U.S. Postal Service to Dedicate Willye B. White Building October 28

Roseland Station building named in honor of Chicagoan, Olympic star

What:
The building housing the Chicago Post Office’s Roseland Station will be formally dedicated as the Willye B. White Building

Who:
Gloria Tyson, Chicago District Manager/Postmaster, U.S. Postal Service
Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-2)
Sarah Armantrout, President, Willye B. White Foundation
Cynthia Williams, cousin of Willye B. White

When:
Sunday, October 28, 2007, 3 p.m.

Where:
Roseland Station
11033 S. State Street
Chicago IL 60628-9998

Background:
On August 9, 2007, President Bush signed legislation authorizing the renaming of the building housing the Roseland Station in honor of Willye B. White (1939-2007). The building will be formally dedicated as the Willye B. White Building in this ceremony.

White was born in Money, Mississippi, and discovered her talent for track at age 10. As a 16-year-old, she won a silver medal in the long jump at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. She won another silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, and became the first American to compete on five Olympic track and field teams. She remained active in amateur sports throughout her lifetime. She is a member of 11 sports halls of fame, and was widely recognized as one of the greatest female athletes of the 20th century.

White moved to Chicago in 1960, and became a public health administrator for the Chicago Health Department in 1965. She founded the Willye B. White Foundation in 1991, helping children to develop self-esteem and become productive citizens through athletics and other programs.

Contacts:
Mark Reynolds, 312-983-8371, cell 312-351-5868
mark.v.reynolds@usps.gov

Jo Blackburn, 312-983-8407, cell 414-526-5391
joanne.blackburn@usps.gov

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation, 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.