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Congressional Gold Medal Recipient
Joe Louis
Pvt
. Joe Louis Fred Waring born Frederic Malcolm Waring
b. Tyrone, Blair, Pennsylvania, 9 June 1900
d. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Centre, Pennsylvania, 29 July 1984 Joe Louis born Joseph Louis Barrow
b. Lexington, Lauderdale, Alabama, 13 May 1914
d. Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada, 12 April 1981 Louis L'Amour born Louis Dearborn Lamoore
b. Jamestown, Stutsman, North Dakota, 22 March 1908
d. Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 10 June 1988
Thursday, 26 August 1982
An Act To award special congressional gold medals to Fred Waring, the widow of
Joe Louis, and Louis L'Amour. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) the President of the United States is authorized to present, on behalf of Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design to Fred Waring in recognition of his contribution to enriching American life. For such purpose, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to cause to be struck a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. There is authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $20,000 after October 1, 1981, to carry out the provisions of this subsection. (b) The Secretary of the Treasury may cause duplicates in bronze of such medal to be coined and sold under such regulations as he may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the gold medal. The appropriation made to carry out the provisions of subsection (a) shall be reimbursed out of the proceeds of such sales. (c) The medals provided for in this section are national medals for the purpose of section 3551 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 368). SEC. 2. (a) The President of the United States is authorized to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design to Mrs. Joe Louis in recognition of her late husband's accomplishments which did so much to bolster the spirit of the American people during one of the most crucial times in American history and which have endured throughout the years as a symbol of strength for the Nation. For such purpose, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to cause to be struck a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. There is authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $20,000 after October 1, 1981, to carry out the provisions of this subsection. (b) The Secretary of the Treasury may cause duplicates in bronze of such medal to be coined and sold under such regulations as he may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the gold medal. The appropriation made to carry out the provisions of subsection (a) shall be reimbursed out of the proceeds of such sales. (c) The medals provided for in this section are national medals for the purpose of section 3551 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 368). SEC. 3. (a) The President of the United States is authorized to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design to Louis L'Amour in recognition of his distinguished career as an author and his contributions to the Nation through his historically based works. For such purpose, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to cause to be struck a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. There is authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $20,000 after October 1, 1981, to carry out the provisions of this subsection. (b) The Secretary of the Treasury may cause duplicates in bronze of such medal to be coined and sold under such regulations as he may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the gold medal. The appropriation made to carry out the provisions of subsection (a) shall be reimbursed out of the proceeds of such sales. (c) The medals provided for in this section are national medals for the purpose of section 3551 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 368).
96 Stat. 315-316 1982 Joe Louis The "Brown Bomber" kept his title of heavyweight champion for 25 fights in a row. Joe Louis stayed the heavyweight champ for 12 years. Congress awarded this medal because he "did so much to bolster the spirit of the American people during one of the most crucial times in American history and which have endured throughout the years as a symbol of strength for the nation."
Ronald Reagan and Mrs. Joe Louis
President Ronald Reagan hugs Mrs. Joe Louis, May 11, after presenting her with the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony in the Oval Office. The medal is in recognition of Joe Louis' accomplishments which helped to bolster the spirit of the American people. May 11, 1984.
"Oh I knew that if I kept on fighting, some guy would come along and
take the title away from me, but not this guy, never tonight." Born in Lexington, Alabama, May 13, 1914, he was the World Heavyweight Champion of the world from 1937 to 1949. He served with the Army in World War II, mostly performing in boxing matches at military installations around the world in a morale-improving program. After losing his boxing title, he served as a greeter at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
Sgt. Joe Louis May 13, 1914 - April 12, 1981 He did not technically qualify for burial in Arlington National Cemetery, but
President Ronald Reagan waived the requirements and he was buried in Section 7-A, near the Tomb of the Unknowns, following his death on April 12, 1981.
Statement By President Ronald Reagan on the Death of Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Joe Louis April 13, 1981 I was privileged and will always be grateful to have had Joe Louis as my friend. The son of an Alabama sharecropper, Joe Louis fought his way to the top of professional boxing and into the hearts of millions of Americans. Out of the ring, he was a considerate and soft-spoken man; inside the ring, his courage, strength, and consummate skill wrote a unique and unforgettable chapter in sports history. But Joe Louis was more than a sports legend -- his career was an indictment of racial bigotry and a source of pride and inspiration to millions of white and black people around the world. All of America mourns his loss, and we convey our sympathy to his family and friends. But we also share their pride in his professional achievements, his service to his country, and his strength of heart and spirit. Note: On April 16 the White House announced that at the request of Mrs. Louis, the President waived the burial requirements for Arlington National Cemetery to allow Joe Louis to be buried there.
"Usually the champion rides on the shoulder of the nation and its people,
but in this case, the nation rode on the shoulders of its hero." ...
Rev. Jesse Jackson eulogizing Louis
"Joe, we need muscles like yours to beat Germany."
...President Franklin Roosevelt
Joe Louis: A Knockout Biography
By Martie Zad
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday , June 18, 2000 Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis was only 24 when he was cast as the defender of freedom and democracy in a symbolic struggle against the Nazis and their theories of racial superiority. A&E Network's profile of Louis, nicknamed the "Brown Bomber," premieres Thursday at 8 p.m. Born in the South, Louis grew up in Detroit. Of his 71 career fights, he is most remembered for two. In 1936, as a newcomer, he was defeated by former champion Max Schmeling, a German. But in 1938, when Louis was champion, he held onto the title he had won from James Braddock with a first-round knockout of Schmeling in a highly publicized bout in New York, debunking Adolph Hitler's boast of racial superiority. Louis was the champ of the ring from 1937 to 1949. Louis served in the Army during World War II, mostly fighting exhibition matches. He later went through a long struggle with the Internal Revenue Service over back taxes, a debt that was settled before he died in 1981. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery under a stately tombstone.
Joe Louis - Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World
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