I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4483
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study regarding
whether the Rosie the Riveter Park located in Richmond, California,
is suitable for designation as an affiliated site to the National Park
Service.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 6, 1998
Mr. MILLER of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility
study regarding whether the Rosie the Riveter Park lo-
cated in Richmond, California, is suitable for designation
as an affiliated site to the National Park Service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rosie the Riveter Na-
tional Park Service Affiliated Site Study Act of 1998’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STUDY.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
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(1) The City of Richmond, California, is located
on the northeastern shore of San Francisco Bay and
consists of several miles of waterfront which have
been used for shipping and industry since the begin-
ning of the 20th century. During the years of World
War II, the population of Richmond grew from 220
to over 100,000.
(2) An area of Richmond, California, now
known as Marina Park and Marina Green, was the
location in the 1940’s of the Richmond Kaiser Ship-
yards, which produced Liberty and Victory ships
during World War II.
(3) Thousands of women of all ages and
ethnicities moved from across the United States to
Richmond, California, in search of high paying jobs
and skills never before available to women in the
shipyards.
(4) Kaiser Corporation supported women work-
ers by installing child care centers at the shipyards
so mothers could work while their children were well
cared for nearby.
(5) These women, referred to as ‘‘Rosie the
Riveter’’ and ‘‘Wendy the Welder’’, built hundreds of
liberty and victory ships in record time for use by
the United States Navy. Their labor played a crucial
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role in increasing American productivity during the
war years and in meeting the demand for naval
ships.
(6) In part the Japanese plan to defeat the
United States Navy was predicated on victory occur-
ring before United States shipyards could build up
its fleet of ships.
(7) The City of Richmond, California, has dedi-
cated the former site of Kaiser Shipyard #2 as
Rosie the Riveter Memorial Park and will construct
a memorial honoring American women’s labor dur-
ing World War II. The memorial will be representa-
tive of one of the Liberty ships built on the site dur-
ing the war effort.
(8) The City of Richmond, California, is com-
mitted to collective interpretative oral histories for
the public to learn of the stories of the ‘‘Rosies’’ and
‘‘Wendys’’ who worked in the shipyards.
(9) The Rosie the Riveter Park is a nationally
significant site because there tens of thousands of
women entered the work force for the first time,
working in heavy industry to support their families
and the War effort. This was a turning point for the
Richmond, California, area and the nation as a
whole, when women joined the workforce and suc-
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cessfully completed jobs for which previously it was
believed they were incapable.
(b) STUDY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall conduct a feasibility study to determine
whether—
(A) the Rosie the Riveter Park located in
Richmond, California, is suitable for designa-
tion as an affiliated site to the National Park
Service; and
(B) the Rosie the Riveter Memorial Com-
mittee established by the City of Richmond,
California, with respect to that park is eligible
for technical assistance for interpretative func-
tions relating to the park, including preserva-
tion of oral histories from former works at the
Richmond Kaiser Shipyards.
(2) REPORTS.—Not later than 6 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall complete the study under paragraph (1) and
submit a report containing findings, conclusions, and
recommendations from the study to the Committee
on Resources of the House of Representatives and