117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5016 

AN ACT 

To designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in Anchorage, Alaska, as the ‘‘Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA 

Healthcare System’’, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
2 

†S 5016 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Colonel Mary Louise 

3 Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA Healthcare System 

4 Act of 2022’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) Mary Louise (Milligan) Rasmuson was born 

8 April 11, 1911, in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

9 (2) Mary Louise received a Bachelor of Science 

10 degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology 

11 and a Master of Education degree from the Univer12 sity of Pittsburgh. 

13 (3) Mary Louise was one of the first two 

14 women to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws 

15 degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology. 

16 (4) In 1942, Mary Louise joined the Women’s 

17 Army Auxiliary Corps as a Private and was in the 

18 first graduating class. 

19 (5) Mary Louise worked up the ranks, and in 

20 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Mary 

21 Louise as the Fifth Director of the Women’s Army 

22 Corps and she was reappointed to this position by 

23 President John F. Kennedy in 1961. 

24 (6) In 1962, Colonel Rasmuson retired from the 

25 Army. 
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1 (7) Colonel Rasmuson was recognized for her 

2 outstanding service in the Women’s Army Corps 

3 with the Legion of Merit award with two Oak Leaf 

4 Clusters for her work in expanding the roles and du5 ties of women in the Army, as well as her role in 

6 integrating Black women in the Women’s Army 

7 Corps. 

8 (8) Colonel Rasmuson became Director of the 

9 Women’s Army Corps during tumultuous times and 

10 is credited with enhancing the image and recruit11 ment of women into the Women’s Army Corps dur12 ing her years as the Director. 

13 (9) Colonel Rasmuson expanded opportunities 

14 for women to serve in assignments previously re15 served only for men, starting with the assignments 

16 of 12 enlisted women into the First Missile Master 

17 Unit at Fort Meade, Maryland. 

18 (10) Colonel Rasmuson was instrumental in en19 abling women to be promoted above the grade of E– 

20 7 into the highest enlisted ranks of the Army, E–8 

21 and E–9. 

22 (11) During her time in the Women’s Army 

23 Corps, Colonel Rasmuson was the guiding force be24 hind the Army opening up the college enlistment op25 tion to women under the self-enhancement programs 
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1 and witnessed the first female enlisted member at2 tend college under those programs. 

3 (12) The career of Colonel Rasmuson also laid 

4 the groundwork for women to be fully integrated 

5 into the United States Army when the Women’s 

6 Army Corps was disbanded in 1978. 

7 (13) In 1961, Mary Louise married a promi8 nent leader in Alaska, Elmer E. Rasmuson, and she 

9 was the first Director of the Women’s Army Corps 

10 to be married while serving in that position. 

11 (14) After her retirement from military service 

12 in 1962, Mary Louise moved to Alaska where she 

13 continued her leadership as a veteran in her commu14 nity in Alaska. 

15 (15) Mary Louise served as First Lady of An16 chorage after the devastating magnitude 9.2 earth17 quake in 1964, after her husband, Elmer, was elect18 ed as mayor, serving from 1964 to 1967. 

19 (16) Mary Louise was an advocate of social jus20 tice, education, and the arts during her 45 years of 

21 work on the Board of the Rasmuson Foundation. 

22 (17) Mary Louise served as the Honorary Chair 

23 and was a major founder to renovate the Anchorage 

24 Veterans Memorial on the Delaney Parkstrip in 

25 downtown Anchorage. 
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1 (18) Mary Louise also contributed to the Army 

2 Women’s Museum, the National Museum of the 

3 American Indian, and the National Museum of the 

4 United States Army. 

5 (19) Mary Louise was the Chair of the Anchor6 age Museum Foundation and helped establish the 

7 museum in Anchorage, serving as its Chair for 21 

8 years. 

9 (20) On July 30, 2012, Mary Louise died at 

10 her home in Anchorage, at the age of 101, but her 

11 legacy of character and leadership will endure as an 

12 example to all who serve in the United States mili13 tary. 

14 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF COLONEL MARY LOUISE 

15 RASMUSON CAMPUS OF THE ALASKA VA 

16 HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. 

17 (a) DESIGNATION.—The medical center of the De18 partment of Veterans Affairs in Anchorage, Alaska, shall, 

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, be known and 

20 designated as the ‘‘Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Cam21 pus of the Alaska VA Healthcare System’’. 

22 (b) REFERENCE.—Any reference in any law, regula23 tion, map, document, paper, or other record of the United 

24 States to the medical center referred to in subsection (a) 

25 shall be considered to be a reference to the Colonel Mary 
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†S 5016 ES

1 Louise Rasmuson Campus of the Alaska VA Healthcare 

2 System. 

Passed the Senate December 6, 2022. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5016 

AN ACT 

To designate the medical center of the Department 

other purposes. of the Alaska VA Healthcare System’’, and for as the ‘‘Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus of Veterans Affairs located in Anchorage, Alaska,