[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 8, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H2947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING IRA SULLIVAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Frost) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, just 1 week after his heavenly 
birthday, to honor one of the legends and icons of jazz music, the 
great Ira Sullivan.
  Ira was many things: a jazz great, an educator, a mentor, a father, a 
husband, and a friend of mine. I remember first meeting Ira as a jazz 
student at the University of Miami's Young Musicians Camp Honors Jazz 
Program.
  I remember walking in when I was very young. I think I was in the 
eighth or ninth grade. He asked me to play vibraphone on a jazz song. I 
had auditioned as a drummer, so to me that was a very foreign thing. I 
wasn't hip to the history of jazz vibraphone, so I felt almost like he 
was asking me to play timpani and play timpani on a jazz song.
  Either way, the next day, he came in and gave me a pair of Gary 
Burton mallets and told me to try playing the vibraphone to jazz. 
Believe it or not, I was still very confused.
  Either way, that decision changed my entire life. From then on, I 
started practicing jazz vibraphone and became very obsessed with it.
  Years passed, and he would always invite me to come back to perform 
with him in the new class he was teaching, all young people that Ira 
had inspired and whose lives he changed.
  Ira Sullivan also achieved technical skills not achieved by many, a 
multi-instrumentalist in the truest sense of the word, fluidly being 
able to play the trumpet, the saxophone, the flute, the drum set, the 
piano, and many other instruments.
  He was born in Chicago but moved to Miami in the sixties to perform 
and teach. Ira had the ability to be both a jazz great in the history 
books but also remain an accessible educator for artists of many 
different levels and calibers.
  Ira mentored jazz greats like Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny. He also 
taught high schoolers at the Young Musicians Camp at the University of 
Miami, where I met him.
  Today, I want to honor Ira Sullivan for inspiring so many people.
  I stopped playing jazz a few years ago, and I have been telling 
myself I would get back into it. Just a few days ago, I joined a high 
school jazz combo from central Florida, Freedom High School, and played 
drums on a standard tune. I am going to start practicing again in honor 
of Ira.
  May Ira rest in peace, a jazz legend and great teacher.


 Celebrating Rosen College of Hospitality Management's 20th Anniversary

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 20th 
anniversary of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the 
University of Central Florida.
  Established through a transformational $18 million donation from Mr. 
Harris Rosen, the college advances educational and community 
development initiatives that bolster Florida's leading industry, 
tourism and hospitality.
  UCF Rosen College is consistently ranked as the top hospitality 
college in the Nation and among the top five globally, a testament to 
its educational excellence and leadership in hospitality research.
  Committed to advancing knowledge, embracing innovation, and serving 
humanity through hospitality, the college stands out not only for its 
top rankings but also for its extensive range of programs that provide 
a 99 percent job placement rate for their graduates.
  It is an honor to be able to represent the UCF Rosen College of 
Hospitality Management here in the Halls of Congress as they propel 
Florida's primary economic sector forward and enrich our State and the 
global hospitality landscape.


                     Women's History Month Honorees

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor four extraordinary 
women for their impact on central Florida and beyond. Their tireless 
efforts, unwavering determination, and profound achievements have 
shaped our local history and continue to inspire generations to come. 
We honor them for their strength of character, unwavering spirit, and 
profound influence they have on our community.
  They are Onchantho Am, associate general counsel at the University of 
Central Florida College of Medicine; Graciela Noriega Jacoby, chief 
operating officer for Heart of Florida United Way; Dr. Marie-Jose 
Francois, founder of the Center for Multicultural Wellness and 
Prevention; and Pastor Sharon Y. Riley, founder and pastor of Agape 
Perfecting Praise and Worship Center.
  I celebrate these women for all that they are: trailblazers, 
visionaries, scientists, educators, and leaders. Among countless 
others, they have left behind a legacy of compassion, innovation, and 
empowerment in a State that needs that now more than ever.

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