I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3628
To authorize the President to present posthumously a gold medal on behalf
of the Congress to Sammy Davis, Jr. in recognition of his achievements
and service to the Nation.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 24, 2002
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Financial Services
A BILL
To authorize the President to present posthumously a gold
medal on behalf of the Congress to Sammy Davis, Jr.
in recognition of his achievements and service to the
Nation.
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 ‘‘Sammy Davis, Jr. Rec-
ognition Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Sammy Davis, Jr. was born on December 8,
1925, in New York City, the son of vaudevillian Sam
Davis and Chorine Elvera Sanchez.
(2) Sammy Davis, Jr. was trained in vaudeville,
and also appeared in Broadway musicals and in
movies and television.
(3) Sammy Davis, Jr. was tutored in tap danc-
ing by the legendary Bill ‘‘Bojangles’’ Robinson.
(4) In 1930, at the age of 5, Sammy Davis, Jr.
joined his family’s touring group, the Will Mastin
Trio in a heavy schedule of singing, dancing, and
doing impressions in hotels and night clubs, and un-
like many young stars of successful groups, he didn’t
break away on his own, but remained with the fam-
ily trio for 20 years.
(5) With the vaudeville circuit virtually dead,
Sammy Davis, Jr. spent years appearing in night-
clubs in Hollywood and the new desert oasis of Las
Vegas.
(6) Growing up in the years of rigid segrega-
tion, Sammy Davis, Jr. was an active supporter of
the civil rights movement throughout his life.
(7) Sammy Davis, Jr. left behind a rich body
of work including 40 albums and more than 20
films, including his portrayal of Sportin’ Life in the
1959 film ‘‘Porgy and Bess’’ and his role as a vet-
eran hoofer in his last movie ‘‘Tap’’ in 1989.
(8) Sammy Davis, Jr. had an amazing number
of live performances in such shows as ‘‘Mr. Wonder-
ful’’, which ran for 383 performances and was fol-
lowed by ‘‘Golden Boy’’ which clocked an impressive
569 performances.
(9) Sammy Davis, Jr. was also the author of 2
autobiographies, ‘‘Yes I Can’’ and ‘‘Why Me?’’.
(10) Sammy Davis, Jr. continued to perform in
clubs and theaters and during the last few years of
his life was the subject of many tributes, including
a star-studded television bash which marked his
60th year in show business and induction into the
Tap Dancing Hall of Fame.
(11) Sammy Davis, Jr. was a versatile and dy-
namic singer, dancer, and actor who overcame ex-
traordinary obstacles to become a leading American
entertainer.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The President
may present posthumously, on behalf of the Congress, a
gold medal of appropriate design to a surviving family
member of Sammy Davis, Jr.
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary
of the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable em-
blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the
Secretary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATES.
The Secretary of the Treasury may strike and sell
duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant
to section 3 under such regulations as the Secretary may
prescribe, and at a price sufficient to cover the costs there-
of, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses, and the cost of the bronze medal.
SEC. 5. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United
States Code.
SEC. 6. FUNDING.
(a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is
authorized to be charged against the United States Mint
Public Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000
to pay for the costs of the medals authorized by this Act.
(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the
sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be
deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund.
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