[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E247]]
       RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. ROSA AGUIGUI REYES

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 31, 2007

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Rosa 
Aguigui Reyes, the first woman to win election to public office on 
Guam. Her precedent setting election broke through the ``marble 
ceiling'' present on Guam at that time. In doing so, she paved the way 
for other women--including me--to serve as elected leaders of our 
island's community. Mrs. Reyes, elected to the Guam Congress's House of 
Assembly in 1946, passed away on January 29, 2007, at the age of 91.
  Uniformed officers of the Department of the Navy were appointed by 
the President of the United States to serve as Governor of Guam for the 
period immediately following the liberation of Guam from enemy 
occupation. The bicameral Congress on Guam served at this time as an 
advisory body to the governor. Members of the Guam Congress were bona 
fide representatives of their constituents but possessed no legislative 
powers.
  Mrs. Reyes, by standing for election to Guam's Congress, defied 
convention. Governance on Guam was considered a male prerogative. Mrs. 
Reyes, to her credit and to the benefit of all of us who came after 
her, stood for office so that the voices of Guam's women could be 
heard, and they were. Mrs. Reyes served with honor and distinction. Her 
service remains as an inspiration for me and so many other women on 
Guam.
  Mrs. Reyes, born in the village of Merizo on February 7, 1915, was 
not only a politician. In fact, she was among the first group of 
teachers trained at the College of Guam. She graduated with an 
associate's degree in education in 1954. Mrs. Reyes, however, possessed 
significant experience as a classroom teacher well before her earning 
of her degree. Mrs. Reyes began teaching at Merizo Martyrs Elementary 
School in 1933. She taught there for 31 years. She also served for 11 
years as principal of F.Q. Sanchez Elementary School in the village of 
Umatac before retiring from the Guam Public School System.
  Mrs. Reyes also worked as the principal research assistant to the 
late Dr. Laura Thompson, an anthropologist who authored studies about 
Chamorro culture and history before and after World War II. Dr. 
Thompson returned to Guam shortly after the war to conduct continued 
research on Guam's culture and to determine what effects and impacts 
the years of occupation during the war had on the Chamorro people. Mrs. 
Reyes and Dr. Thompson enjoyed a joyful reunion in 1987, when Dr. 
Thompson made her final trip to Guam.

  Mrs. Reyes was enrolled in the Guam Educators' Hall of Fame in 1983, 
in recognition of her legacy as an educator, her contributions to the 
study of Chamorro history and culture, and her courage and leadership 
in teaching us that women can rightfully and ably serve in elected 
public office. She remained committed to serving her church and its 
community activities throughout her life. Her interest in cultural 
preservation and in traditional arts also never waned. Mrs. Reyes, as 
evidence of the strength of her character, remained humble despite 
having established a prominent, diverse, and precedent setting legacy 
for herself in the history of our island and in the hearts of our 
people. Mrs. Reyes is an admirable role model and her life will inspire 
future generations of leaders on Guam.
  I join the people of Guam in mourning the passing of Mrs. Rosa 
Aguigui Reyes and I offer my condolences to her husband, Mr. Ignacio 
Reyes, a former commissioner of Merizo, and her children and 
grandchildren. I thank them for supporting her efforts to contribute to 
the betterment of Guam. They can be proud of her achievements, and we 
share in their pride for her legacy.

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