[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 109 (Thursday, June 22, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E603]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DR. HERBERT K. YEE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 22, 2023

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend, 
Dr. Herbert Kik Ming Yee, for being honored posthumously with the 
dedication of the Chinese Railroad Workers' Experience exhibit by the 
California State Railroad Museum. This underscores the positive impact 
he has made in California and the Nation.
  A descendant of Gold Rush pioneers, Herbert was born in Toishan, in 
the Guangdong Province of China in 1924. At age 6, he immigrated to the 
United States on the SS President Cleveland through Angel Island. In 
1943 while attending Stanford University, he met the love of his life, 
Inez Fong, and together raised 4 sons, who all entered the dental and 
medical profession. In 1948, Herbert graduated from the College of 
Physicians and Surgeons in San Francisco as a dental surgeon. He spent 
over half a century in the dental profession, including as the dentist 
for California Governors Pat Brown and Ronald Reagan, who both 
appointed him to the California State Board of Dental Examiners.
  A man for all seasons, Herbert's influence spanned numerous fields. 
In dentistry, he served as the head of the California State Board of 
Dental Examiners, the American Dental Association Council on Dental 
Education, and the International College of Dentists (ICD). In banking, 
he served as Chairman of the Board of Sacramento Valley Bank and on 
other boards. In education, he served as a Regent of the University of 
the Pacific (UOP). In civic and veteran organizations, he served as the 
leader of the Sacramento American Cancer Society, Sacramento Pioneer 
Association, and the Sacramento Chinese Benevolent Association. In 
government, he had enduring friendships with California Secretary of 
State March Fong Eu, United States Senator Hiram Fong, and President 
Ronald Reagan.
  A philanthropist and committed community member, Herbert has funded 
numerous major projects across the Sacramento region. At the UOP School 
of Dentistry, he endowed a scholarship. Through the Herbert K. Yee and 
Inez F. Yee Foundation, he sent gifts to the Asian Community Center, 
California Museum, and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, 
among others. He also built a school, cultural center, and library near 
his village in Toishan. Recognized with distinction, Herbert has been 
inducted into the California School Board Foundation Hall of Fame, 
named the California Dental Association's Humanitarian of the Year, 
received the President's Volunteer Service Award, and received the 
Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian award. A 
trailblazer with an extraordinary life, he paved the way for future 
generations and exemplified the American dream.
  On behalf of the constituents of California's Seventh Congressional 
District, I would like to congratulate Dr. Herbert K. Yee and his 
family for its generations of service to the people of California.

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