[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23262]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BETTY PERRY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT T. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 19, 2002

  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a friend with a 
noteworthy career in advocacy and public service. On November 19, 2002, 
the National Chapter of the Older Women's League will honor Betty Perry 
with the OWL Chapter Leader Award for her tireless work on behalf of 
OWL California. As her associates and friends gather to recognize her 
passionate work in the advocacy arena, I ask all of my colleagues to 
join with me in saluting one of Sacramento's outstanding citizens.
  Born and raised in Sacramento, Betty was first exposed to the public 
arena when she often attended committee hearings and legislative 
sessions in the state capitol with her father. In 1948, Betty received 
her M.A. degree from U.C. Berkeley where she also earned her B.A. a few 
years earlier. In pursuit of a career in teaching and counseling, Betty 
returned home to Sacramento, where she began an almost 4 decade long 
career at Kit Carson Jr. High and McClatchy High School.
  In 1984, shortly after her husband Calvin Perry passed away, Betty 
joined the Sacramento Capitol Chapter of OWL. What started out as a 
limited volunteer activity soon manifested into a full time volunteer 
position. Whether the task called for making phone calls or serving as 
chapter Secretary, Betty demonstrated her trademark commitment to 
excellence in all her duties. Betty would go on to serve every chapter 
office with distinction, including President, in 1993 and 1994. After a 
one-year stint as Co-President OWL California, Betty was ultimately 
elected to serve as statewide President in 1995.
  As President, Betty remained a strong voice for older women by 
representing OWL on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisor's Task 
Force on Long Term Care. In 1997, she became OWL-CA's Education and 
Research Coordinator and following, Public Policy Director. Along with 
her work in public policy, Betty played an instrumental role in the 
coordination of the OWL-CA Mother's Day program. She aggressively 
advocates for legislation that benefits women and seniors in 
California. In 2001, she worked passionately on behalf of OWL to secure 
the passage of a resolution in the California State Senate that 
recognized the goals of OWL including, the staunch opposition of 
privatizing social security.
  Despite a hectic schedule, her involvement in community service is 
not exclusive to OWL. She has been the co-chair of the local Breast 
Cancer Early Detection Program and works closely with the Congress of 
California Seniors, Gray Panthers, California Seniors Coalition, AARP, 
and the Consumer Federation of California, to protect and advance the 
interests of California citizens on a myriad of issues. She has worked 
on a variety of social causes promoting issues such as the California 
Patient Bill of Rights and reducing prescription drug prices for people 
on Medicare.
  Her continuous leadership is a true testament to her devotion to help 
others. Her career as a social and political activist is commendable 
and I am pleased to acknowledge one of Sacramento's outstanding 
citizens. Mr. Speaker, as Betty Perry is honored with the OWL Chapter 
Leader award, I ask my colleagues to join with me in paying tribute to 
her numerous accomplishments.

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