I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 973 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., in recognition of his unique and substantial contributions across America in lifting 

marginalized people, communities, and institutions that continue to struggle for economic mobility, access to greater opportunities, equity, and 

equality for all people. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 9, 2023 

Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia (for herself, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mrs. 

MCBATH, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, and Mr. BISHOP of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Thomas W. Dortch, 

Jr., in recognition of his unique and substantial contributions across America in lifting marginalized people, communities, and institutions that continue to struggle for 

economic mobility, access to greater opportunities, equity, 

and equality for all people. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as ‘‘Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. 

5 Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 973 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., was born April 12, 

4 1950, in Toccoa, Georgia, to Lizzie Dortch and 

5 Thomas W. Dortch, Sr., and went on to become an 

6 influential leader and mentor as well as a successful 

7 businessperson and crusader for equal justice. 

8 (2) After graduating from Whitman Street 

9 High School in 1968, Dortch attended Fort Valley 

10 State University in Fort Valley, Georgia, and grad11 uated with a bachelor of arts in sociology in 1972. 

12 That year, he began his formal career by seeking to 

13 aid disenfranchised people through proposing 

14 projects for the State of Georgia. In 1974, he be15 came the associate director of the Georgia Demo16 cratic Party. In 1978, Dortch began working as an 

17 administrative aide for Senator Sam Nunn of Geor18 gia and eventually became State Director, the first 

19 African American to serve in this position. Dortch 

20 worked tirelessly to represent the interests of small 

21 businesses, minorities, and other marginalized indi22 viduals and institutions. 

23 (3) In 1986, Dortch joined the 100 Black Men 

24 of America, an international mentoring program in25 tended to improve the quality of life and opportuni26 ties for education and employment for African 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 973 IH

1 Americans. He served as chairman of 100 Black 

2 Men of Atlanta and became the chairman of 100 

3 Black Men of America’s national board of directors. 

4 That same year, he earned his master of arts in 

5 criminal justice administration from Clark Atlanta 

6 University and married Carole Dortch. 

7 (4) In 1994, after more than 16 years of gov8 ernment service, Dortch left his position to pursue 

9 his own business interests. He became CEO of the 

10 consulting firm TWD, Inc., and Atlanta Transpor11 tation Systems, Inc., a Fulton County paratransit 

12 company. He still holds both positions. 

13 (5) Dortch has won numerous awards high14 lighting his achievements, including a Presidential 

15 Citation for volunteerism from President Barack 

16 Obama, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Distinguished 

17 Service Award, and the Concerned Black Clergy’s 

18 Salute to Black Fathers Leadership Award. Dortch 

19 has four children. His unique and substantial con20 tributions across America in lifting marginalized 

21 people, communities, and institutions that continue 

22 to struggle for economic mobility, access to greater 

23 opportunities, equity, and equality for all people. 

24 (6) Dortch is an institution builder that in25 cluded founding the National Black College Alumni 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 973 IH

1 Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., cofounding the 

2 Georgia Association of Minority Entrepreneurs 

3 (GAME) to fill a void as an advocacy organization 

4 for minority business development, and cofounding 

5 the Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance as a capacity 

6 building and business development organization for 

7 the construction and transportation industries. 

8 (7) Dortch is the recipient of numerous awards 

9 and honors that celebrate his efforts, a partial list 

10 includes: listed in the 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 

11 May editions of Ebony magazine as one of the 100 

12 Most Influential African Americans; listed in Spring 

13 2001 through 2014 Publications of Atlanta Business 

14 Chronicle as one of the 100 Most Influential Atlan15 tans; 2008 Community Service Professional of the 

16 Year Award; 2008 FraserNet Community Service 

17 Award; and 2008 Global Leadership Empowerment 

18 Award. 

19 (8) Dortch’s volunteer board service includes 

20 serving on the Board of Trustees of Leadership At21 lanta, Vice Chairman of the Board, Grady Memorial 

22 Hospital Corporation, Chairman of the Board, 

23 Friendship Force International, Chairman of the 

24 Board, Fulton/DeKalb County Hospital Authority; 

25 2010 was inducted into Atlanta Convention and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HR 973 IH

1 Visitors Bureau’s Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame; 

2 three-term Chairman of the Board, The Atlanta 

3 Business League: Chair, Fort Valley State Univer4 sity Foundation Board, Member of Operation Hope 

5 Board of Trustees, Florida Agricultural and Me6 chanical University Board of Trustees, Talladega 

7 College Board of Trustees, Clark Atlanta University 

8 Board of Trustees, and Chairman of the Board, Na9 tional Coalition on Black Civic Participation. 

10 (9) In 2019, Dortch was inducted into the 

11 International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. The Civil 

12 Rights Walk of Fame was created to recognize the 

13 courageous soldiers of justice who sacrificed and 

14 struggled to make equality a reality for all. Dortch’s 

15 footstep impression joined those of civil and human 

16 rights icons, such as Rosa Parks, Archbishop Emer17 itus Desmond Tutu, Ambassador Andrew Young, 

18 Congressman John Lewis, and others. 

19 (10) Dortch’s philanthropic and investment ad20 vice and counsel, particularly to corporate America, 

21 have benefitted countless minority organizations, in22 stitutions, and communities across America to real23 ize and grow their programming and impact. 

24 (11) Dortch received honorary doctors degrees 

25 from Fayetteville State University, Jarvis Christian 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HR 973 IH

1 College, Fort Valley State University, University of 

2 Maryland Eastern Shore, and Livingstone College. 

3 (12) Dortch was recently honored by Clark At4 lanta University and the National Coalition on Black 

5 Civic Participation in 2021 with the creation of the 

6 NCBCP Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., Institute for Lead7 ership, Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, 

8 and Social Justice. 

9 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

10 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZATION.—The Speaker 

11 of the House of Representatives and the President pro 

12 tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrange13 ments for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of 

14 a gold medal of appropriate design to Thomas W. Dortch, 

15 Jr., in recognition of his unique and substantial contribu16 tions across America in lifting marginalized people, com17 munities, and institutions that continue to struggle for 

18 economic mobility, access to greater opportunities, equity, 

19 and equality for all people. 

20 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 

21 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the 

22 Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec23 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 

24 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec25 retary. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HR 973 IH

1 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

2 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

3 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3, at 

4 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 

5 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 

6 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

7 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu8 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 

9 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

10 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 

11 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 

12 struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic 

13 items. 

14 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 

15 SALE. 

16 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 

17 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

18 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec19 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under 

20 this Act. 

21 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

22 sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 

23 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 

24 Enterprise Fund. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB