[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 16206-16207]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 A TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM E. LEONARD, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY TRANSPORTATION 
                                 LEADER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2001

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege for me to 
bring to your attention the great life and great works of William E. 
Leonard. Bill is an old friend and one of the true community leaders of 
San Bernardino County. He will culminate a 30-year career guiding 
California's transportation system with the opening next month of what 
is probably the state's last major freeway: The Foothill Freeway.
  The life blood of any community that hopes to succeed and grow are 
leaders who will step forward and commit their energy, time and 
personal resources to the goals of that community. Over the years, San 
Bernardino County has had relatively few leaders who have had the 
vision to see how the entire region might work together, and the 
courage to push that vision toward success.
  Bill Leonard has been right at the point of able responsible 
leadership for all of San Bernardino County. For most of my three 
decades in public life, I have worked with Bill Leonard to improve the 
economy and quality of life for the residents of the Inland Empire. 
Although he never sought elected office, Mr. Leonard has been one of 
the region's--indeed the entire state's--most influential leaders on 
transportation.
  After rising to the rank of First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 
1946, Mr. Leonard joined his father at the Leonard Realty and Building 
Company in his hometown San Bernardino. He was active in many 
construction projects throughout the area, and soon began his public 
service career as a member of the state Athletic Commission in 1956.
  San Bernardino County had already established a statewide reputation 
for powerful highway planners. Local leaders like publisher James 
Guthrie and grocer Milton Sage, who served on the California Highway 
Commission, helped set the standard that allowed the state to create 
one of the best road systems in the nation. William Leonard carried on 
that tradition as a member of the state highway commission from 1973 to 
1977, and on its successor, the California Transportation Commission, 
from 1985 to 1993. He was chairman of that commission in 1990-91. He is 
still a member of the HighSpeed Rail Authority.
  Mr. Speaker, we know that a strong family life is the most important 
factor in a person's success in life. Bill and Bobbi Leonard created a 
family environment that emphasized a commitment to personal integrity 
and public service, and this is evident in the lives of their children. 
Daughter Christene is an elementary school teacher in San Bernardino; 
son Fred retired after a distinguished 20-year career in the U.S. Air 
Force. And William Leonard Jr. has been a highly-respected member of 
the California Assembly and State Senate for the past 23 years, serving 
as minority leader in both chambers and providing another generation of 
strong community leadership for the Inland Empire.

[[Page 16207]]

  Bill Leonard has shown his commitment to action in many ways: He is a 
board member of the National Orange Show and many hospital, university 
and community groups. He has received a number of prestigious awards. 
But he will soon be recognized for his greatest contribution--to ensure 
the area's roads meet the needs of our citizens. The Legislature has 
voted to name the interchange of Interstate 15 and the new Foothill 
Freeway as the William E. Leonard Interchange. It is a fitting memorial 
to a man who spent his life working for the citizens of the Inland 
Empire and California, and I ask my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating him on a career of outstanding public service.

                          ____________________