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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 526 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 526

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     February 22, 2010.
Whereas the site for the historic Langston Golf Course was selected in 1929, 
        following repeated demands from African-Americans who were excluded from 
        all but one of the District's public courses, the Lincoln Memorial;
Whereas construction did not begin until the mid 1930s, and in 1938, African-
        American women from the Wake Robin Golf Club pressed for desegregation 
        of the District of Columbia's public courses by drafting and introducing 
        a petition to Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes;
Whereas the Langston Golf Course, officially opened in 1939, is the first and 
        only course built by the United States Government for segregated 
        purposes, and was built because African-Americans were denied equal 
        access to the city's golf courses;
Whereas the Langston Golf Course was named for John Mercer Langston, a renowned 
        Howard University educator, prominent political figure, and the first 
        African-American Congressman from Virginia, elected in 1888;
Whereas the Langston Golf Course is listed in the National Register of Historic 
        Places and has been the home course of both the Royal Golf Club and the 
        Wake Robin Golf Club, respectively the Nation's first clubs for African-
        American men and women;
Whereas over its 70-year existence, the Langston Golf Course has attracted many 
        famous African-American golfers, such as Lee Elder, Ted Rhodes, Calvin 
        Peete, and Jim Thorpe, who all made regular and annual stops on the 
        circuit of African-American professionals when they were unable to play 
        regularly on the then-racially restricted PGA Tour;
Whereas other notable visitors to play golf there include heavyweight boxing 
        champion Joe Louis, Hall of Fame baseball player Maury Wills, Washington 
        Senators baseball player Chuck Hinton, Washington Redskins players 
        Darrell Green and Brian Mitchell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale 
        Norton, Missouri Congressman Lacy Clay, South Carolina Congressman James 
        Clyburn, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, actor and professor Al 
        Freeman, Jr., and the musical superstars the O'Jays have all enjoyed the 
        Langston course;
Whereas in 2002, a partnership was formed with Howard University to open the 
        Interpretive Education Center, and this program was integrated into the 
        Langston community schools in 2003;
Whereas for more than 15 years, three junior golf programs have made the 
        Langston Golf Course their home, Masons Army, Langston Junior Boys and 
        Girls, and the First Tee, DC;
Whereas juniors from these programs are nationally and internationally known as 
        The Jimmy Garvin All-Stars and are required to utilize the Education 
        Center in order to learn golf and use the facilities;
Whereas these programs operate year round offering educational and golf 
        instruction;
Whereas the Langston Golf Course is known as the home of the internationally 
        renowned Capital City Open Pro-Am Tournament and the Jimmy Garvin Legacy 
        Scholarship Classic;
Whereas the Langston Golf Course, Rock Creek Golf Course, and East Potomac Golf 
        Course are owned by the National Park Service, and each has a long 
        history of service to the general public as an integral part of the 
        Nation's capital, including services to local and regional residents, 
        visitors, and tourists; and
Whereas it is the policy of the National Park Service to maintain and upgrade 
        its recreational sites: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the historical and 
cultural significance of the Langston Golf Course and its contributions to 
racial equality.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.
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