[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 118 (Monday, July 23, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H8241-H8243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF RENOWNED ARTIST TOM LEA ON THE
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 519) honoring the life and
accomplishments of renowned artist Tom Lea on the 100th anniversary of
his birth.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 519
Whereas, 100 years ago on July 11, 1907, Tom Lea was born
in El Paso, Texas, to former El Paso Mayor Tom Lea, Sr., and
his wife Zola Utt Lea and spent the majority of his life in
El Paso;
Whereas Tom Lea served as an accredited war artist
correspondent for Life magazine during World War II, traveled
over 100,000 miles as an eye-witness reporter, landed with
the First Marines on Peleliu during 1942, and accompanied
American forces in the North Atlantic during 1941, fighter
pilots aboard the USS Hornet in the South Pacific during
1942, and American forces in China during 1943;
Whereas many of Tom Lea's paintings from World War II are
in the United States Army Center for Military History in
Washington, DC, and are loaned to exhibitions worldwide;
Whereas, when accepting the Republican nomination for
President of the United States in 2000, George W. Bush quoted
Tom Lea about living on the ``sunrise side of the mountain'';
Whereas Tom Lea's painting Rio Grande today hangs in the
Oval Office at the White House;
Whereas Tom Lea's works are found throughout Washington, DC
and Texas, including in the Rayburn House Office Building,
which displays his portrait of Sam Rayburn; the Smithsonian
American Art Museum; the Dallas Museum of Art; the El Paso
Museum of Art; the University of Texas at El Paso; Texas A&M
University; and the University of Texas at Austin;
Whereas Tom Lea painted several notable murals, including
the Texas Centennial mural and, under the Department of
Treasury's Section of Fine Arts mural competition programs,
The Nesters mural for the Benjamin Franklin Post Office in
Washington, DC; the Pass of the North mural for the Federal
Courthouse in El Paso, Texas; the Stampede mural for the
Odessa, Texas Post Office; the Comancheros mural for the
Seymour, Texas Post Office; and the Back Home mural for the
Pleasant Hill, Missouri Post Office;
Whereas Tom Lea was also an accomplished author and
illustrator whose works included the two-volume annotated
history The King Ranch (published in 1957), in addition to
four novels and two non-fiction books, of which, The Brave
Bulls (published in 1949) and The Wonderful Country
(published in 1952), were adapted as screenplays for motion
pictures;
Whereas Tom Lea during his life was honored with several
awards, including the Navy Distinguished Public Service
Award, the United States Marine Corps' Colonel John W.
Thomason, Jr. Award, and the National Cowboy and Western
Heritage Museum's Great Westerners Award;
Whereas President and Mrs. George W. Bush are serving as
Honorary Chairs of the International Advisory Board for the
2007 Tom Lea Centennial Celebration, a month-long series of
events in the Southwest that seeks to ensure that the
richness and diversity of Tom Lea's legacy will nourish
generations to come; and
Whereas Tom Lea's war diaries are to be published by Texas
A&M Press in 2008: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the
life and accomplishments of Tom Lea.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
[[Page H8242]]
There was no objection.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in the
consideration of H. Res. 519, a bill that honors the life and
accomplishments of renowned artist Tom Lea on the 100th anniversary of
his birth.
H. Res. 519, which has 79 cosponsors, was introduced by
Representative Silvestre Reyes on June 26, 2007. H. Res. 519 was
reported from the Oversight Committee on June 19, 2007, by a voice
vote.
Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Representative Silvestre Reyes,
for seeking to honor the life and accomplishments of renowned artist
Tom Lea, and urge the swift passage of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of
Tom Lea, I ask Members to join me in honoring the life and
accomplishments of this remarkable American. Tom Lea was a painter,
muralist, illustrator, writer and war correspondent, whose work
continues to captivate and inspire us today.
Born in El Paso, Texas, in 1907, he showed an early talent for art
and left home to study at the Art Institute of Chicago. While this
began a pattern of world travel he continued throughout his life, Tom
Lea's home was always Texas and the American Southwest. His paintings
capture the spirit of the West and show a vibrant life that thrives in
seemingly barren land.
Lea put his education to good use as a muralist for the Works
Progress Administration. His works include the award winning ``The
Nesters,'' which adorns the Post Office Department Building here in
Washington, and the portrait of Sam Rayburn on display in the Rayburn
House Office Building, and I think on display right now in this
Chamber. Additionally, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, numerous
public buildings in Missouri, and educational and government facilities
throughout Texas exhibit his work.
In 1942, Time magazine hired Lea to cover the war in the Pacific.
Finding paint inadequate to capture the full story, Lea began his
career as a novelist while on assignment. He continued writing after
the war, and published six works of fiction and nonfiction, including a
two-volume annotated history of the King Ranch.
Fans of his work are numerous and include President George W. Bush,
who honored Lea by using a quote from an autobiography while accepting
the Republican nomination for President in 2000. Shortly before his
death in January of 2001, Lea had the great satisfaction of delivering
one of his paintings, ``Rio Grande,'' to the President, so he could
hang it in the Oval Office. The painting remains there today.
In addition to great critical acclaim, Lea's lifetime of work has
earned him the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the United
States Marine Corps Colonel John W. Thomason, Jr., Award, and the
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's Great Westerners Award.
Therefore, let us show our respect and gratitude for this great
American by passing H. Res. 519 to honor the life and accomplishments
of Tom Lea.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2\1/2\
minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), the sponsor of this
resolution.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member
for their support of this resolution.
As a representative of the 16th District of Texas, I rise today in
honor of a great El Pasoan and a great American.
I have on the floor beside me two pictures of paintings by this great
American. His name is Tom Lea. He hails from my district of El Paso,
Texas, and has left a lasting impression on the Nation as a whole.
One of these paintings, ``Rio Grande,'' this one right here, was
specifically chosen, as has been stated by my good friend from
Connecticut, by President Bush to hang in the Oval Office. As you can
see, this is a beautiful representation of the rugged landscape and the
environment of our wonderful Southwest.
The other is a portrait of Sam Rayburn. It is probably the most
familiar to many of you, as it hangs in the foyer of the Rayburn House
Office Building. I venture that you would be hard-pressed to find
another artist who could so capture the tenacity and formidable nature
of this great Texas lawmaker and former Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
Mr. Lea's legacy extends beyond the paintings that you see here, and
I rise today because this month marks the 100th anniversary of the
birth of this acclaimed El Pasoan. The 2007 Tom Lea Centennial
Celebration, which is a month-long series of events, is currently
underway all along our beautiful Southwest.
Mr. Lea is a celebrated illustrator, novelist, historian, war
correspondent and muralist. His assignment with Life magazine in the
1940s to draw a cavalry trooper at El Paso's Fort Bliss led to his role
as an accredited artist correspondent during World War II. Traveling
over 100,000 miles through very dangerous and faraway theatres of war,
he captured the American forces in the North Atlantic, the South
Pacific, China, and Peleliu for the American public and for those of us
that appreciate his great artistry today. While overseas, he also
painted a portrait of China's Chiang Kai-shek.
From painting national and world leaders to his celebrated painting
of his wife, Sarah, which includes El Paso's Franklin Mountains as the
backdrop; from his critically acclaimed novels to motion pictures based
on his written works; from his depictions of the heroism and harrowing
circumstances of World War II to his award-winning murals in post
offices in El Paso and across the country, Tom Lea has left a lasting
impact on our Nation as a whole.
Obviously, Tom Lea is a national treasure and a creative genius. I
want to thank my 79 colleagues who have signed on as cosponsors to this
legislation.
So today, Mr. Speaker, I urge all colleagues to join me in honoring
him by passing this resolution. My community of El Paso, Texas, was
lucky to be home for such an icon, and the Nation as a whole is a
richer, more interesting and more beautiful place because of his vision
and his mastery.
{time} 1645
Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as the most distinguished
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions) would like to use.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut. I
also rise with my colleagues who are here from El Paso, Texas, and also
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of Tom Lea's birth. As a person who lived in El Paso,
Texas, for a number of years, I also became aware of Tom Lea from
living in San Antonio. Much of his artwork was displayed in San Antonio
on a regular basis.
Tom Lea for many years painted pictures of the mountains and beauty
that surrounds not only west Texas, but southern New Mexico also. El
Paso is the beginning of what is called The Pass of the North, where
two great countries come together, the history of Mexico and the
history of the United States, and where these two great countries meet
at the Rio Grande River. Tom Lea spent a lot of time writing, talking,
thinking, pushing forward thoughts and ideas about these two great
nations, and embodied a lot of that in artwork that I have several
copies of. I have bought Tom's books over the years.
So today it is right and fitting that the United States Congress in
its looking back, as we do on a regular basis, over many great
Americans who have added not only to the artwork of America and the
thought process, but also to the lives that they lived. Tom Lea, a
great Texan and American, who added not only a spirit to the men and
women who fought for this country in World War II, but also brought
that beauty forward in artwork, the Franklin Mountains and places in
New Mexico with just stunning beauty that have sustained so many
people. It gives us an idea about why America is a great Nation and why
we must continue to protect her.
[[Page H8243]]
Mr. Speaker, I stand today in support of this 100th anniversary of
Tom Lea, a great man from El Paso and a great community, and people who
loved him a great deal and miss him even more. It is a great day to say
thank you to Lady Bird Johnson and Tom Lea, both great Texans, on a
beautiful day in Washington, D.C.
Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 519.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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