I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7385 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Edwin Cole ‘‘Ed’’ Bearss, in recogni-
tion of his contributions to preservation of American Civil War history 
and continued efforts to bring our Nation’s history alive for new genera-
tions through his interpretive storytelling. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2020 
Mr. CONNOLLY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Edwin Cole ‘‘Ed’’ 
Bearss, in recognition of his contributions to preservation 
of American Civil War history and continued efforts to 
bring our Nation’s history alive for new generations 
through his interpretive storytelling. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Edwin Cole ‘‘Ed’’ Bearss was born June 
26, 1923, in Billings, Montana, to Omar and Vir-
ginia Bearss. 
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(2) During a 40-year career with the National 
Park Service, Mr. Bearss distinguished himself as 
one of America’s preeminent historians, particularly 
in the field of the Civil War, not only through his 
work to preserve the places in which our Nation’s 
history was forged but also through his captivating 
interpretive storytelling about the people and events 
that shaped those places. 
(3) Mr. Bearss’ lifelong passion for Civil War 
history was kindled during his youth. Even at an 
early age, Mr. Bearss demonstrated a knack for 
committing facts to memory, a skill that helped him 
win school contests in history, current events, and 
geography. 
(4) He graduated high school in May 1941 and 
the following year joined the U.S. Marine Corps, 
serving with the 3rd Marine Raider Battalion during 
the invasion of Guadalcanal and the Russell Islands. 
He was badly wounded in gunfire at ‘‘Suicide 
Creek’’, Cape Gloucester, New Britain, while serving 
with the 7th Regiment, 1st Marine Division. 
(5) Upon returning home, Mr. Bearss attended 
Georgetown University, obtaining a bachelor’s de-
gree in Foreign Service studies, and later attended 
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Indiana University, earning a master’s degree in his-
tory. 
(6) It was during a fortuitous visit to the Shi-
loh National Military Park in Tennessee, on a tour 
with the park historian, where the seeds were plant-
ed for Mr. Bearss’ future career with the National 
Park Service. 
(7) In 1955, he landed a job as park historian 
at the National Battlefield Park in Vicksburg, Mis-
sissippi, where his research helped fill in missing 
pieces of Civil War history. None were more signifi-
cant than the discovery of the USS Cairo, a long- 
lost Union ironclad gunboat sunk by Confederate 
submarine torpedoes in 1862 that was buried in the 
mud of the Yazoo River. Mr. Bearss later authored 
a book on the ‘‘sinking and salvage’’ of the ironclad. 
(8) It was during his tenure at Vicksburg that 
he met his wife, Margie, a teacher who shared Mr. 
Bearss’ love of history. They had three children, 
Sara, Cole, and Jenny. 
(9) Mr. Bearss became the National Park Serv-
ice’s chief historian in 1981. Following his retire-
ment in 1994, he was recognized with the title Chief 
Historian Emeritus, a fitting title as his research 
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and recounting of our Nation’s history continues to 
this day. 
(10) Whenever possible, he travels to our Na-
tion’s Civil War battlefields, helping to preserve the 
places where history happened and make those 
places come alive as a public historian. He once said, 
‘‘You can’t describe a battlefield unless you walk 
it.’’. Anyone who has spent time with Mr. Bearss 
touring a battlefield, sometimes braving the ele-
ments, enthralled by his prodigious tales regards 
him as a National Treasure. His unique chronicling 
of our Nation’s history has been described as a 
‘‘transcendental experience’’ of ‘‘Homeric mono-
logues’’ punctuated by ‘‘colorful, vivid images’’. Mr. 
Bearss himself has been described as a cross be-
tween ‘‘a good-natured platoon sergeant and Walter 
Cronkite’’. He lectures with his eye closed, so he can 
‘‘see’’ the history better, he once said. 
(11) Mr. Bearss has received multiple honors 
for his contributions to the preservation of our Na-
tion’s history: the Harry S. Truman Award in 1961 
for Meritorious Service in the field of Civil War his-
tory, Man of the Year at Vicksburg in 1963, in-
ducted a member of the Company of Military Histo-
rians in 1964, the Nevins-Freeman Award from the 
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Chicago Civil War Roundtable in 1980, the Depart-
ment of the Interior’s Distinguished Service Award 
in 1983, and a commendation from the Secretary of 
the Army in 1985. The Secretary of the Interior at 
the time, James Watt, called Mr. Bearss ‘‘unques-
tionably the most productive historian in the history 
of the National Park Service’’. 
(12) Mr. Bearss continued to tour the country 
well into his later years, visiting battlefields and 
Civil War organizations, to keep America’s history 
fresh in the minds of future generations. 
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 
the House of Representatives and the President pro tem-
pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 
for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold 
medal of appropriate design to Edwin Cole ‘‘Ed’’ Bearss, 
in recognition of his contributions to preservation of 
American Civil War history and continued efforts to bring 
our Nation’s history alive for new generations through his 
interpretive storytelling. 
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the 
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 
of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable em-
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blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary. 
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 
under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 
a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 
and the cost of the gold medal. 
SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS. 
The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national 
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United 
States Code. 
Æ 
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