H. Con. Res. 458 Agreed to September 25, 2002

One Hundred Seventh Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the twenty-third day of January, two thousand and two

Concurrent Resolution

Whereas the Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of

Humanity will officially open on September 29, 2002, in Boston,

Massachusetts, thereby making available to the public the Mary

Baker Eddy Collections, one of the largest collections of primary

source material by and about an American woman;

Whereas the namesake of the Library, Mary Baker Eddy, achieved

international prominence during her lifetime (1821–1910) as the

founder of Christian Science and was the first woman in the

United States to found and lead a religion that became an international movement with members in 139 countries;

Whereas historians compare Mary Baker Eddy to nineteenth-century women reformers like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan

B. Anthony, who took leadership roles at a time when women

infrequently did so;

Whereas Mary Baker Eddy founded and served as the pastor of

her own church, the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston,

and established a publishing organization that produces

numerous publications, including ‘‘The Christian Science Monitor’’, an international daily newspaper that has won seven

Pulitizer Prizes;

Whereas in recognition of the numerous achievements of Mary

Baker Eddy, the Women’s National Hall of Fame inducted her

into its membership in 1995 for having made ‘‘an indelible mark

on society, religion, and journalism’’;

Whereas the Mary Baker Eddy Library, a facility of 81,000 square

feet, provides a place for people to come together to explore

ideas and offers on-site and online educational experiences, programs, and exhibits;

Whereas the Mary Baker Eddy Collections consist of more than

100,000 documents, artifacts, photographs, and other media that

chronicle the development of Mary Baker Eddy’s ideas and offer

an unequalled resource to scholars in women’s history and mindbody medicine;

Whereas the Library’s initiative to make the previously unpublished

materials in the Mary Baker Eddy Collections available to the

public is exemplary of, and in full accord with, the intent of

the provisions of title 17, United States Code, relating to the

publication of previously unpublished materials; and

Whereas the Mary Baker Eddy Library will establish an Institute

for the Rediscovery and Preservation of the History of Women

in Seneca Falls, New York, the birthplace of the first Women’s
H. Con. Res. 458—2

Rights Convention, in order to showcase new research on the

forgotten histories of women and offer educational programs for

students: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress recognizes and commends—

(1) Mary Baker Eddy for her outstanding achievements

and contributions, particularly her contributions to the advancement of women’s rights as a public figure and role model

in the early stages of the women’s rights movement; and

(2) the Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of

Humanity, which will open to the public on September 29,

2002.

Attest:

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Attest:

Secretary of the Senate.