I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4797
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’’.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 22, 2002
Mr. BECERRA (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. WATSON of Cali-
fornia, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. FROST, Mr. OWENS, Mrs. DAVIS of
California, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. HONDA, Ms.
SOLIS, Mr. STARK, Ms. SANCHEZ, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. MILLENDER-
MCDONALD, Mr. BACA, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mrs.
NAPOLITANO, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. LEE, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. WATT of North
Carolina, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. PASTOR, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. HORN,
Mr. HERGER, Mr. OSE, Mr. POMBO, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. ROYCE, Mr.
LEWIS
of California, Mr. GARY
G. MILLER
of California, Mr.
CUNNINGHAM, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. SHERMAN,
Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. WAXMAN, Ms. WATERS, Ms. HARMAN, Mrs. MEEK of
Florida, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. CONDIT, Mrs. BONO, Mr. ROHRABACHER,
Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. DREIER,
Mr. MCKEON, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. CALVERT, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. GEORGE
MILLER of California, Mr. THOMAS, Mr. COX, Mr. ISSA, Mr. HUNTER,
Mr. DOOLEY of California, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr. INSLEE, Mr.
RADANOVICH, and Mr. FILNER) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Government Reform
A BILL
To redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Serv-
ice 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 Representa-
tives 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 impres-
sion 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 African-American family to integrate the com-
munity of Hancock Park in Los Angeles when, de-
spite 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 immi-
grants.
(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 em-
bracing baritone voice of Nat King Cole are lasting
legacies that continue to be enjoyed by people world-
wide.
(12) Nat King Cole exemplifies the American
dream by having overcome societal and other bar-
riers to become one of the great American enter-
tainers.
(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 resi-
dent of the area.
SEC. 2. REDESIGNATION AND REFERENCES.
(a) REDESIGNATION.—The facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 265 South Western Ave-
nue, 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, reg-
ulation, 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’’.
Æ