[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 171 (Wednesday, October 18, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CELEBRATING ASAAD KELADA'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN TELEVISION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 18, 2023

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to recognize 
Asaad Kelada, a director and producer of many of America's favorite 
sitcoms over the last 40+ years. His contribution to American cinema is 
worthy of commendation.
  Born in Egypt, Asaad began his studies at the American University in 
Cairo. In 1961, he earned a student visa and he came to the United 
States where he studied directing at the Yale School of Drama. After 
years of teaching drama and directing stage plays, Asaad got his first 
big break in 1976 when, after spending five years working on the set of 
the sitcom Rhonda, he was given an opportunity to direct an episode.
  Since then, Assad has been entertaining generations of American 
families with shows like WKRP in Cincinnati, The Facts of Life, Family 
Ties, Who's the Boss, Everybody Loves Raymond, Dharma and Greg, Two and 
a Half Men, and The Office. Immigrants have always enriched and 
strengthened the fabric of our nation, and Asaad has said ``I never 
tried to minimize who I am. For me, being an Egyptian was one of the 
strongest aspects of what I had.''
  Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I ask my colleagues to join me today in 
celebrating Assad Kelada for his almost five decades of incredible 
work. As a young man, he quickly dazzled us with his humor and has been 
making families laugh together for decades, all while never forgetting 
his family and where he came from. He is exemplary of everything we 
highlight when we speak about the American Dream, and I am sure he will 
continue to make us laugh for years to come. I thank Asaad for his 
contributions.

                          ____________________