IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 495 
Recommending expenditures for an appropriate visitor’s center at Little Rock 
Central High School National Historic Site to commemorate the desegre-
gation of Little Rock Central High School. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2004 
Mr. CUMMINGS (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. 
CORRINE
BROWN
of 
Florida, 
Ms. 
CARSON
of 
Indiana, 
Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN, Mr. CLAY, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DAVIS of 
Alabama, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. FORD, Mr. HASTINGS 
of Florida, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. 
JEFFERSON, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. JONES of 
Ohio, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. LEE, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. MAJETTE, 
Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. MILLENDER- 
MCDONALD, Ms. NORTON, Mr. OWENS, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. 
RUSH, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. THOMPSON of 
Mississippi, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. WATERS, Ms. WATSON, Mr. WATT, and Mr. 
WYNN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Resources 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recommending expenditures for an appropriate visitor’s cen-
ter at Little Rock Central High School National Historic 
Site to commemorate the desegregation of Little Rock 
Central High School. 
Whereas the United States recognizes that in September 
1957, nine young students changed the course of Amer-
•HCON 495 IH 
ican history by claiming the right to receive an equal edu-
cation; 
Whereas Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Jefferson Thom-
as, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, Minnijean Brown, 
Gloria Ray, Thelma Mothershed, and Melba Pattillo, 
known as the ‘‘Little Rock Nine’’, and their parents had 
the courage necessary to break the bonds of prejudice 
and desegregation and venture onto the world stage, with 
full knowledge of the perils and complexities inherent in 
their endeavor; 
Whereas despite their effort to enroll at Little Rock Central 
High School and receive an education, the Little Rock 
Nine were met with severe adversity; 
Whereas Little Rock Central High School became not only a 
crucial battleground in the struggle for civil rights, but 
symbolic of the United States Government’s commitment 
to eliminating separate systems of education for African- 
Americans and Caucasians; 
Whereas the enrollment of the Little Rock Nine was recog-
nized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as such a signifi-
cant event in the struggle for civil rights that he attended 
the graduation of the first African-American from Little 
Rock Central High School; 
Whereas the sacrificial accomplishments that were made in 
September 1957 have continuing benefits for the United 
States today; 
Whereas the United States will always revere the accomplish-
ments that nine young high school students made by 
showing the Nation and the world that ‘‘all men are cre-
ated equal’’ and that the rule of law is paramount in the 
democracy of the United States;
•HCON 495 IH 
Whereas the Little Rock Nine were forced to obtain the bless-
ings of liberty that are inherent in the United States 
Constitution through the intervention of the judicial 
branch and executive branch of the United States Gov-
ernment; 
Whereas existing visitor facilities at Little Rock Central High 
School are inadequate, resulting in limited opportunities 
for citizens to learn about civil rights and our Nation’s 
heritage; and 
Whereas the legislative branch of the United States Govern-
ment has the opportunity to appropriately commemorate 
the legacy that these heroic individuals left by fully fund-
ing the design and construction of an informative memo-
rial: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That— 
(1) the Congress commemorates the courage 
displayed by the Little Rock Nine as an example of 
American sacrifice through extreme adversity; and 
(2) it is the sense of the Congress that— 
(A) the design and construction of a visitor 
center at Little Rock Central High School Na-
tional Historic Site should be fully funded by 
the Congress; and 
(B) the new facilities should open by Sep-
tember 2007 in order to commemorate the 50th