944, and it appealed to not just black 
audiences but white audiences as well. Nat ``King'' Cole composed this 
song and based the lyrics on one of his father's sermons. The recording 
also brought jazz and popular music together. The other works of this 
Trio included For Sentimental Reasons and The Christmas Song, which 
emphasized Nat ``King'' Cole as a vocalist for the first time. Before 
that, Nat ``King'' Cole would sing only on occasion to add some flavor 
to the instrumental trio.
  In fact, if you look back at history, Nat would say that he never 
thought of himself much as a vocalist. And while we find that very hard 
to believe, that is what he thought. And not just then, but he held 
that view of his singing abilities even after he had become one of this 
country's most recognized singers. In fact, one of the world's most 
recognized singers. All of us would have to disagree at least on that 
point

[[Page H6099]]

in his assessment of his vocal abilities. Most would say his voice was 
``Unforgettable.''
  Nat ``King'' Cole indeed was a man with talents that could not be 
contained by any particular genre. He slowly moved away from jazz and 
towards popular music. In 1955, the King Cole Trio disbanded, but Nat 
``King'' Cole continued to find success with songs like Too Young, 
Answer Me My Love, Mona Lisa and, of course, Unforgettable. Mr. Cole 
sold more than 50 million records. He contributed so much to the 
success of Capitol Records that its headquarters became known as the 
``House That Nat Built.'' His popularity would make him the first 
African American to have his own radio show and he would later also 
host his own TV shows.
  However, Nat ``King'' Cole did not always have an easy road. He was 
not immune to the intolerance of the mid 20th Century. Indeed, as we 
look at his impressive songbook, we cannot forget the struggles he had 
to overcome as an African American performer during that period in our 
Nation's history. In October 1956, Nat ``King'' Cole was given his own 
television show by NBC. This show received good ratings but failed to 
receive sponsorship and it was taken off the air after only one year. 
Most believed that the primary lack of interest by advertisers was due 
to Nat ``King'' Cole's race.
  But being taken off the air was not the only injustice Nat ``King'' 
Cole faced for being a successful black artist at the time. Nat faced 
physical intimidation and violence. In 1956, Nat returned to his native 
Alabama where his integrated group performed in front of a segregated 
audience in Birmingham. As a reaction, four members of the White 
Citizens Council attacked him on stage. But so determined was Nat 
``King'' Cole, that even though he was hurt, he returned to the stage 
and finished his show.
  In Los Angeles, where we will honor him with a post office that 
carries his name, Nat was not immune to prejudice. When Nat and his 
family wanted to move into the exclusive Hancock Park section of Los 
Angeles, residents of the all-white community formed an association to 
keep him and his family out. But despite the threats, Nat ``King'' Cole 
purchased and moved into his English Tudor mansion in Hancock Park.
  Nat ``King'' Cole exemplifies the American dream. He endured the 
racism of the time and overcame the poverty to which he was born and 
worked to be one of the most beloved American entertainers of our time. 
Thirty-seven years after his untimely death from lung cancer on 
February 15, 1965, his legacy lives on. Modern popular music 
entertainers like Celine Dion continue to record songs made famous by 
Nat ``King'' Cole.
  With determination, courage, and resilience, Nat ``King'' Cole 
overcame tremendous obstacles to leave a lasting impression on music 
lovers of all ages and races. The Oakwood post office at 265 South 
Western Avenue in Los Angeles is Nat's post office. He lived within a 
few miles from the station and he is the pride of the community. I 
believe that this bill provides a fitting tribute to a man whose legacy 
is simply unforgettable.
  To the many residents and friends and neighbors who made this 
possible today, and who will, when we have a chance to see President 
Bush sign this legislation into law, be present to commemorate this 
post office after Nat ``King'' Cole, I say, ``Thank you so much for 
recognizing an American hero,'' and, ``Thank you so much for helping us 
in the people's House recognize the accomplishments of great 
Americans.''

                              {time}  1500

  Mr. Speaker, with great honor and deference, we recognize a man who 
will live far beyond our lifetime.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) for 
his introduction and certainly for the statement the gentleman has just 
shared with us.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Watson).
  Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me this time. And I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Becerra) for introducing this legislation.
  I was just up in New York at the funeral for Lionel Hampton; and all 
of the way through, the talented performers would recall when they were 
all together, and Nat King Cole was part of that group. He was a man 
whose artistic talent was matched only by his efforts to break down the 
barriers that divided America from itself.
  Nat King Cole had a gift of enormous musical talent. He did not like 
his singing voice; he thought it was not good enough so he thought he 
should play, but they talked him into singing while he was playing. He 
was known most for his singular voice, bringing alive such tunes as 
``Mona Lisa,'' ``Rambling Rose,'' ``The Christmas Song,'' and 
``Unforgettable.'' His daughter, Natalie Cole, would say that for many 
a year she mourned her father's death and did not have the courage to 
record with him until much later after his death; and the song 
``Unforgettable'' truly will live forever. He was truly unforgettable.
  But many experts considered his work as a pianist as his most 
significant contribution to American music. He was recognized among 
jazz musicians as one of the most formidable and technically proficient 
pianists of his day. His trio format influenced jazz pianist greats 
Ahmad Jamal and Art Tatum. In the 1940s, he played piano on recordings 
with jazz seminal jazz greats Lester Young and Charlie Parker.
  In 1956, Cole debuted his own television show, which quickly became a 
major hit. Despite its success, many major advertisers refused to have 
commercials aired on it for fear that they would alienate the white 
population and, in particular, their Southern customers.
  Nat King Cole first recorded with Decca Records, and later with 
Capitol Records. Sales of his albums brought Capitol unprecedented 
commercial success, and some have even labeled Capitol Records' famous 
circular building in Hollywood as ``The House that Nat Built.''
  But Nat King Cole's contribution to American art was matched by his 
contribution to American society. Cole was a quiet, but consistent, 
force for integration. During an age when many black artists were 
resigned to the reality of racial segregation, Cole refused to play in 
segregated clubs. In 1949 when Cole moved with his family to the 
exclusive Hancock Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, an area represented 
now by the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) and myself, Cole 
faced hostility from his new neighbors. Yet Cole stood his ground, and 
successfully integrated the neighborhood, which remains one of Los 
Angeles' most prestigious addresses. So I am proud to join the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) and the rest of my colleagues 
to rename a post office in the Hancock neighborhood after Nat King 
Cole. He is lovingly remembered as a great musical talent, but also as 
a great American.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would close by saying that the life of Nat King Cole 
is another example of all that it has taken to make America the great 
Nation that it is. I join with my colleagues in urging swift passage of 
this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this 
measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dan Miller of Florida). The question is 
on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann 
Davis) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4797.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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