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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 502 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 502

 Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the First Morrill 
                                  Act.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 20, 2012

 Mr. Leahy (for himself, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. Roberts, 
  Mr. Alexander, Mr. Graham, Mr. Levin, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Landrieu, 
  Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Moran, Mr. 
Cardin, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Boozman, 
 Mr. Rubio, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Schumer, and Mr. Pryor) 
 submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the First Morrill 
                                  Act.

Whereas July 2, 2012, marks the sesquicentennial of the signing of the Act of 
        July 2, 1862 (commonly known as the ``First Morrill Act''; 7 U.S.C. 301 
        et seq.), which granted public lands to States and territories to 
        support colleges in promoting education as a means of economic 
        advancement and intellectual pursuit;
Whereas the genesis of the national focus on public higher education in the 
        United States is attributed to the establishment of the land-grant 
        institutions under the First Morrill Act;
Whereas United States Representative Justin Morrill of Strafford, Vermont, 
        inspired by his own lack of a formal education, authored the legislation 
        that would become the First Morrill Act to provide an ``opportunity in 
        every State for a liberal and larger education to larger numbers, not 
        merely to those destined to sedentary professions, but to those needing 
        higher instruction for the world's business, for the industrial pursuits 
        and professions of life'';
Whereas the 37th Congress sought to energize the vital intellectual resources of 
        the United States by enacting legislation to make higher education 
        accessible to the public and thereby apply those intellectual resources 
        to stimulate the national economy, which at the time was based in 
        agriculture and the mechanical arts;
Whereas, in the midst of the Civil War and domestic strife, President Abraham 
        Lincoln supported, encouraged, and signed into law the First Morrill 
        Act, which encompassed ideals that united the North and the South;
Whereas the First Morrill Act opened the doors of colleges and universities to 
        all people with the ability and will to learn, irrespective of heredity, 
        occupation, or economic status;
Whereas the United States leads the world in the quality of its public 
        universities and has provided extraordinary opportunities for higher 
        education to the people of the United States, thus enriching each State 
        and the country as a whole;
Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research universities of 
        the United States remain committed to providing accessible higher 
        education and supporting learning, discovery, and engagement in the 
        interest of the country;
Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research universities of 
        the United States conduct research and education in all 50 States, the 
        District of Columbia, and 6 territories of the United States, and 
        disseminate the results of those efforts throughout the country and the 
        world, seeking solutions to economic, social, and physical challenges 
        and enriching the cultural life of the people of the world;
Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research universities of 
        the United States educate more than 5,000,000 students and award nearly 
        1,000,000 degrees annually, serving as the single largest source of 
        trained and educated workers in the United States;
Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research universities of 
        the United States award 200,000 degrees in science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this preamble as ``STEM'') 
        annually, including more than half of the advanced degrees in STEM 
        awarded annually in the United States;
Whereas the land-grant institutions and other public research universities of 
        the United States perform more than $37,000,000,000 worth of research 
        annually and impart the discoveries from that research locally, 
        regionally, nationally, and globally for the betterment of their 
        communities, the country, and the world;
Whereas the Smithsonian Institute is marking the sesquicentennial of the signing 
        of the First Morrill Act at the annual Folklife Festival on the National 
        Mall during the summer of 2012, with displays and presentations by many 
        land-grant institutions; and
Whereas many States are celebrating the sesquicentennial of the signing of the 
        First Morrill Act with resolutions and proclamations, and many land-
        grant institutions are also commemorating the signing of the historic 
        legislation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) celebrates the 150th anniversary of the signing of the 
        First Morrill Act by President Abraham Lincoln;
            (2) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
        and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the First 
        Morrill Act;
            (3) affirms the continuing importance and vitality of the 
        land-grant institutions, which are the fruitful product of the 
        extraordinary commitment to higher education in the United 
        States that the First Morrill Act represents; and
            (4) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate 
        transmit to the Association of Public and Land-grant 
        Universities an enrolled copy of this resolution for 
        appropriate display.
                                 <all>
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