[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 6 (Monday, January 10, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E17-E18]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BETTY WHITE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 10, 2022

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of 
Betty Marion White, renowned award-winning actress and animal welfare 
champion, of Los Angeles, California, who passed away on December 31, 
2021, at the age of 99.
  Betty was born on January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois. In 1923, 
she and her parents moved to Alhambra, California and later to Los 
Angeles, where she graduated from Beverly Hills High School, and made 
her professional acting debut at the Bliss Hayden Little Theatre in 
Beverly Hills.
  Ms. White served in the American Women's Voluntary Services during 
World War II, and made her movie debut in Time to Kill, a film for 
servicemen about military educational programs. A dynamic radio 
personality, she appeared in shows such as the The Great Gildersleeve 
and Blondie, and had her own variety radio show, The Betty White Show. 
Moving into television, she co-hosted Hollywood on Television, a live 
television variety show, and later became co-producer and star of the 
show, Life With Elizabeth, which won her the first of many Emmy awards. 
Over her seventy-plus year career, she starred and appeared in numerous 
television shows--sitcoms, game shows, talk shows and soap operas, 
including the Betty White Show, What's My line, Password, The Love 
Boat, Maybe This Time, Boston Legal, Hot in Cleveland, The Bold and the 
Beautiful, and Saturday Night Live, in addition to films such as Lake 
Placid, The Proposal and the 2018 documentary about her career, First 
Lady of Television. Ms. White was best known for her two signature 
roles as the conniving Sue Ann Nivens in the popular Mary Tyler Moore 
Show and the naive Rose Nylund in the enormously successful The Golden 
Girls television series.
  I came to know Betty through her love of animals, and she was a 
tireless animal welfare advocate, author, donor, and spokeswoman. She 
worked with and supported many organizations such as the African 
Wildlife Foundation, Actors and Others for Animals and the Morris 
Animal Foundation, serving as president and trustee, and she produced 
as well as hosted the syndicated series, The Pet Set. which highlighted 
celebrities and their pets. It was her involvement with the Greater Los 
Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), the support group for the Los Angeles 
Zoo, that was near and dear to her heart, and spanned more than fifty 
years, beginning at the zoo's opening in 1966. One of her major 
projects was to produce, write and star in Backstage at the Zoo, a 
television special that aired in 1974, with famous friends Mary Tyler 
Moore, Jimmy Stewart, L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley and others making 
appearances. This was significant, as the special raised awareness of 
the zoo, brought the zoo into the homes of many Angelenos, emphasized 
the zoo's outstanding animal care team and showcased the behind-the-
scenes work. Since 1974, Ms. White has continuously served on the Board 
of Trustees for GLAZA, stepping away for several years to become an 
inaugural member of the Board of Zoo Commissioners, where she served 
for

[[Page E18]]

eight years, before returning to GLAZA's board and serving as chair. 
For her lifelong work for animal welfare, Betty was honored by L.A. 
Mayor Yillaraigosa as the City of Los Angeles' ``Ambassador to the 
Animals,'' and made an honorary zoo keeper by the Los Angeles Chapter 
of The American Association of Zoo Keepers.
  I would like to convey my deepest sympathies to Betty's family, 
friends, and fans. as well as extend my heartfelt thanks for her 
decades of contributions to animal welfare, the L.A. Zoo in particular, 
and untold hours of entertainment she provided to the world. The entire 
global community will greatly miss Betty White.

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