A bill to erect a statue of Puerto Rican baseball great Roberto Clemente at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., has been introduced in Congress.
The bill, HR10121, calls for Congress to place on the Capitol Grounds “a statue to honor American humanitarian and star athlete Roberto Clemente of Puerto Rico.” Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) introduced the bipartisan bill with the support of Democrats Pablo Jose Hernandez (PR), Darren Soto (FL) and Nydia Velazquez (NY) and fellow Republicans Reschenthaler (PA) and Kelly (PA).
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, on August 18, 1934. At the time, his hometown was a sugarcane growing community. His father, Melchor Clemente, was a foreman on the local sugar cane plantation, while his mother, Luisa Walker, prepared lunches for the workers there. Later, when the sugar industry collapsed, Clemente’s father worked in construction and his mother became a cleaner.
At 17, Clemente joined the Puerto Rico Winter League. He was discovered by a scout for the Dodgers, and played in that organization’s minor league until he signed with the Pittsburg Pirates. Clemente would go on to spend his entire Major League Baseball career with the Pirates. During that career, Clemente was an exemplary player, winning two World Series, 12 Golden Glove titles, and 12 seasons on the All-Star team. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
Clemente was exceptional not only in his skill as a player, but also in his work as a humanitarian. Clemente insisted that helping others was his true calling, and he supported that claim by bringing baseball and character education to youth in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in Latin America. He also supported hospitals, schools, and orphanages in multiple countries. He was a major figure in disaster assistance, eventually losing his life while traveling with earthquake assistance for Nicaragua. Major League Baseball named its annual sportsmanship and community-service award after him.
Statues at the capitol
The National Statuary Hall in the South Wing of the U.S. Capitol houses 35 of the 100 statues — two from each state — that make up the National Statuary Hall Collection.
U.S. territories are not similarly represented with official statues around the Capitol, but presumably Puerto Rico would be able to recognize two individuals to honor with statutes at the U.S. Capitol if it were to become a state.
The new bill does not specify where the statue of Roberto Clemente should be placed, but does require that artists of different backgrounds, including sculptors from Puerto Rico, be considered when acquiring the statue.
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