IV
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 435
Recognizing and honoring Ernesto Antonio ‘‘Tito’’ Puente Jr.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 24, 2000
Mr. ORTIZ (for himself, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. REYES, Mr. RODRIGUEZ,
Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. PASTOR, Mr. BECERRA, Mr.
MENENDEZ, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO´, Mr. UNDERWOOD,
Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. SANCHEZ, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, and
Mr. BACA) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Recognizing and honoring Ernesto Antonio ‘‘Tito’’ Puente
Jr.
Whereas Ernesto Antonio ‘‘Tito’’ Puente Jr. was a distin-
guished artist, entertainer, and world-renowned leader of
the Latin jazz movement;
Whereas Tito Puente was born on April 20, 1923, to Ernesto
and Ercilla Puente in New York City and raised in the
neighborhood known as Spanish Harlem;
Whereas Tito Puente was recognized early in his life as a
musical prodigy;
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Whereas Tito Puente went on to learn to play piano and
drums and in 1936, began his musical career at the age
of 16 as a drummer with the Noro Morales Orchestra;
Whereas Tito Puente briefly interrupted his musical career to
serve in the Navy during World War II at the age of 19;
Whereas upon his discharge in 1945, Tito Puente used his
GI benefits to attend the prestigious Juilliard School,
where he studied conducting, orchestration, and theory;
Whereas Tito Puente resumed his career in 1947 and per-
formed at a number of night clubs and ballrooms in the
United States over the years, in particular, the Palladium
Ballroom in the 1940’s and 1950’s, Madison Square Gar-
den in New York City, and sold-out performances at
Radio City Music Hall and the Apollo Theater in New
York City;
Whereas Tito Puente was devoted to helping others pursue
their dreams of careers in music;
Whereas Tito Puente founded the Tito Puente Scholarship
Foundation in 1980 to benefit musically talented His-
panic children, which was later expanded to provide
scholarships to all music students nationwide;
Whereas Tito Puente recorded over 100 albums, won 5
Grammy awards, crafted over 400 musical compositions,
and performed for 4 United States Presidents (Carter,
Reagan, Bush, and Clinton);
Whereas Tito Puente’s film credits include ‘‘From Son to
Salsa’’ (1998), ‘‘The Mambo Kings’’ (1992), ‘‘Salsa’’
(1988), and Woody Allen’s ‘‘Radio Days’’ (1987);
Whereas Tito Puente was awarded honorary degrees from the
State University of New York at Old Westbury in 1987,
from Long Island University and Hunter College of the
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City University of New York in New York City in 1994,
and from Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1995;
Whereas Tito Puente received a star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame in 1990;
Whereas Tito Puente received the Smithsonian Institution
Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996;
Whereas Tito Puente performed around the world at re-
nowned musical jazz festivals, including the Montreaux,
Monterey, Munich, and North Sea festivals;
Whereas Tito Puente’s passion for Latin music was evident
to the numerous American and international audiences he
performed for throughout his career;
Whereas Tito Puente was inducted into the International
Jazz Hall of Fame in 1997;
Whereas Tito Puente was awarded the National Medal of the
Arts by President Clinton in 1997 and Living Legends
Award by the Library of Congress in 2000;
Whereas Tito Puente died on June 1, 2000; and
Whereas Hispanic Heritage Month annually celebrates and
honors the social, cultural, and political contributions of
Hispanic Americans: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) recognizes and honors Ernesto Antonio
‘‘Tito’’ Puente Jr.—
(A) as one of the greatest American musi-
cians of all time; and
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(B) for his contributions to music, culture,
community, and the Nation; and
(2) extends its deepest gratitude to Tito Puente
and his family for sharing his musical gifts with the
world.
Æ