Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-10-09

HONORING MRS. BESSIE MAE CATO'S 100TH BIRTHDAY

Context

On 2026-10-09, Representative Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING MRS. BESSIE MAE CATO'S 100TH BIRTHDAY" in the House.

Full Text

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 159 (Friday, October 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 159 (Friday, October 9, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1046] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING MRS. BESSIE MAE CATO'S 100TH BIRTHDAY ______ HON. FREDERICA S. WILSON of florida in the house of representatives Friday, October 9, 2026 Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following proclamation to commemorate Mrs. Bessie Mae Cato on her 100th Birthday: Whereas, Mrs. Bessie Mae Cato was born on August 15, 1924, in Quitman, Georgia, to Paris Holland and Mary E. (Williams) Wright, and received her grade school education in Tampa, Florida, where she was inspired by the great educator, Mary McLeod Bethune; and Whereas, Mrs. Cato moved to South Florida in the 1930s, where she graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Miami in the 1940s, and went on to have an illustrious career working at the legendary Sir John Hotel and the famed Harlem Square Nightclub, where she served as head waitress, meeting and befriending iconic figures such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Flip Wilson, Jackie Robinson, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Sam Cooke; and Whereas, Mrs. Cato was present during the historic recording of Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Nightclub in 1963, a night that remains etched in music history as one of the greatest live performances ever captured; and Whereas, alongside her husband, Mr. Paul Cato, who served as a personal assistant to Jackie Gleason and later became an entrepreneur, Mrs. Cato herself became a successful Black businesswoman and entrepreneur, opening and operating her own hair salon, the ``Gay Peree,'' in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami, where she served her community with grace and dedication for more than 40 years until her retirement in 2002; and Whereas, Mrs. Cato, now a centenarian, continues to be celebrated as a matriarch, a trailblazer, and a beloved figure in her community, who has witnessed and contributed to a century of history, progress, and cultural evolution; and Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Frederica S. Wilson, a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 24th Congressional District of Florida, am proud to honor and celebrate the extraordinary life of Mrs. Bessie Mae Cato, and we extend our heartfelt wishes for her continued health, happiness, and blessings. ____________________

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HONORING MRS. BESSIE MAE CATO'S 100TH BIRTHDAY Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 159 (Friday, October 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 159 (Friday, October 9, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1046] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING MRS. BESSIE MAE CATO'S 100TH BIRTHDAY ______ HON. FREDERICA S. WILSON of florida in the house of representatives Friday, October 9, 2026 Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following proclamation to commemorate Mrs. Bessie Mae Cato on her 100th Birthday: Whereas, Mrs. Bessie Mae Cato was born on August 15, 1924, in Quitman, Georgia, to Paris Holland and Mary E. (Williams) Wright, and received her grade school education in Tampa, Florida, where she was inspired by the great educator, Mary McLeod Bethune; and Whereas, Mrs. Cato moved to South Florida in the 1930s, where she graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Miami in the 1940s, and went on to have an illustrious career working at the legendary Sir John Hotel and the famed Harlem Square Nightclub, where she served as head waitress, meeting and befriending iconic figures such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Flip Wilson, Jackie Robinson, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Sam Cooke; and Whereas, Mrs. Cato was present during the historic recording of Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Nightclub in 1963, a night that remains etched in music history as one of the greatest live performances ever captured; and Whereas, alongside her husband, Mr. Paul Cato, who served as a personal assistant to Jackie Gleason and later became an entrepreneur, Mrs. Cato herself became a successful Black businesswoman and entrepreneur, opening and operating her own hair salon, the ``Gay Peree,'' in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami, where she served her community with grace and dedication for more than 40 years until her retirement in 2002; and Whereas, Mrs. Cato, now a centenarian, continues to be celebrated as a matriarch, a trailblazer, and a beloved figure in her community, who has witnessed and contributed to a century of history, progress, and cultural evolution; and Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Frederica S. Wilson, a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 24th Congressional District of Florida, am proud to honor and celebrate the extraordinary life of Mrs. Bessie Mae Cato, and we extend our heartfelt wishes for her continued health, happiness, and blessings. ____________________