PUBLIC LAW 107–271—OCT. 30, 2002 116 STAT. 1755

Public Law 107–271

107th Congress

An Act

To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 265

South Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California, as the ‘‘Nat King Cole Post Office’’.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Nat King Cole was born Nathaniel Adams Coles in

Montgomery, Alabama, during the difficult period of segregation

in the United States, and was raised in the ghettos of the

south side of Chicago, Illinois, where he endured the harshness

of poverty.

(2) Nat King Cole was often confronted with racism during

his career, including being attacked by members of a white

supremacist group while he was on stage in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1956.

(3) Nat King Cole allowed neither poverty nor racism to

prevent him from sharing his music with people worldwide

and from leaving a lasting impression on American culture.

(4) Nat King Cole established himself as the best selling

African-American recording artist of his generation.

(5) Nat King Cole and his family became the first AfricanAmerican family to integrate the community of Hancock Park

in Los Angeles when, despite threats and protests from local

residents, they purchased their English Tudor mansion in 1948.

(6) ‘‘The Nat King Cole Show’’, primarily broadcast from

Burbank, California, aired nationally for more than a year

beginning in 1956 and was the first television show to be

hosted by an African-American artist.

(7) Nat King Cole graced southern California with his

music during the formative years of his music career and

formed the successful ‘‘King Cole Trio’’ in Los Angeles, California.

(8) Nat King Cole’s recording of ‘‘Route 66’’ serenaded

generations of eager California immigrants.

(9) Nat King Cole’s recorded rendition of ‘‘The Christmas

Song’’ symbolizes the family warmth of the yuletide season.

(10) Nat King Cole’s disarming delivery teaches people

the meaning of ‘‘Unforgettable’’.

(11) Although Nat King Cole died from lung cancer on

February 15, 1965, the music and embracing baritone voice

of Nat King Cole are lasting legacies that continue to be enjoyed

by people worldwide.

Oct. 30, 2002

[H.R. 4797]

116 STAT. 1756 PUBLIC LAW 107–271—OCT. 30, 2002

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4797 (S. 2929):

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 148 (2002):

Sept. 9, considered and passed House.

Oct. 17, considered and passed Senate.

Æ

(12) Nat King Cole exemplifies the American dream by

having overcome societal and other barriers to become one

of the great American entertainers.

(13) Members of the community surrounding the Oakwood

Station Post Office in Los Angeles, California, have advocated

for the renaming of the post office in honor of Nat King Cole,

a former resident of the area.

SEC. 2. REDESIGNATION AND REFERENCES.

(a) REDESIGNATION.—The facility of the United States Postal

Service located at 265 South Western Avenue, Los Angeles, California, and known as the Oakwood Station Post Office, shall be

known and designated as the ‘‘Nat King Cole Post Office’’. (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 ‘‘Nat King Cole Post Office’’.

Approved October 30, 2002.