E88 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks February 2, 2021 National Guard and his recent role in sending Colonel Boyles dedicated 28 years of serv- Madam Speaker, as we celebrate Black His- out troops to Topeka and Washington, D.C. ice to the Mississippi Army National Guard. He tory Month, I hope that my colleagues will join this month to provide additional security sup- was an active member of many veteran and me in honoring Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun. port for the inauguration. military organizations. In 2006 he was award- Their story is a wonderful reminder that de- A resident of the Third District in Shawnee, ed the Spirit of Volunteerism Award by the De- spite numerous differences there is always a Major McElwee became a commissioned fense Department. He also received the Medal common unifying force between people. Espe- Judge Advocate General Corps Officer in the for Exceptional Public Service, the highest cially during these times when we find our- Kansas Army National Guard in September level public service award given by the De- selves deeply divided, we must remember that 2010. During his service as a Judge Advocate partment of Defense. we are able to come together despite our dif- General Corps Officer, Major McElwee de- Derwood is survived by his wife, Regina ferences, and work for a better future as the ployed to Kosovo in 2014 through 2015 and Harlan Boyles. Other survivors are son, MG Ertegun brothers did through the power of then again to Kuwait and Iraq in 2018 through Janson Durr Boyles; daughter, Jennifer Boyles music. 2019. McCall; grandchildren Durwood Graham [From the Washington Post, Jan. 20, 2021] Major McElwee is currently the legal advisor (Gray) Boyles and Connor Boyles of Dallas, THESE TURKISH BROTHERS FOUND THEIR to the Adjutant General Major General David TX; Carter McCall, Sarah Douglas McCall and CALLING IN D.C., CHAMPIONING THE BLACK Weishaar. As a fulltime Kansas Army National Matt McCall (Laura) of Knoxville, TN. MUSIC SCENE Guard Judge Advocate General, Major Colonel Boyles was an outstanding Mis- (By David A. Taylor) McElwee handles a non-stop flow of requests sissippian who expemplified a commitment to Turkish filmmaker Umran Safter has a and questions, while ensuring the highest public service. He dedicated his life to making special place in her heart for Washington. quality work product possible. He dropped ev- life better for his community. I am grateful for She had the international premiere of her erything to travel to Salina with another officer men like Derwood who so humbly served our first documentary feature, ‘‘Eye of and two paralegals to help with the rolling out great state, and my deepest condolences are Istanbul,’’ at the 2016 Washington, DC Inde- of troops to protect our state and national cap- with those who loved him. pendent Film Festival, where it won the itols. f award for best of the festival. One of the most rewarding parts of rep- Her new film brought her back to D.C. for resenting the Third District is hearing about HONORING AHMET AND NESUHI the story of Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, the ERTEGUN FOR THEIR FIGHT brothers behind Atlantic Records, and their the exemplary service and accomplishments early years as sons of Turkish ambassador of my constituents. Major McElwee is certainly AGAINST RACIAL INJUSTICE THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC Mehmet Munir Ertegun. The Erteguns, she no exception and I commend him for his dedi- says, ‘‘resisted all sorts of political pressure cation to our state and country. in the 1930s and 1940s’’ as they regularly f HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS hosted ‘‘Black jazz artists on special jazz OF FLORIDA evenings at the Turkish Embassy in Wash- RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ington.’’ DERWOOD RAY BOYLES Tuesday, February 2, 2021 As teenagers, Ahmet and Nesuhi were smitten by jazz when they heard Duke HON. TRENT KELLY Mr. HASTINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise Ellington play in London and were excited today to draw attention to an article that ap- about moving to his hometown. But when OF MISSISSIPPI peared on January 20, 2021 in the Wash- they arrived, they were disappointed to find IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ington Post entitled, ‘‘These Turkish brothers how racially segregated the city was. ‘‘When Tuesday, February 2, 2021 found their calling in D.C., championing the I first came to Washington, the stores down- Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, Black music scene’’ by David Taylor. The arti- town didn’t carry any jazz records or blues records,’’ Ahmet said in a 2002 interview. ‘‘I I rise today to celebrate the life of Derwood cle highlights the contributions made by Ahmet had to go to the Black section of Washington Ray Boyles who passed away on October 13, and Nesuhi Ertegun, two Turkish brothers who for the shops that sold records of the music 2020. Colonel Boyles was a dedicated serv- fought against racial injustice. The Ertegun we wanted to buy.’’ iceman and dedicated his life to faith, family, brothers were the sons of Turkish Ambas- He visited jazz clubs on U Street and and country. I join countless Mississippians in sador, Mehmet Munir Ertegun, and navigated record shops on Seventh Street, and became mourning his loss. the heavily segregated and complex Wash- a regular at Waxie Maxie, the music shop Born March 20, 1928 to Silas and Lurline ington, D.C. These two young Turkish men owned by Max Silverman, who built the Windham Boyles in Lorena, Mississippi, dismissed racist comments and individuals, store into a leading music retail chain. There, Ertegun found other jazz fans, such as Derwood Ray Boyles and his family soon and instead familiarized themselves with the Washington Post photographer and reporter moved to Jackson, Mississippi where he spent black neighborhoods of Washington. Bill Gottlieb, later a writer for the influen- the rest of his life. Derwood was a founding The two quickly realized how racially divided tial Down Beat music magazine, and Billy member of the Jackson Boy’s Club. In 1946, the city was, and in order to satisfy their love Taylor, who would go on to become a he graduated from Central High School as an for jazz, the brothers became familiar with jazz bandleader and for decades directed jazz at Eagle Scout and a member of the Order of the clubs on U street, record shops on Seventh the Kennedy Center. Arrow. While at Central High, Derwood was Street, and were regulars at the famous Safter, 51, had read about the jazz concerts also a ROTC cadet, which enabled him to join ‘‘Waxie Maxie,’’ where they would meet fellow the Erteguns organized at the embassy. ‘‘It’s jazz enthusiasts. Ignoring the racial barriers a great story. I said to myself, ‘Let’s do this the U.S. Navy near the end of WWII. He was story as a documentary.’ ’’ For the film selected to be a squadron leader at boot which divided the city and country, they (working title: ‘‘Leave the Door Open’’), she camp and spent his tour of duty in the Medi- unapologetically hosted jam sessions at the tracked down everyone she could find who terranean area on the Providence, the flag Turkish Embassy. The Turkish Ambassador knew them. In New York, she spoke with At- ship of the fleet. It was on this tour Derwood received complaints from irritated neighbors, lantic Records colleague Bob Porter as well had the opportunity to meet Pope Pius XII. but simply ignored those who called the music as Renee Pappas, ex-wife of Atlantic pro- Derwood returned stateside and graduated ‘‘disturbing’’. Enamored by jazz music the ducer Jerry Wexler. Pappas had been friends from Mississippi State University in 1951. He Ertegun brothers organized the first integrated with both brothers and had vivid stories. studied Accounting and soon joined his uncle jazz concert at the Jewish Community Center (Nesuhi Ertegun died in 1989; Ahmet, in 2006.) Safter and her small crew arrived in Wash- at Dreyfus Insurance Agency—one of the old- in the 1940s. ington in February 2020 for filming. Everett est agencies in the state. He was committed Eventually, the Ertegun brothers founded At- House in Sheridan Circle—which served as to his partners, continuing to visit the office lantic Records in 1947 and the record com- the embassy during the Erteguns’ era in into his 90s, and was inducted into the Mis- pany became the most successful inde- D.C., and is now the residence of the Turkish sissippi State University Insurance Hall of pendent label in the country. Atlantic Records ambassador—opened its doors to them. Fame in 2007. went on to work with Ray Charles, Ruth Safter also had sit-down interviews with jazz While serving as the president of the Junior Brown, La Vern Baker, the Drifters, the Coast- historians and radio DJs Willard Jenkins and Chamber of Commerce, Derwood met Miss ers, Aretha Franklin, and Led Zeppelin. The Larry Appelbaum. And she interviewed peo- Jackson, Regina Harlan. On December 17, list of music icons also included Stevie Won- ple who had interviewed Ahmet (including me). 1957, the two were married in Rockefeller der and Mick Jagger. In 1995, the Rock and She pieced together a story of race in Center in a ceremony broadcasted on NBC. Roll Hall of Fame museum announced that its Washington, exploring how the Erteguns The two were married for over 62 years before main exhibition hall would be named after cracked barriers in segregation and the his passing. Ahmet Ertegun. blowback they faced. When they invited

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