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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 899 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 899

    Recommending that the Langston Golf Course located in northeast 
    Washington, DC, and owned by the U.S. National Park Service, be 
   recognized for its important legacy and contributions to African-
             American golf history, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2007

    Mr. Clay (for himself, Mr. Udall of Colorado, and Mr. Grijalva) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Recommending that the Langston Golf Course located in northeast 
    Washington, DC, and owned by the U.S. National Park Service, be 
   recognized for its important legacy and contributions to African-
             American golf history, and for other purposes.

Whereas the Langston Golf Course was designated for construction by the U.S. 
        Department of the Interior in the 1930s as a safe and expanded 
        recreational facility for the local and National African-American 
        communities;
Whereas Langston Golf Course was named for John Mercer Langston, the first 
        African-American U.S. Representative elected to the U.S. Congress from 
        the State of Virginia, and who also was a founder of the Howard 
        University Law School;
Whereas the Langston Golf Course is believed to be the first regulation course 
        built in the United States almost entirely on a refuse landfill;
Whereas Langston Golf Course has been placed on the National Register of 
        Historic Places, and the Capitol City Open golf tournament has made 
        Langston Golf Course its home for the past 40 years;
Whereas the first American-born golf professional of African-American ancestry 
        was John Shippen, who was born circa 1878 in the Anacostia area of 
        Washington, placed fifth in the second U.S. Open golf tournament in 1896 
        at 16 years old, and helped found the Capitol City Golf Club in 1925;
Whereas the Capitol City Golf Club, eventually was renamed the Royal Golf Club 
        and Wake Robin Women's Club, has historically promoted a safe golf 
        facility for African-Americans in Washington during an era of few 
        available facilities, and these 2 clubs remain the oldest African-
        American golf clubs in the United States;
Whereas the Langston facility continues to provide important recreational 
        outlets, instructional forums, and a ``safe haven center'' for the 
        enhancement of the lives of the City of Washington's inner city youth;
Whereas the Langston Golf Course and related recreational facilities provide a 
        home for the Nation's important minority youth ``First Tee'' golf 
        instruction and recreational program in Washington;
Whereas Langston Golf Course operations and its related facilities seek to 
        increase course-based educational opportunities as part of the National 
        Park Service for persons under 18 years of age, particularly those from 
        populations of the inner-city and historically underrepresented among 
        visitors to units of the National Park System;
Whereas the preservation and ecologically balanced enhancements via future 
        public and private funding for the lands making up the 212 acres of the 
        Langston Golf Course will contribute to the positive benefit of the 
        National Park System's Environmental Leadership projects program, the 
        Anacostia River Watershed, its importance to the City of Washington, and 
        that of the entire metropolitan area;
Whereas Federal funds for enhancements to the Langston course have perennially 
        been promised but rarely provided, even after the designation of 
        Langston Golf Course as a ``Legacy Project for the 21st Century'', and 
        after significant private funding and contributions were committed and 
        provided; and
Whereas the Langston Golf Course and related recreational facilities have 
        traditionally provided additional quality of life value to all residents 
        of Washington and will do more so once upgraded to meet its obvious 
        athletic and historical promise: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the United States House of 
Representatives that--
            (1) it is imperative that the Director of the National Park 
        Service and Secretary of the Interior comprehensively develop a 
        plan to upgrade the Langston Golf Course physical 
        infrastructure, building facilities, and enhance appropriately 
        future annual budgets for this important park in the National 
        Park System; and
            (2) the Director of the National Park Service assess and 
        designate a proper working museum within the confines of the 
        Langston Golf Course to adequately commemorate the important 
        history of this golf, recreational, and instructional African-
        American sports institution as a unique part of the National 
        Park System.
                                 <all>
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