WASHINGTON, DC - In honor of Bob Hope's many contributions to veterans, active duty troops, the field of entertainment and the greater Los Angeles community, U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and Howard Berman (D-Burbank) introduced legislation today to name the post office located at 135 E. Olive Avenue in Burbank, California for Bob Hope.
"Bob Hope was more than an entertainer, he was an ambassador of hope to our men and women overseas," Rep. Schiff said today. "An honorary veteran, Bob Hope's legacy will be that of a wartime and peacetime soldier, always fighting to bring a smile and a piece of home to U.S. troops around the world. When I was in Iraq last week, I visited a commissary named after Bob Hope and I saw first hand how much his visits to the troops meant to them. I urge my colleagues in the Congress to join Rep. Berman and me in honoring Bob Hope's numerous contributions to our country."
"Bob Hope was one of the most loved and respected residents of Toluca Lake and it is a privilege to offer this tribute to him," Rep. Berman said. "He dazzled us for decades on the radio, on TV, and in the movies, and will be fondly remembered as a patriot who brought laughter and comfort to American soldiers deployed throughout the world. Bob Hope knew no boundaries, and had no equals."
Born in 1903, Bob Hope started his entertainment career early in California with a radio show at the NBC Studios in Burbank. In 1938, Bob Hope's weekly radio show - the "Bob Hope Pepsodent Show" - made Hope a national celebrity and the show ran for ten years until 1948. In 1941, Hope performed for U.S. troops at March Field in California, beginning a long tradition of military performances. For decades, Hope entertained troops at military bases bringing laughter and a bit of home to U.S. servicemen and women overseas.
Hope has been honored both as a goodwill ambassador and entertainer over the years. In May 1993, NBC named its studios for the entertainer and in 1997, he was named an honorary U.S. veteran by Congress for his 50 years of entertaining troops around the world. On his 100th birthday - May 29, 2003 -- President Bush established the Bob Hope American Patriot Award, and a famous Hollywood intersection was named for him.
The City of Burbank has a history of honoring Bob Hope. In 1989, the city of Burbank renamed a portion of Catalina Street near NBC studios Bob Hope Drive. Bob Hope and his wife have been long-time residents of the Toluca Lake neighborhood of the Burbank/Los Angeles area.
Rep. Schiff represents California’s 29th Congressional District, including the communities of Burbank, Alhambra, Altadena, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.