June 20, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 152, Pt. 9 11967 TRIBUTE TO FLOYD PATTERSON Floyd Patterson was an extraor- You know that he is 1 of 11 children. Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask dinary, one might say almost unique, I will not repeat that. unanimous consent to speak out of individual. He came from a very dif- He represented the United States in order. ficult set of circumstances. As a very the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without young child he grew up in a set of very bringing home the gold in the middle- objection, the gentleman from New dangerous circumstances, but he man- weight division. York is recognized for 5 minutes. aged to move himself away from all of He turned pro in 1952 under the man- There was no objection. that and to realize the extraordinary agement of Cus D’Amato, and all of us Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask my physical potential that he possessed as know what a famous trainer Cus colleagues here in the House to join me a human being and became the kind of D’Amato was at the legendary Gra- in celebrating the life of an out- champion that I just described. mercy Gym. D’Amato in the 1980s standing American, an American who He is an American worthy of honor would develop another heavyweight was a boxer and the heavyweight and tribute and worthy of the recogni- champion by the name of Mike Tyson. champion of the world. His name was tion of this Congress. I hope that all of At just 21, Patterson became the Floyd Patterson. He died recently, on the Members of this Congress will join youngest man to ever win the heavy- May 11 at the age of 71. me in a resolution honoring him, his weight championship with a fifth- He was a truly outstanding athlete athletic career, and the contributions round knockout of Archie Moore in and, I think even more importantly, an that he made to countless other indi- 1956. In 1959, Patterson would suffer an incredibly outstanding human being. viduals whom he helped succeed in re- embarrassing loss to Ingemar All of us who had the opportunity to alizing the potential of their lives. Johansson at Yankee Stadium that know him benefited from that knowl- Floyd Patterson, an extraordinary cost him the heavyweight title. How- edge and our association with him, and boxer, an extraordinary American, an ever, Patterson would make a trium- I am proud to be one of those people outstanding, extraordinary human phant comeback and beat Johansson who knew him well. being. I am proud to celebrate his life. Floyd Patterson was born in a rural and become the first man to regain the cabin in Waco, North Carolina, one of f heavyweight title. Though he was known as a shy and 11 children. When he was still young, b 2200 his family moved to Brooklyn, New quiet man, he had what critics call a York. As a young child there, he strug- IN CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF ‘‘big man’s punch,’’ and in one match gled in a tough urban environment and FLOYD PATTERSON he knocked down his opponent 11 as a youngster got into a certain Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I times. He had a unique style of holding amount of trouble. ask unanimous consent to follow Mr. his gloves high in front of his face and leaping in with hooks. He was sent upstate to Wiltwyck HINCHEY in the RECORD because my re- School For Boys where, under the prop- marks are about Floyd Patterson as Floyd Patterson, as a boxer, was con- er kind of supervision, he began to turn well. sidered a small heavyweight; however, his life around. He did so in a very dra- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. he competed against some of the giants matic way. He became associated with MARCHANT). Without objection, the of the boxing word. He went up against a very important boxing trainer named gentlewoman from Ohio is recognized some of the best in boxing world, in- Cus D’Amato, and at the age of 17 for 5 minutes. cluding Sonny Liston and Muhammad Floyd Patterson won a gold medal in There was no objection. Ali. the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, boxing as Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I He would lose his title to Sonny middleweight. want to thank my colleagues for allow- Liston in a first-round knockout. Fol- He was known as a ‘‘gentleman ing me to proceed at this time. lowing his loss to Liston, Patterson boxer.’’ He was known as a gentleman I rise today as well in honor of one of fought for 10 years, getting three more boxer because in the ring he knocked a the greatest boxers of all times. Unfor- shots at the title, but never regaining number of people out and a lot of peo- tunately, at the time of his death, we it. ple down, but he always helped them to were engaged in so many different ac- He fought Muhammad Ali in 1965. De- their feet. spite taking a devastating beating He had an amazing boxing career. In tivities that we were unable to obtain a Special Order or hour Special Order from Ali, he lasted until the 12th 1956 he became the youngest boxer to round. Ali, who was angry because Pat- win a world heavyweight champion- to celebrate Floyd Patterson’s life. Those that know me know that I am terson called him by his given name ship, and in 1960 he became the first Cassius Clay, taunted and toyed with boxer to ever regain the world heavy- one of the greatest boxing fans. It is al- ways a great opportunity for me to Patterson during the fight, peppering weight championship. him with jabs and right hands while After an outstanding career in the have a chance to turn on a boxing asking him, what is my name, what is ring, where he set an extraordinary ex- match any chance I have the oppor- my name? ample for other athletes, he eventually tunity. retired to a 17-acre farm that he pur- Most recently, in fact week before Patterson and Ali would later rec- chased in New Paltz, New York. While last, one of the young boxers said that oncile when Patterson approached Ali in his retirement, he served as the he wanted to be able to do what Floyd in a restaurant and said, hello, Muham- chairman of the New York State Ath- Patterson had not been able to do, and mad Ali. They would remain friends, letic Commission. He counseled trou- he came into the ring and was able to and ironically, Patterson’s last fight bled teens through the New York State win that boxing match. I think he did would be against Muhammad Ali in Office of Children’s Services. He wel- it in celebration of the great life of 1972. comed dozens of young men into his Floyd Patterson. Overall, Patterson finished with a home and he trained numerous boxers Floyd Patterson once said, ‘‘They record of 55 wins 8 losses and 1 draw, in the boxing ring that he built in the said I was the fighter who got knocked with 40 knockouts. He was inducted barn on his farm. down the most, but I also got up the into the International Boxing Hall of He gave generously of himself to the most.’’ I am pleased to stand here on Fame in 1991. young men he trained and to the com- the floor today to celebrate his life. Following his retirement, he re- munities of the Hudson River Valley in As you have already heard, he was mained close to the sport, serving New York, including his generous sup- born in Waco, North Carolina; raised in twice as chairman of the New York port of the athletic facilities at New Brooklyn, New York; and rose from State Athletic Commission, and he re- Paltz High School and the State Uni- humble beginnings to become the first signed from this post in 1998. versity College of New York at New two-time heavyweight champion of the Patterson passed away on May 11 in Paltz. world. his home in New Paltz, New York, at

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