[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 898]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JACK LaLANNE

  (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a truly 
remarkable constituent of mine, Mr. Jack LaLanne, who passed away this 
past Sunday.
  Known as the godfather of fitness, Mr. LaLanne opened his health club 
in Oakland in 1936. For over 30 years, he starred in ``The Jack LaLanne 
Show,'' encouraging all Americans to eat healthier and to exercise.
  Today, as our country faces an epidemic of obesity, we know that Jack 
LaLanne's emphasis on physical fitness and healthy eating made him a 
man truly ahead of his time.
  In addition, he accomplished many remarkable feats over the course of 
his life, such as swimming handcuffed from Alcatraz to Fisherman's 
Wharf in San Francisco in 1955, completing 1,033 pushups in 23 minutes 
on TV in 1956, and swimming the Golden Gate Channel towing a 2,500-
pound cabin cruiser in 1957.
  Jack LaLanne used to say, ``I can't afford to die; it would wreck my 
image.'' But I think we can all agree that his image is intact and his 
influence on our Nation's health will continue for years to come.
  He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Elaine, and 3 children: 
Dan, Yvonne, and Jon.
  Thank you, Jack LaLanne, for all you have done for the health of this 
country.

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