[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 46 (Tuesday, April 25, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          REGARDING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOE LOUIS' PASSING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 25, 2006

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 25th 
anniversary of the great Joe Louis' passing; which will be commemorated 
on April 12th of this year in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington 
National Cemetery.
  Even though I was very young, I will never forget sitting with my 
father listening to the radio broadcast of Louis' 1938 fight in which 
he knocked out Nazi Germany's Max Schmeling in the first round. His 
victory was important to me for many reasons, but the fact that Louis 
was from Detroit made his victory extra special.
  The following is a copy of the press release issued by Arlington 
National Cemetery of the event.

       What: Joe Louis Wreath-Laying Ceremony
       When: Wednesday, April 12, 2006, 10:30 a.m.
       Where: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA, Section 
     7A, (Below the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier).
       Joe Louis, former heavyweight champion of the world, will 
     be remembered by his son, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., along with 
     several dignitaries and family members, during a wreath-
     laying ceremony on the 25th anniversary of his passing. The 
     ceremony will be held at Arlington National Cemetery where 
     Louis is buried just below the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
       Louis, considered by many as the greatest boxer of all 
     times, died on April 12, 1981 in Las Vegas, NV. Born in 
     Chambers County, Alabama, Louis grew up in Detroit, Michigan. 
     He became the World Heavyweight Championship in 1937 and held 
     the title until 1949, a record 11 years 8 months. Louis 
     defended his title a record 25 times and defeated his 
     opponents 5 times in first round knockouts, also a record.
       His most memorable bouts were with German Max Schmeling. 
     Louis took a devastating defeat early in his career, losing 
     to Schmeling in a 12th round knockout in their first 
     encounter in 1936. After winning the title by defeating James 
     J. Braddock on June 22, 1937, Louis and Schmeling met again 
     on June 22, 1938 before 78,000 fans in New York Yankee 
     Stadium. Louis, wanting to erase the cloud on his 
     championship from his earlier defeat, delivered a stunning 
     knockout of Schmeling in two minutes and four seconds of the 
     first round. With that victory, Louis transcended from 
     Heavyweight Champion to American Hero. In 1981 President 
     Ronald Reagan granted the request to have Louis buried in 
     Arlington National Cemetery. Louis served in the U.S. Army 
     during World War II and achieved the rank of staff sergeant.
       April 12, 2006 will be a day when America and the world 
     will pause to acknowledge the impact of an African American 
     born to sharecroppers in Alabama, growing up in the inner 
     city of Detroit who rose to the pinnacle of his career. In 
     doing so Louis provided hope to an entire generation of Black 
     Americans and simultaneously challenged a segregated United 
     States to question limiting the rights of its citizens based 
     on the color of their skin.

                          ____________________