[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 140 (Monday, September 28, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MS. WILLIE MAE SEATON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 28, 2015

  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Willie 
Mae Seaton, longtime owner of Willie Mae's Scotch House in New Orleans. 
Ms. Seaton passed away on September 18, 2015, at the age of 99.
   Ms. Seaton was born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, and moved to 
New Orleans during World War II with her husband who worked at the 
Higgins Shipyard. For several years she drove a taxi, worked at a dry 
cleaner, and was a licensed beautician. Ms. Seaton's true ambition, 
however, was to own a bar.
   In 1957, Ms. Seaton turned her corner beauty shop into Willie Mae's 
Scotch House where it quickly became a neighborhood favorite. While 
cooking out of the bar's kitchen, patrons encouraged her to open a 
restaurant. Famous for its fried chicken, Ms. Seaton ran her business 
for decades.
   Ms. Seaton represented everything that is great about New Orleans. 
She had a wonderful spirit and always greeted everyone who came to 
visit her restaurant with warmth and love. To this day, Willie Mae's is 
among the best fried chicken you will ever find. In fact, when 
President Obama visited New Orleans for the 10th anniversary of 
Hurricane Katrina, we ate at Willie Mae's.
   Ms. Seaton was named an America's Classic by the James Beard 
Foundation in May 2005. Later that year, the floods that followed post-
Katrina levee failure destroyed Willie Mae's Scotch House and Ms. 
Seaton's home next door. A testament to her impact on the New Orleans 
community, waves of volunteers helped to rebuild her neighborhood 
restaurant.
   New Orleans will not be the same without her, but her legacy will 
forever be a part of the city. Her story of turning her small beauty 
shop into a world-renowned establishment exemplifies the spirit of New 
Orleans. Stories like hers will show generations of Americans that if 
we work hard, our dreams can become a reality.
   Mr. Speaker, I celebrate the life and legacy of Ms. Seaton, a 
beloved mother, grandmother, and example to African-American 
entrepreneurs everywhere.

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