[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 140 (Tuesday, October 7, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H9231-H9235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AWARDING CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO JACKIE ROBINSON IN RECOGNITION OF 
                  HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATION

  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1900) to award a congressional gold medal to Jackie 
Robinson (posthumously), in recognition of his many contributions to 
the Nation, and to express the sense of the Congress that there should 
be a national day in recognition of Jackie Robinson.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1900

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, 
     in Cairo, Georgia, and was the youngest of 5 children.
       (2) Jackie Robinson attended the University of California 
     Los Angeles where he starred in football, basketball, 
     baseball, and track. His remarkable skills earned him a 
     reputation as the best athlete in America.
       (3) In 1947, Jackie Robinson was signed by the Brooklyn 
     Dodgers and became the first black player to play in Major 
     League Baseball. His signing is considered one of the most 
     significant moments in the history of professional sports in 
     America. For his remarkable performance on the field in his 
     first season, he won the National League's Rookie of the Year 
     Award.
       (4) In 1949, Jackie Robinson was voted the National 
     League's Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers 
     Association of America.
       (5) In 1962, Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball 
     Hall of Fame.
       (6) Although the achievements of Jackie Robinson began with 
     athletics, they widened to have a profound influence on civil 
     and human rights in America.
       (7) The signing of Jackie Robinson as the first black 
     player in Major League Baseball occurred before the United 
     States military was desegregated by President Harry Truman, 
     before the civil rights marches took place in the South, and 
     before the Supreme Court issued its historic ruling in Brown 
     v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
       (8) The American public came to regard Jackie Robinson as a 
     person of exceptional fortitude, integrity, and athletic 
     ability so rapidly that, by the end of 1947, he finished 
     ahead of President Harry Truman, General Dwight Eisenhower, 
     General Douglas MacArthur, and Bob Hope in a national poll 
     for the most popular person in America, finishing only behind 
     Bing Crosby.
       (9) Jackie Robinson was named vice president of Chock Full 
     O' Nuts in 1957 and later co-founded the Freedom National 
     Bank of Harlem.
       (10) Leading by example, Jackie Robinson influenced many of 
     the greatest political leaders in America.
       (11) Jackie Robinson worked tirelessly with a number of 
     religious and civic organizations to better the lives of all 
     Americans.
       (12) The life and principles of Jackie Robinson are the 
     basis of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which keeps his 
     memory alive by providing children of low-income families 
     with leadership and educational opportunities.
       (13) The legacy and personal achievements of Jackie 
     Robinson, as an athlete, a business leader, and a citizen, 
     have had a lasting and positive influence on the advancement 
     of civil rights in the United States.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized 
     to present, on behalf of the Congress, to the family of 
     Jackie Robinson, a gold medal of appropriate design in 
     recognition of the many contributions of Jackie Robinson to 
     the Nation.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a 
     gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, 
     to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
     Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 
     gold medal struck under section 2 at a price sufficient to 
     cover the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, 
     dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

     SEC. 4. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck under this Act are national medals for 
     purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be charged against the United States Mint Public 
     Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for 
     the cost of the medal authorized under section 2.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in 
     the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

     SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of the Congress that--
       (1) there should be designated a national day for the 
     purpose of recognizing the accomplishments of Jackie 
     Robinson; and
       (2) the President should issue a proclamation calling on 
     the people of the United States to observe the day with 
     appropriate ceremonies and activities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. King) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).


                             General Leave

  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on H.R. 1900, and to insert extraneous material thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a piece of legislation which is long overdue. If 
there was anyone over the past half century that has warranted the 
Congressional Gold Medal, it is Jackie Robinson. The reason this 
legislation is on the floor today, the reason it has advanced this far 
is because of the efforts of the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Neal), the man who initiated this legislation, who has worked 
relentlessly to get the amount of support necessary to bring it to the 
floor. I commend the gentleman for it, and I thank him for giving me an 
opportunity to sign onto the bill as the lead cosponsor.
  I have a personal interest because as a young kid growing up in New 
York, Jackie Robinson was certainly one of my heroes. I was a Brooklyn 
Dodgers fan, I attended many games at Ebbets Field, and the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) thinks I fantasize these things, but 
these are true. As a kid, there is probably no ball player who excited 
New York in that era more than Jackie Robinson. He really just caused 
all attention to be focused on himself, both through his ability and 
also because of his dynamism. The first game I went to, Jackie Robinson 
scored the winning run in the 10th inning. I saw him play a number of 
positions. He was on six World Series teams with the Brooklyn Dodgers. 
He was a major player when they won the World Series in 1955, he was a 
perennial All-Star in the National League, and he really excelled as a 
ball player. And after he retired, he was elected to the Hall of Fame.
  Of course, he was not just an outstanding ball player; he will go 
down in history for the fact and what he did in breaking the color 
barrier in the United States. When he broke into organized baseball in 
1946 in the minor leagues and in 1947 in the major leagues with the 
Brooklyn Dodgers, baseball truly was the national pastime. All 
attention was focused on organized baseball, and there were no African 
Americans whatsoever allowed into organized baseball.
  When Jackie Robinson broke that barrier, he really broke barriers 
throughout the country and set an example and a standard that our 
country has been attempting to live up to ever since.
  I mentioned that as a kid I used to follow Jackie Robinson as a ball 
player. It is only as I became older that I

[[Page H9232]]

realized the solitary anguish he must have been going through as a ball 
player during those years for a while when he was the only African 
American ball player at all. And even after other black players came 
into the major leagues, it was Jackie Robinson against whom so much of 
the hatred and venom was aimed. What he had to go through, the way he 
was attacked and criticized in stadium after stadium, it took enormous 
courage on his part to stand up to that, and he did. He always showed 
class and dignity. He was always tough, but he always lived up to the 
highest ideals of Americanism. Because of that our society has advanced 
as much as it has.
  In awarding the Congressional Gold Medal, we try to single out those 
individuals who have really made special contributions; and I cannot 
think of anyone, whether in the world of sports, the civil rights 
movement, or emerging American society, who has done more to make 
contributions than Jackie Robinson.
  On a personal note, as great as it was for me to watch Jackie 
Robinson, I also had the anguish as a high school student from my high 
school window watching them tear down Ebbets Field. To many people, 
that marked the destruction of the Brooklyn Dodger image and tradition.
  Mr. Speaker, the fact is, they could tear everything down, but no one 
could ever tear down the image of Jackie Robinson; no one could ever 
tear down the lasting impact that he has had on American society. So 
this is, as I said, a resolution which is long overdue. It is 
legislation that is long overdue, but it is something which is fully 
warranted and deserved.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me state how proud I am to stand here 
and manage the time on this important piece of legislation as a New 
Yorker. Jackie Robinson, as the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) 
pointed out, was as much a New Yorker as he was a baseball player.
  I also want to state my admiration for the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal). The gentleman and I have had the opportunity 
to work on many pieces of legislation during my 5 years here in 
Congress; and I want to suggest that it takes a tremendous amount of 
courage for a man from Massachusetts at this time, when a New York team 
is poised to defeat a Massachusetts team in a playoff series which is 
about to take place in a couple of days, to have the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) offer this bill here today to honor someone 
who became an honorary New Yorker we all appreciate. We really 
appreciate the motivation and the efforts of the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) to Jackie Robinson.
  Baseball player Jack Roosevelt Robinson, who is popularly known as 
Jackie Robinson, was born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, the 
youngest of five children. He spent his formative years living in near 
poverty in Pasadena, California, and later went on to attend the 
University of California in Los Angeles. His athletic gifts came to the 
fore when Jackie became the first athlete in UCLA history to letter in 
four sports: baseball, football, basketball and track. As a result, 
Jackie Robinson was considered one of the most versatile athletes of 
his generation and went on to prove it when he played for the Kansas 
City Monarchs in the Negro leagues and later signed a contract with the 
Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945, the first African American to do so for the 
majors in the 20th century.
  With the Dodgers, Jackie excelled in his game and inspired a 
generation of American fans and baseball players alike. The great home-
run hitter of the Atlanta Braves, Hank Aaron, once remembered Jackie 
Robinson as an important influence in his life: ``I had just turned 20, 
and Jackie told me the only way to be successful at anything was to go 
out and do it. He said baseball was a game you played every day, not 
once a week.''
  Jackie's career statistics tell a remarkable story. He helped the 
Brooklyn Dodgers win six pennants in 10 seasons. He was named Most 
Valuable Player in 1949 when he scored 108 runs, 203 hits, 16 home 
runs, and 124 RBIs. Jackie led the National League in stolen bases in 
1947 and 1949 for a total career of 197. His career batting average was 
.311.
  For his achievements in the sport, he was inducted into the National 
Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Despite his remarkable achievements on 
the baseball field, Jackie still had to contend with the insidious 
racist environment of his time. While traveling with the Dodgers, he 
could not always stay in the same hotels, nor eat at the same 
restaurants as his white teammates. One park in Florida barred the 
Dodgers from playing an exhibition game because of their inclusion of 
Robinson on their roster.
  At another point, the Cardinals threatened to strike rather than play 
against Robinson and the Dodgers, but the National League president 
intervened and the Cardinals capitulated.
  Jackie Robinson received hate mail with death threats. Given the 
racial injustices in America at the time and the racial injustices he 
was subjected to as a black baseball player, it is no surprise that 
Jackie Robinson would later turn his attention to fostering racial 
justice in America. He urged Major League Baseball club owners to hire 
African Americans to serve as managers, coaches, and administrators in 
front-office positions. He traveled extensively to raise funds for the 
NAACP and was a strong supporter of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai 
Brith.
  After retiring from baseball, Jackie became a businessman. He was 
vice president of Chock Full O'Nuts, chairman of the board and co-
founder of Freedom National Bank of Harlem between 1962 and 1972, and 
founded a construction company in 1970.
  In both banking and construction, he sought to improve the living 
conditions of African Americans in urban areas. He also spoke out 
against drug abuse in America. He was one of the great heroes of the 
storied history of our national pastime. He was an inspiration to his 
generation, and his pioneer spirit and legacy are an inspiration to all 
of us and will be for many generations to come. His legacy continues to 
be honored by the good work of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which 
his wife, Rachel, founded in 1973, one year after his death, which 
helps college-bound minority youth in developing their potential. I 
urge Members to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, regarding the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) 
and the courage he has shown, I think it is important for the record to 
state that back in the years when Jackie Robinson was playing in the 
World Series against the New York Yankees, I was rooting for Jackie 
Robinson, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) was rooting for 
the New York Yankees.
  In spite of that, we do believe in the ultimate power of redemption; 
we are glad the gentleman is attempting to atone for his sins today by 
advancing this legislation, and we certainly welcome him as we welcome 
all sinners who return to the fold.
  Seriously, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) 
touched on many of these issues regarding Jackie Robinson. He was a man 
who served the United States Army during World War II, he was an All-
American athlete in a number of sports at UCLA. He played any number of 
positions, and started all of them. He showed enormous talent and 
ability while he had this tremendous burden on him, the incredible 
pressures, the hatred being launched against him; but despite that, he 
continued to excel as an outstanding ball player throughout his career.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).
  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. King) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for 
the effort that they extended on the floor in getting the signatures to 
bring us to this moment.
  Mr. Speaker, our friend and colleague and hero, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Lewis), noted just a few months ago that before there was 
an integrated American military, there was Jackie Robinson.

[[Page H9233]]

                              {time}  1515

  Before Brown v. Board of Education, there was Jackie Robinson. Before 
the trauma and turbulence of events at the Edmond Pettus Bridge, there 
was Jackie Robinson. Before there was a Civil Rights Act of 1964, there 
was Jackie Robinson. And before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there 
was Jackie Robinson. I think that this House tries to honor those who 
break a barrier, and that is precisely what we are doing today in 
honoring Jackie Robinson.
  Jackie Robinson noted that the great thing about athletics is that 
you learn to act democracy, not just talk about it. I think he would in 
some small degree take satisfaction today knowing that this House of 
Representatives is not going to talk any longer about its legacy; we 
are going to act on it.
  For his many contributions to sports, to civil rights, and to our 
Nation, Jackie Robinson deserves this important recognition. His 
remarkable life transcended baseball and helped to transform a Nation 
in the process.
  As a baseball fan since my youth, I always admired his great talent. 
He was, and by all objective measurements, a true American hero. I am 
proud to be able to author this bipartisan legislation honoring a 
trailblazing legend.
  The leadership of Major League Baseball and in particular its 
Commissioner, Bud Selig, and its President, Bob DuPuy, they also 
deserve special recognition today as well as the many Members of this 
House who faithfully secured the signatures to bring this matter up in 
deserving recognition for Jackie Robinson. And I want to acknowledge 
the role of Major League Baseball in the passage of this legislation.
  And since I represent a portion of Massachusetts, let me recognize 
the Boston Red Sox today who held a symposium on the life of Jackie 
Robinson in January at Fenway Park, and it was the Red Sox who gave me 
the enthusiasm and presented themselves as a consistent partner in our 
efforts to pass this legislation.
  Also, I want to thank the family of Jackie Robinson for their 
unyielding support of this endeavor. Many of us had the opportunity 
just a few weeks ago to meet Jackie's daughter, Sharon, and we came 
away from that meeting knowing that she possessed the same qualities as 
her dad: strength, courage and conviction. I want to thank the members 
of that family and particularly Sharon for helping with this historic 
achievement.
  The Nation that we live in today, Mr. Speaker, is much more 
egalitarian. Our sense of justice which we talked about for decades is 
much closer to the truth today than it was when Jackie Robinson walked 
to home plate. America has a much better vision of fairness today than 
it did when Jackie Robinson stole home plate. He helped to transform 
that game, but in the midst of transforming that game, just as 
importantly, he helped to transform America.
  Think of the legions of people who successfully play baseball today 
who cannot imagine a nation where the premier player on the team could 
not eat in the same restaurant with his teammates, could not secure a 
reservation in the same hotel as his teammates, and yet on the next day 
be the star and central attraction of that team. He not only changed 
the game; he successfully changed the complexion of the game and 
thereby helped change the complexion of America.
  America, as I have indicated, has a much better sense of itself today 
because of the barriers that were broken. We serve in a Congress that 
is much more reflective today of this Nation than it would have been 
when Jackie Robinson broke the barrier. Congress takes this rightful 
moment, I think, to ensure that as we have deliberatively and time and 
again created a bit of an obstacle to getting these things done so that 
those who are undeserving might not secure this honor that we are going 
to bestow on Jackie Robinson, and rightly so. But I thank Members on 
both sides, the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) in particular, and 
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) as well; and on our side the people 
who went out and got these signatures day in and day out to bring us to 
this moment.
  This is a really nice thing for the Robinson family. It is a great 
thing for this Congress of the United States. But most importantly, it 
is a great thing for the country we all love, the United States of 
America.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen).
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Crowley) for yielding me this time.
  It is a special honor and privilege today to rise in support of H.R. 
1900, legislation sponsored by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Neal) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the late, great Jackie 
Robinson in recognition of his many contributions to the Nation, and to 
express a sense of Congress that there should be a national day of 
recognition in his name. I applaud my colleague for sponsoring the bill 
which should be supported by everyone in this body.
  Mr. Speaker, in the spring of 1947, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson played 
his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking down baseball's 
decades-old color line and changing the face of baseball forever. Over 
the past few years, I too have had the pleasure of working with Jackie 
Robinson's older daughter, Sharon Robinson, on a number of activities 
and programs of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which continue his 
legacy for our children and which has brought to my and many of my 
colleagues' districts.
  On a broader note, my constituents and I owe a debt of gratitude to 
Jackie Robinson for opening the door and paving the way for all of us, 
but especially for several Virgin Islands major leaguers like Valmy 
Thomas, Elrod Hendricks, Al McBean, Elmo Plaskett, Horace Clarke, Jerry 
Browne, Joe Christopher, Henry Cruz, Midre Cummings, Jose Morales, and 
Calvin Pickering, as well as Bernie Williams whom we share with Puerto 
Rico.
  Mr. Speaker, the bill before us is a long overdue tribute, and I rise 
on their behalf and on behalf of all Virgin Islanders. I only wish it 
had been bestowed on Jackie Robinson while he was still alive.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1900.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we have listened to statements today in support of this 
legislation, in support of this great honor being awarded to a great 
man, Jackie Robinson, with number 42 on his uniform, but who certainly 
was first in the hearts of so many Americans.
  I want to again emphasize my gratitude to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) for his efforts in bringing this forward and 
also express the personal honor it is to me. When I was a kid growing 
up in New York, I never thought I would have the opportunity to be 
supporting legislation for one of my childhood heroes. So it really is 
a great moment for this country, and I can speak on behalf of the many 
millions of New Yorkers who lived during the 1940s and 1950s who were 
thrilled by Jackie Robinson's excellence on the ball field.
  But more important than that, I can speak for tens of millions of 
Americans who will always be in his debt and will always have 
tremendous gratitude to him for being such a pathfinder, for being so 
courageous, for having the guts to go forward when very few others 
would. I ask that this bill be passed.
  I include in the Record a statement of Baseball Commissioner Bud 
Selig.

            Statement of Baseball Commissioner Alan H. Selig

       I have often said that Jackie Robinson's entry into the Big 
     Leagues was Baseball's proudest moment and most powerful 
     social statement.
       Today, the United States House of Representatives codifies 
     the historic importance of Jackie Robinson's legacy by 
     awarding, posthumously, its prestigious Congressional Gold 
     Medal to Jackie.
       On behalf of Major League Baseball, I express my gratitude 
     to the House of Representatives for enacting this 
     legislation, to Congressmen Neal (D-MA) and King (R-NY) for 
     proposing the bill, to the nearly 300 House co-sponsors, and 
     especially to those members who worked hard to achieve the 
     bill's passage.
       Before America's Armed Forces were integrated and before 
     the United States Supreme

[[Page H9234]]

     Court struck down segregation, Jackie Robinson became the 
     first black man to step onto a Major League ball field. That 
     memorable day in 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, our National 
     Pastime truly achieved greatness. And people of color felt 
     the promise of greater freedoms to come.
       In April of 1997, it was my great honor to retire Jackie 
     Robinson's Number 42 in perpetuity. It was the first time in 
     any sport that such a gesture was bestowed upon an athlete. 
     It was a recognition that Jackie Robinson was an exceptional 
     man who fought racism by exhibiting athletic greatness on the 
     ball field and grace off the field.
       On behalf of Major League Baseball, Jackie's wife, Rachel, 
     his children Sharon and David, and Jackie's millions of fans, 
     I thank the United States House of Representatives for this 
     special and appropriate tribute to a great ballplayer and an 
     even greater human being.

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
accomplishments of Jackie Robinson, who richly deserves the award of a 
Congressional Gold Medal as a pioneer in opening professional sports to 
all Americans. Like my colleagues, I am proud to remember him as an 
American hero.
  But as a proud graduate of the University of California at Los 
Angeles, I wanted to remind my colleagues that Jackie Robinson was 
already known to American sports fans even before he made history by 
joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. In fact, he is one of UCLA's most 
distinguished alumni and was considered one of our nation's most 
important athletes during his college days.
  Robinson's true passion was athletics and he excelled at every sport 
he tried. Regarded as the finest all-around athlete in the United 
States during his lifetime, he was the only Bruin to earn varsity 
letters in four sports: football, basketball, track, and baseball.
  As a football player, at UCLA Robinson led the nation in punt return 
average in 1939 (16.5 yards) and 1940 (21.0 yards) and his career 
average of 18.8 yards ranks fourth in NCAA history. During his senior 
year he led UCLA in rushing (383 yards), passing (444 yards), total 
offense (827 yards), scoring (36 points) and punt returns (21.0 yards). 
In his career, he rushed for 954 yards (5.9 average) and passed for 449 
yards.
  As a basketball player, Robinson led Pacific Coast Conference's 
Southern Division in scoring in both 1940 (12.4 average in 12 league 
games) and 1941 (11.1 average in 12 league games) and was named All-PCC 
Southern Division in 1940.
  Robinson's UCLA track career was abbreviated because he missed most 
of the 1940 season while playing baseball, but he still managed to win 
the NCAA title in the broad jump (24' 10\1/4\") as well as the broad 
jump at the Pacific Coast Conference meet with a leap of 25' 0".
  He did not even consider baseball his best sport, but in his first 
collegiate game, he totaled four hits and stole four bases, including 
home base.
  Despite his achievements in the realm of sports, Robinson, like other 
black athletes, was often confronted by the harsh realities of the 
times. I am proud to say that race was not an issue on Bruin teams, but 
in those days much of the rest of the nation wasn't as accepting. Ned 
Mathews, a football teammate of Robinson, recalled an incident at 
Stanford University where black athletes were turned away from dining 
in a restaurant. The Bruins left. ``If they didn't fit, we didn't 
fit,'' Mathews told the UCLA faculty newspaper, ``and that's the way it 
went.''
  The support of his UCLA teammates and the heroism Jackie Robinson 
showed in facing this early discrimination would provide the foundation 
for his history-making career in major-league baseball. Shortly after 
his time in college, Robinson signed a contract with the Brooklyn 
Dodgers, ending decades of discrimination against blacks in the major 
leagues. In spite of enduring torment and abuse through much of his 
professional career, he remains one of the sport's all-time athletic 
stars. Robinson was posthumously named a charter member of UCLA's 
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.
  Robinson once said ``A life is not important except in the impact it 
has on other lives.'' His impact on the sporting world and our nation 
cannot be overstated. By showing us that athletes--and indeed all 
Americans--should be judged by their talent and character rather than 
their skin color, Jackie Robinson's life has brought us closer to 
fulfilling our creed that ``all men are created equal.''
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 
1900, a bill to award a congressional gold medal to Jackie Robinson 
(posthumously), in recognition of his many contributions to the Nation, 
and to express the sense of the Congress that there should be a 
national day in recognition of Jackie Robinson. Mr. Robinson was not 
only an amazing athlete he was a man of unsurpassed character and an 
agent of social change. On behalf of the people of the 18th 
Congressional District of Texas, I am pleased to be an original 
cosponsor of this bill. By posthumously awarding the congressional gold 
medal to Jackie Robinson, we are recognizing the achievements and the 
life of an exceptional man.
  Mr. Robinson was born in 1919 in the state of Georgia. His parents 
were sharecroppers and he was the youngest of five children. During his 
rise as a student, an athlete, and a national hero, he would travel 
from coast to coast and from north to south across the country. While 
attending the University of California Los Angeles he was the first 
student to earn varsity letters in four sports; baseball, football, 
basketball, and track.
  In 1947, Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and became 
the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. During his 
first season, he won the National League's Rookie of the Year Award. In 
1949, Jackie Robinson was also voted the National League's Most 
Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that a few weeks ago this body had 
occasion to honor Larry Doby. He was the second African American to 
play Major League baseball and the first to pay in the American League. 
It is wonderful that people's House should take time to honor both of 
these national heroes.
  Now, after the 1956 season, Mr. Robinson retired from the game of 
baseball. In 1962, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of 
Fame. He was the first African American player to receive that honor. 
Clearly, none can question Jackie Robinson's contributions to America's 
greatest pastime but many are unfamiliar with his achievements off the 
field of play.
  Before entering Major League Baseball Jackie Robinson joined the 
United States Army. He earned the rank of first lieutenant in the Army, 
which was still segregated at that time. Mr. Robinson did not quietly 
accept such segregation. Rather he protested the Army's discriminatory 
practices. In fact, while stationed at Fort Hood, in Texas, Jackie 
Robinson was arrested when he refused a bus driver's order to move to 
the back of a bus. After court-martial, he was acquitted. Then, in 
1944, Mr. Robinson received an honorable discharge from the Army.
  Years later, after his career in baseball, Mr. Robinson dedicated 
himself full-time to the cause of civil rights. In fact, from 1964 to 
1968 he served as special assistant for civil rights to Governor Nelson 
Rockefeller of New York. Mr. Robinson also worked to promote African 
American business in Harlem. He even co-founded the Freedom National 
Bank of Harlem.
  Sadly, Mr. Robinson passed away in 1972. He was survived by family, 
friends, and millions of fans. The epitaph inscribed on Mr. Robinson's 
gravestone is one that he wrote himself. It reads: ``A life is not 
important except in the impact it has on other lives.'' We thank Jackie 
Robinson for his selflessness, for the permanent impact he made upon 
our lives, and upon the basic fabric of this country. Mr. Speaker, we 
thank Mr. Robinson and we honor him.
  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jackie Robinson for 
his contributions to this country. The grandson of a slave, Jackie 
Robinson used his unmatched athletic talent to clear a path toward 
equality. As the first African-American to play in Major League 
Baseball, Mr. Robinson faced virulent opposition and oppressive racism. 
Through the passion and excitement of excellent athletic performance, 
Mr. Robinson carried the United States one step closer to racial 
parity.
  I am particularly proud of Jackie Robinson's connection to the city 
of Pasadena. Mr. Robinson moved to Pasadena as a toddler, and grew up 
in the shadow of the Rose Bowl. He was an exceptional teammate on the 
sandlots, and a multi-sport standout at John Muir Technical High 
School. At Pasadena Junior College and UCLA, he broke records in 
basketball, baseball, football and track.
  Jackie's older brother Mack was also a treasured citizen of Pasadena; 
the Post Office on Lincoln Avenue bears his name. The Robinson family's 
contributions to Pasadena echo beyond the realm of athletics to the 
model they set for the community and the nation.
  It seems fitting to honor Jackie Robinson in October, as competition 
intensifies for the American and National League pennant races. Mr. 
Speaker I urge passage of H.R. 1900, to award a Congressional Gold 
Medal to Jackie Robinson, to recognize his powerful contributions to 
the nation, and to express support for a national day in recognition of 
one of Pasadena's greatest stars.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hefley). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1900.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.

[[Page H9235]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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