I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1933 
To award posthumously a congressional gold medal to James Earl Jones, 
an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life in reshaping percep-
tions, dismantling racial barriers, and advocating for equal opportunities 
for people of all backgrounds in film and theatre. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 6, 2025 
Mr. LAWLER (for himself and Mr. TORRES of New York) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To award posthumously a congressional gold medal to James 
Earl Jones, an American icon, in recognition of a re-
markable life in reshaping perceptions, dismantling racial 
barriers, and advocating for equal opportunities for peo-
ple of all backgrounds in film and theatre. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘James Earl Jones Con-
gressional Gold Medal Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
08:04 Mar 20, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1933.IH
H1933
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(1) James Earl Jones, born on January 17, 
1931, in Arkabutla Township, Mississippi, was 
raised largely by his grandparents after his father 
left. Following the family’s move to Michigan, he de-
veloped a serious stutter that led to him rarely 
speaking. 
(2) James Earl Jones started writing poetry 
while still in school and used this to break free of 
his stutter. Inspired by the grapefruit that the Fed-
eral Government gave to Mississippians during the 
wartime shortage, Jones penned a poem titled ‘‘Ode 
to Grapefruit’’. Jones continued to write, play, and 
compete and as a result, he was awarded a scholar-
ship to the University of Michigan and won a public 
speaking competition. 
(3) Jones enlisted in the Army in 1953 and re-
ported to Fort Benning, Georgia, for Ranger School 
and the Officers Basic Course. He was commis-
sioned as a second lieutenant. Following his train-
ing, Jones was tasked with assisting in the establish-
ment of a cold weather training command at the 
defunct Camp Hale in Colorado. 
(4) Jones relocated to New York City and took 
a job as a janitor to support himself while attending 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
08:04 Mar 20, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1933.IH
H1933
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
the American Theatre Wing after receiving an hon-
orable discharge as a first lieutenant. 
(5) Jones’ Broadway debut was in 1957, where 
he performed in several Shakespeare plays, including 
Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus, and King Lear. In 
1963, Jones received his first major nomination, re-
ceiving a Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for 
his role in ‘‘East Side/West Side’’. 
(6) ‘‘Dr. Strangelove’’, directed by Stanley 
Kubrick, was Jones’ feature picture debut. 
(7) Jones’ performance in the play ‘‘The Great 
White Hope’’, which was about the first Black 
heavyweight boxing champion, earned him his first 
Tony Award in 1969. 
(8) Throughout his career, Jones has provided 
the voices of well-known global characters, such as 
Mufasa in the animated film ‘‘The Lion King’’ and 
Darth Vader in the ‘‘Star Wars’’ series. 
(9) Throughout his professional life, Jones has 
been nominated for two Academy Awards, five Tony 
Awards, eight Primetime Emmy Awards, three 
Grammy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards. 
(10) Jones was one of the rare performers to 
have received an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, 
and Tony). Jones was honored with three Tony 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
08:04 Mar 20, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1933.IH
H1933
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB