[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 23560-23562]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1200
                   PERCY SUTTON POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the bill (H.R. 954) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 365 West 125th Street in New York, New 
York, as the ``Percy Sutton Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 954

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. PERCY SUTTON POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 365 West 125th Street in New York, New 
     York, shall be known and designated as the ``Percy Sutton 
     Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``Percy Sutton Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Vermont (Mr. Welch) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Vermont.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on 
H.R. 954.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Vermont?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, I rise in support of H.R. 954, which designates the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 365 West 125th 
Street in New York City as the Percy Sutton Post Office Building. This 
measure, which has the support of the New York delegation, was 
unanimously reported from our committee on July 19, 2007.
  Madam Speaker, I have many remarks that I can make about Mr. Sutton, 
somebody that I don't know but read about as a young man growing up in, 
of all places, Massachusetts and then Vermont. But whatever I say is 
not worth listening to when we have another member of the New York 
delegation, remarkable in his own right, who actually knows Mr. Sutton 
and I expect is going to share some of his good qualities and be 
somewhat silent on anything else that may not be appropriate stories 
about the interactions of these two terrific men.
  So I am going to reserve my time, and when the appropriate moment 
comes, allow the distinguished Member from New York to speak on behalf 
of the merits of Mr. Sutton, where he will be forever commemorated by 
having his name on a post office in the great city of New York.
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I yield myself as much 
time as I may consume.
  Percy Sutton, a noted civil rights activist, lawyer and entrepreneur, 
has had numerous achievements in his lifetime. Today we honor Percy 
Sutton with the naming of a post office in his hometown neighborhood of 
Harlem, New York.
  Born in 1920 in San Antonio, Texas, he was the youngest of 15 
children raised in a family with strong values in education. He found 
his niche at a young age with the Boy Scouts and rose to the rank of 
Eagle Scout. He attended Prairie View A&M University, Tuskegee 
Institute and Hampton Institute, and he earned his law degree from 
Brooklyn Law School.
  As a teenager, he learned to fly small planes and worked as a stunt 
pilot at county fairs. Upon the U.S. involvement in World War II, he 
enlisted with the Army Air Corps but was rejected because of his race. 
Shortly after, he moved to New York where he was accepted into the 
Corps and flew with the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. His military service 
awarded him Combat Stars as an intelligence officer with the 332nd 
Fighter Group's Black 99th Pursuit Squadron.
  Percy Sutton gained national recognition during the 1950s and 1960s 
as a close friend and lawyer to civil rights leader Malcolm X. Sutton 
had moved to the Harlem area of Manhattan and formed his own law firm 
with the help of his brother and a close friend. The area, as well as 
his firm, quickly became associated with the civil rights

[[Page 23561]]

movement and current politics of the era.
  Sutton ran unsuccessfully for public office, so he formed his own 
Democratic organization with other notable Harlem community leaders 
called the Harlem Clubhouse. He tried many cases during the 1960s 
defending the rights of many fellow African Americans in the Southern 
States. Still heavily interested in public service, he ran for and won 
an election to serve in the New York State Assembly in 1964.
  His political career continued through the years and ended in the 
late 1970s. Over time and while still practicing law, he expanded his 
business by buying a radio station, the famous Apollo Theater, a local 
newspaper, and a cable television franchise.
  Beyond his success in business, he has earned numerous awards for his 
charitable, civil rights and business achievements. Therefore, it is 
highly appropriate that we honor him with the naming of this post 
office.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel).
  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and 
thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to support the naming 
of this post office on 125th Street after Percy Ellis Sutton.
  Madam Speaker, 125th Street is the economic corridor of the village 
of Harlem. It is the exciting comeback of a community that is enjoying 
the creation of jobs through the Empowerment Zone. But it is also where 
our former President, Bill Clinton, has his offices and also one of the 
institutions that is driving it, the Apollo Theater. It is there 
because Percy Sutton brought it back from the ashes. So when tourists 
come and they see this wonderful new community that has come back, they 
will be able to look at our post office and maybe ask the question, but 
who was Percy Sutton?
  Not too long ago, the President of the United States, George Bush, 
right here in the Capitol, gave the President's Congressional Gold 
Medal to the Tuskegee Airmen. My brothers and sisters, every day that 
we are fortunate enough to live in this great country, we fail to 
realize that we are making history, especially those of us who are 
honored to be elected.
  As the House and Senate head toward getting the bill approved, with 
the help of Senator Levin on the other side, the President spoke to 
these people that sometime in 1941, black and as African American as 
they were, were denied the opportunity to join the United States Army 
Air Force in order to fight the enemies of the United States of 
America.
  Under great protest, they were allowed to try a pilot project in 
Tuskegee in order to see whether the outrageous charges that they were 
cowardly, that they couldn't learn, and they never would be able to 
manipulate these fighter pilots were true. And while they shattered all 
of the myths and turned out to be one of the most decorated outfits 
that survived World War II, the President, as he looked at them right 
here in Statuary Hall, reminded them that he knew that even though they 
became officers, that many of the enlisted men refused to return the 
salutes to them because of prejudice, racism and discrimination.
  But the President said that, on behalf of the people of the United 
States of America, allow him to salute them. It was so moving. There 
wasn't a dry eye in the whole group as these warriors, these courageous 
fighter pilots that have done so much for this country, were able to 
hear the present Commander in Chief and President of the United States 
thank them.
  So, in a way we are privileged by naming this post office not to be 
able to thank each and every one of the Tuskegee Airmen, but to thank 
at least one of them that comes from the village of Harlem, that you 
would say that our ``thank you'' may not be a salute from the Commander 
in Chief, but we are saying thank you for having confidence in this 
country and having confidence in this democracy and giving us a chance 
to honor Percy Sutton.
  He came back home, got involved in the NAACP, got involved in 
politics, became an assemblyman, became a borough president and became 
a well-known business person. But no matter what part of the United 
States you come from, we have to take time out to thank those of us who 
made the sacrifice, and Percy Sutton is one of them.
  So I am glad that this committee has come together to pay tribute to 
him, because by doing this, we pay tribute to ourselves and for those 
people who we don't know their names but have made sacrifices, so that 
we could have the honor to serve this great country.
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers at this 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume for a closing remark.
  Percy Sutton was the embodiment of the American Dream, and he did it 
as a man who grew up with the kind of prejudice that the chairman just 
alluded to. It is just an honor, I think, for all of us to have the 
kind of inspiration that a person like Percy Sutton has provided to our 
country, service in the military, and really the most decorated service 
unit in the whole war and accomplishing that against enormous 
obstacles. People didn't want them to serve, yet they did, and they had 
confidence in us and our country despite the fact many in our country 
did not have confidence or even respect for them.
  Then his array of accomplishments in politics, as a civic leader, a 
commitment to this community. Harlem, which the chairman called a 
village, at many other times had really tough times, and this man had 
confidence that this community and the people in it had as much a 
future as any other American. He then acted with the skills that he 
possessed, the energy that he had, and made Harlem into what is now, a 
very vital community in the City of New York.
  So the Committee on Government Operations, with support from both 
sides of the aisle, is very proud to be bringing to the House for its 
full consideration the naming of this post office in honor of a great 
American.
  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote 
for H.R. 954, a bill I introduced to designate the post office located 
at 365 West 125th Street in Harlem as the Percy Sutton Post Office 
Building. I express sincere thanks to Chairman Henry Waxman and Ranking 
Member and Member Tom Davis of the Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform as well as Chairman Danny Davis and Ranking Member 
Kenny Merchant of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce Postal Service, 
and District of Columbia for their support of this bill. It is 
appropriate to designate the post office in Mr. Sutton's honor because 
he worked at a New York post office as a clerk while attending law 
school.
  Percy Sutton, my very dear friend, was born the youngest of fifteen 
children on November 24, 1920 in San Antonio, Texas. His family owned 
land, a farm, and a funeral home. His entrepreneurial spirit was 
developed while working for the family businesses as a youngster. He 
was educated at Prairie View A & M University, Tuskegee Institute, 
Hampton University, and Brooklyn College Law School.
  His career as a public servant began in 1941, when he was selected to 
work in Army Intelligence during World War II as a member of the 
Tuskegee Airmen. Just prior to that selection, he was not allowed to 
fly fighter planes for the Army Air Corps because of racial 
discrimination. Despite being subjected to racial discrimination, he 
was committed to serve his country.
  After an honorable discharge from the Army, he decided to study law. 
To support himself while attending law school, he worked for the United 
States Post Office in New York as a clerk during the evening shift and 
later as a conductor in the New York City subway system. He maintained 
this schedule for 3 years. His dedication to finish law school still 
inspires me today.
  Motivated to fight racial discrimination, he represented the 
controversial revolutionary Malcolm X and other activists during the 
civil rights era. He also served as president of the New York chapter 
of the NAACP. His commitment to fight for justice and equality for 
African Americans was bold and admirable.
  A strong interest in politics led him to campaign for the New York 
State Assembly several times. Finally, in 1964, he was elected

[[Page 23562]]

and served for two years. Immediately thereafter he became the 
president for the Borough of Manhattan and remained in that role until 
1977.
  As an entrepreneur, his love of business and his Harlem community led 
him to purchase and totally revitalize the legendary Apollo Theatre in 
1980. As the Harlem business district has flourished, the Apollo 
Theatre remains a community landmark and symbol. Another successful 
business venture he created is the Inner City Broadcasting Company, 
which housed the first African American owned radio station in New 
York. Today, there are nineteen radio stations in the Inner City 
network.
  On March 29, 2007, I had the honor and privilege to see Percy Sutton 
honored with the Congressional Gold Medal along with over 300 other 
Tuskegee Airmen. It was a great day to see him and other African 
American veterans finally get the recognition that was so long overdue.
  Percy Sutton is a great American and living legend. I'm certain 
America is a better place because of his contributions. Designating the 
post office building in Harlem is a great way to keep his legend alive 
for years to come. Since he is 86 years old and his health is fragile, 
I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I thank my New York 
delegation colleagues for cosponsoring this bill.
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support 
for the resolution to name the post office at 365 West 125th Street in 
New York City as the ``Percy Sutton Post Office Building.''
  A civil rights leader and businessman, Percy Sutton was a pre-eminent 
fixture of New York politics, serving as a member of the New York State 
Assembly and from 1966 through 1977 as Manhattan Borough President. 
Most of all, Percy Sutton was one of the architects of the effort to 
revive Upper Manhattan.
  Percy Sutton once said, ``If you pray for only one thing, let it be 
for an idea.'' He was a man of innumerable ideas--many of them 
profoundly important for New York City and for the community he 
represented. He lived an astonishingly full life that included stints 
as a stunt pilot, military intelligence officer, lawyer, civil rights 
activist, politician, media baron and technology executive.
  Most of all, Percy Sutton dared to dream the impossible. At a time 
when Harlem was crumbling, he believed that it could become a tourist 
attraction. When the famous Apollo Theatre closed, it threatened to 
become another vacant shell on a street of shuttered stores. He 
acquired the theater, in a move that is widely considered the first 
step to the renewal of 125th Street.
  Percy Sutton had an important and lasting impact on the community 
surrounding the post office, and it is fitting to have a federal 
building named in his honor. I am proud to support H.R. 954.
  Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 954.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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