WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Postal Service will dedicate the downtown Burbank Post Office to Bob Hope on Saturday – on what would have been Hope’s 101st birthday – as a result of legislation authored by local Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Howard Berman (D-CA).
What: Dedication of Bob Hope U.S. Post Office
When: Saturday, May 29, 10:30 a.m.
Where: Front lawn, 135 E. Olive Ave., Burbank
Contacts: Terri Bouffiou, U.S. Postal Service, (323) 586-1717
Ward Grant, BobHope.com, (818) 769-6525
“Bob Hope’s extraordinary life enriched our community and our country” Congressman Schiff said. “Generations of American families enjoyed his movies and television shows at home, and generations of American service-members enjoyed his live performances in all corners of the world. But wherever Hope was, his heart was in Southern California. That is why naming this post office after him is so fitting.”
“It was a privilege to represent Bob Hope in Congress; he was one of the most loved and respected residents of Toluca Lake,” Congressman Berman said. “He brought laughter and joy to millions of people and offered comfort to our troops deployed throughout the world. In dedicating the Bob Hope Post Office, we will always remember his great deeds, his love of country and his commitment to our small corner of the world.”
Congressman Schiff will give remarks and dedicate the post office. Also participating in the dedication are Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos, Burbank Postmaster Carla Wolf and members of Hope’s family, including his widow, Dolores Hope. On this day, the Postal Service will offer the new World War II memorial stamp with a special postal cancellation of Bob Hope’s profile. A color guard and U.S. Navy Band will also be in attendance.
Born in 1903, Bob Hope started his entertainment career early in California with a radio show at the NBC Studios in Burbank. In 1938, Hope's weekly radio show – the "Bob Hope Pepsodent Show" – made him 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 is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “most honored entertainer in the world.” 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 also has a history of honoring 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.
To name the post office after Hope, Congressmen Schiff and Berman authored H.R. 3011, which passed the House of Representatives in September 2003, the Senate in October 2003, and was signed into law by President Bush on Veterans Day, 2003.
Congressmen Schiff and Berman are members of the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. Congressman Schiff represents California’s 29th Congressional District, including the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City. Congressman Berman represents California’s 28th Congressional District, including the communities of Arleta, Encino, the Hollywood Hills, North Hollywood, Pacoima, Panorama City, San Fernando, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sylmar, Toluca Lake, Valley Village and Van Nuys.