Recognizing A Great Humanitarian and Outstanding Philanthropic Efforts of Mr. Raymond M. ``ray'' Fritz

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an outstanding gentleman and blessing to the Greater New Orleans Community, Mr. Raymond M. ``Ray'' Fritz. He was born on November 30, 1945, in New Orleans, Louisiana to the late Rosemary Favre. He grew up in the 7th Ward of New Orleans, attending Corpus Christi Elementary School.

Mr. Fritz's mother and grandparents, Mr. Joseph Favre and Mrs. Cecilia Milanes Favre, supported him and helped shape him into the honorable man he is today. His mother worked three jobs to provide him with the opportunity to attend St. Augustine High School. Allowing him this opportunity was important to her because she wanted Mr. Fritz to attend a school that was designated for the education of young men from African American families of New Orleans who embrace a willingness to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and grace. In addition to his mother and grandparents, his uncle, Dr. Anthony Favre played an instrumental role in his life.

Upon completion of his secondary education in 1963, an instructor at the high school, Father Phillip Berrigan, SSJ saw something special in him and urged him to go to St. Benedict's College in Atchison, Kansas. Father Berrigan even helped him acquire financial support. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mr. Fritz completed a degree in Finance, and later completed double master's degrees in finance and taxation. He put his Finance degree to use and has worked for many well-known corporations like Shell Oil, Xerox, Clarify, Inc. and Terayon, Inc., to name a few. He was even involved in taking both Clarify, Inc. and Terayon, Inc. public.

Mr. Fritz has travelled the world and has seen extreme poverty firsthand. In his heart, he wanted to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate, and he chose to focus his efforts on his hometown. He vowed not to allow mothers and their sons to be subjected to the hardships he and his family faced when he was young. He created a 4-year scholarship fund at his beloved Alma Mater, St. Augustine High School. To date, he has gifted over $1 million in advancing the education of African American males attending St. Augustine High School since the year 2000. To further benefit his beloved High School, Mr. Fritz has donated $500 thousand to renovate the school library.

Mr. Fritz's generosity did not stop there. He decided to address the increasing homelessness by working with the Corpus Christi--Epiphany Parish Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in New Orleans. The mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is ``a network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.'' Their service provides aid in the form of intervention, consultation, or through direct financial or in-kind service. His generosity has provided over $200 thousand to date to this organization and continues.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Corpus Christi--Epiphany Parish built a Community Resource Center to provide a facility that serves the needs of the Greater New Orleans Community. This center recently became the home of the New Orleans Public Library REACH Center, as an extension of their current African American Resource Collection (AARC). The REACH Center is a new initiative from the library that will feature a community event and resource center, free coworking space, and a public art gallery. This initiative is guided by a strong focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion and aims to be a thriving community center that empowers individuals and businesses to reach their full potential. The Community is blessed to have Mr. Fritz as a major donor revitalizing a multipurpose property to serve the City of New Orleans.

Mr. Fritz is a gracious life partner to Cheryl Feldman, proud father to his two sons--Derek Fritz and Dorjan Fritz, loving grandfather of five, and doting great-grandfather of two.

The Religious Order of the Josephite Fathers and Brothers, alumni and students at St. Augustine High School and parishioners of Corpus Christi-Epiphany Catholic Church are eternally grateful for the vision, guidance, and philanthropic generosity of Mr. Raymond M. Fritz. He will be forever remembered for all his contributions to improving the lives of those in the community and advancing the student's education.

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