IV
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 218
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a commemorative
postage stamp should be issued in honor of Ava Gardner.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 3, 1997
Mr. ETHERIDGE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that
a commemorative postage stamp should be issued in
honor of Ava Gardner.
Whereas Ava Lavinia Gardner is one of America’s most ac-
complished actresses this century;
Whereas her work was world renowned, taking her around
the country and globe, and she resided in New York,
California, Spain, and England, spreading the goodwill of
the American people and setting the mark in film, radio,
and television for aspiring actresses and actors to follow;
Whereas her movie career was recognized by her peers and
industry, she received a Golden Globe nomination for
‘‘Best Actress in a Drama’’ for ‘‘Night of the Iguana’’
(1964), the Academy of Motion Pictures ‘‘Merit for Out-
standing Achievement, Best Actress’’ nomination for
•HRES 218 IH
‘‘Mogambo’’ (1953), and the Look ‘‘Film Achievement’’
award for her performance in ‘‘The Hucksters’’ (1947);
Whereas her work personified and led the true golden age of
Hollywood, when stories were of the heart and when val-
ues dictated one’s performance such as her role as Sarah
in ‘‘The Bible . . . in the Beginning’’, recognized as the
Best Picture of the month for the Whole Family with the
Box Office Blue-Ribbon Award (1966);
Whereas her patriotism was unparalleled, and she was recog-
nized by the United States Armed Forces for her spirit
of public service, and for her distinguished performance
as guest star of the Armed Forces radio network’s pro-
duction of ‘‘Victorious Lady’’;
Whereas Time Magazine, one of the world’s most widely read
publications, recognized her achievements in 1951, dedi-
cating its cover to Ava Gardner, the first female from her
home State of North Carolina ever to appear there;
Whereas though she rose to great heights from humble begin-
nings, living the American Dream through hard work and
perseverance, she forgot neither the needs of ordinary
people, as she worked tirelessly for cancer research fund-
ing, nor the people of Johnston County, North Carolina,
where she was born the youngest of the five daughters
and two sons of Jonas and Mary Elizabeth Gardner, and
later attended high school in the Rock Ridge community,
and then Atlantic Christian College (Barton College) in
Wilson, North Carolina;
Whereas citizens from every State in the United States and
across the world revere her work, visiting the Ava Gard-
ner Museum in Smithfield, North Carolina, and her nu-
merous related worldwide web internet sites, and enjoying
•HRES 218 IH
her work in episodes of the hit television series ‘‘Knots
Landing’’, and her life story through biographical tele-
vision movies;
Whereas her work carries on, despite her passing from this
Earth January 25, 1990;
Whereas Ava Lavinia Gardner is one of America’s most ac-
complished actresses this century, leading the Hollywood
golden age, spreading the goodwill and patriotism of the
American people around the globe, and setting the mark
in film, radio, and television for aspiring actresses and
actors to follow; and
Whereas the ‘‘Ava Gardner 2000 Stamp Committee’’, spear-
headed by the Ava Gardner Museum and the work of its
indefatigable volunteers in Smithfield, North Carolina, to
celebrate her life has targeted the decade anniversary of
her passing of January 25, 2000, for the publication of
a commemorative stamp by the United States Postal
Service: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that—
(1) a commemorative postage stamp should be
issued by the United States Postal Service in honor
of Ava Gardner; and
(2) the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee of
the United States Postal Service should recommend
to the Postmaster General that such a postage
stamp be issued.
Æ