[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 31, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H5180-H5181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                        IN HONOR OF JAMES WATTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Schiff) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise, along with my colleague 
Representative Steven Palazzo, to honor James Watts for his many years 
of service to community and country.
  Born in 1919 in McComb, Mississippi, Mr. Watts has dedicated his 
career to public service. His children and stepchildren have followed 
in their parents' footsteps and have been leaders in their own right 
throughout the United States.
  During World War II, Mr. Watts defended his country by tracking 
German submarines as a member of the United States Coast Guard. Later, 
in civilian life, he would go on to hold executive board positions in 
both the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America 
organizations.
  Mr. Watts' passion for volunteerism speaks volumes about his 
character. While he lived in Grand Junction, Colorado, he volunteered 
as an EMT and then as a paramedic for what is now St. Mary's Hospital 
and Regional Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. Upon 
relocation to Gulfport, Mississippi, Mr. Watts taught CPR and first aid 
for the American Red Cross and various organizations around the 
country--a testament to his devotion to the well-being of the 
communities he has lived in and visited.
  Perhaps one of his biggest accomplishments was in 1956 while he 
worked for the Atomic Energy Commission. As a mine safety engineer in 
New Mexico, Mr. Watts noticed a uranium boomtown of more than 10,000 
residents who were living without access to a local hospital for 
emergency services. With ambition and selflessness, he took it upon 
himself to spearhead organizational efforts for the creation of the 
Cibola General Hospital, which has been committed to serving the 
medical

[[Page H5181]]

needs of the community since 1959. Ever since, patients continue to be 
saved; the critically ill continue to be treated; and the 24-hour 
emergency care is still available to the community.
  Now at 94 years old, Mr. Watts resides with his wife, Barbara, in 
Gulfport, Mississippi. Although he is retired, the organizations and 
community projects developed under his leadership are still in 
operation today. I believe Mr. Watts' life is a great example of 
generosity and devotion to the greater good of society. We can all 
learn from Mr. Watts' inspiring story of public service, and I join my 
colleague in recognizing and in thanking Mr. Watts for his life of 
service.
  We wish him, his wife, Barbara, and their children--Susan, Rick, who 
is here with us in the gallery, Jane, Danette, and Paul--all of the 
best in their future endeavors, and we thank them for continuing their 
father's legacy of noble service to the community.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would remind Members to refrain 
from referring to occupants of the gallery.

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