March 6, 2025
Mr. Lawler (for himself and Mr. Torres of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
To award posthumously a congressional gold medal to James Earl Jones, an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life in reshaping perceptions, dismantling racial barriers, and advocating for equal opportunities for people of all backgrounds in film and theatre.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the James Earl Jones Congressional Gold Medal Act
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
James Earl Jones, born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla Township, Mississippi, was raised largely by his grandparents after his father left. Following the family’s move to Michigan, he developed a serious stutter that led to him rarely speaking.
(2)
James Earl Jones started writing poetry while still in school and used this to break free of his stutter. Inspired by the grapefruit that the Federal Government gave to Mississippians during the wartime shortage, Jones penned a poem titled Ode to Grapefruit
. Jones continued to write, play, and compete and as a result, he was awarded a scholarship to the University of Michigan and won a public speaking competition.
(3)
Jones enlisted in the Army in 1953 and reported to Fort Benning, Georgia, for Ranger School and the Officers Basic Course. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Following his training, Jones was tasked with assisting in the establishment of a cold weather training command at the defunct Camp Hale in Colorado.
(4)
Jones relocated to New York City and took a job as a janitor to support himself while attending the American Theatre Wing after receiving an honorable discharge as a first lieutenant.
(5)
Jones’ Broadway debut was in 1957, where he performed in several Shakespeare plays, including Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus, and King Lear. In 1963, Jones received his first major nomination, receiving a Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for his role in East Side/West Side
.
(6)
Dr. Strangelove
, directed by Stanley Kubrick, was Jones’ feature picture debut.
(7)
Jones’ performance in the play The Great White Hope
, which was about the first Black heavyweight boxing champion, earned him his first Tony Award in 1969.
(8)
Throughout his career, Jones has provided the voices of well-known global characters, such as Mufasa in the animated film The Lion King
and Darth Vader in the Star Wars
series.
(9)
Throughout his professional life, Jones has been nominated for two Academy Awards, five Tony Awards, eight Primetime Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards.
(10)
Jones was one of the rare performers to have received an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). Jones was honored with three Tony Awards, an Honorary Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
(11)
In 1985, Jones was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
(12)
In 1992, President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush presented Jones with the National Medal of the Arts at the White House in recognition of his career.
(13)
In 2002, Jones was selected to be a recipient of the 2002 Kennedy Center Honors for his contributions to the cultural life of the Nation at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
(14)
On May 12 2009, President and First Lady Obama invited James Earl Jones to perform Shakespeare’s Othello
at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word.
(15)
On September 12, 2022, the Cort Theatre, a Broadway theater in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre.
(16)
James Earl Jones has been recognized for his independence, activism, and groundbreaking achievements and has been described as one of the greatest actors in American history.
(17)
James Earl Jones’ career showcases talent and resilience in an industry that historically faced challenges related to representation.
Sec. 3. Congressional gold medal
(a) Presentation authorized
The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to James Earl Jones, in recognition of his contribution to the United States and his achievements of paving the way for inclusion and equal opportunities for people of all backgrounds in film and theatre.
(b) Design and striking
For purposes of the presentation described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the Secretary
) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary. The design shall bear an image of, and inscription of the name of, James Earl Jones.
(c) Disposition of medal
Following the presentation described in subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the son of James Earl Jones, Flynn Earl Jones.
Sec. 4. Duplicate medals
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
Sec. 5. Status of medals
(a) National medals
Medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
(b) Numismatic items
For purposes of section 5134 and section 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
Sec. 6. Authority to use fund amounts; proceeds of sale
(a) Authority To use fund amounts
There is authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck under this Act.
(b) Proceeds of sale
Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.