Willie O'ree Congressional Gold Medal Act

Floor Speech

I rise in support of S. 452, the Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act.

Willie O'Ree's story is one of determination and perseverance, one of the greatest qualities a human being can have.

Willie, born October 15, 1935, was the youngest of 13 children of parents Rosebud and Harry O'Ree. The O'Ree family was one of only two Black families that lived in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Willie is a descendent of Paris O'Ree, a slave who escaped servitude in South Carolina in the late 1700s at only 15 years old.

When he was 3, Willie fashioned skates out of wooden blocks with metal blades attached to the bottom and took to his frozen lawn in the backyard. He had a knack for skating. Two years later at age 5, Willie began to play organized hockey. Many refer to Willie as the ``Jackie Robinson of hockey.''

Interestingly, at Dodger Stadium in 1949, 2 years after Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, a 14-year-old O'Ree had the opportunity to meet his hero. In one interview, Willie recalls that as Robinson made his way down to the receiving line, Willie waited patiently. When his turn arrived, he spoke to Jackie and said, I am a baseball player. But what I really love is hockey.

Robinson replied, Oh, I didn't know Black kids played hockey.

Nearly 9 years later, on January 18, 1958, Willie put on a Boston Bruins uniform for a game against the Montreal Canadians and became the first Black player in NHL history.

From 1958 to 1961, O'Ree played in 45 games for the Bruins, all while hiding a secret that he was, in fact, blind in one eye.

Willie paved the way for a new generation of hockey players. Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs was quoted as stating:

Willie set the table for everyone else to eat, and he did it all with dignity and class. I used to think about Willie's story whenever teachers or hockey parents or coaches would laugh at my dream of making it to the NHL.

Willie's story did not end after he left the ice. Seventeen years after he retired from professional hockey, the NHL hired O'Ree as their first-ever diversity ambassador. This role put Willie in a position to grow the sport by providing access, opportunity, and motivation for children of all races, ethnicities, origins, and abilities.

In November of 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and just last night, 64 years to the day of his historic entrance into the league, his number 22 jersey was raised to the rafters in TD Garden and retired; an act of ultimate recognition of what a player means to a franchise, a fan base, and a community.

Mr. Speaker, Willie O'Ree forever changed the sport of hockey. His determination and perseverance should be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time

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Mr. BARR. This Member of Congress not only played collegiate hockey, he is a hockey dad, and spent over 20 years as a hockey coach, he is one of the best fans of the game of hockey in the United States Congress.

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Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to, once again, reiterate the significance of this Congressional Gold Medal. Willie O'Ree not only forever changed the sport of hockey, but he truly helped change the history of this country. His determination and perseverance and his trailblazing spirit should be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal.

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