Title: Authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to present the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune from the people of Florida for placement in National Statuary Hall.
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
This concurrent resolution authorizes the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to present the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune from the people of Florida for placement in National Statuary Hall.
The statue shall temporarily be displayed in the rotunda and then be moved to its permanent location in the hall.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 94 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 94

  Authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to 
 present the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune from the people of Florida 
                for placement in National Statuary Hall.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 28, 2020

 Mr. Waltz (for himself, Mrs. Demings, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Diaz-Balart, 
 Mrs. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Soto, Ms. Castor of Florida, 
Mr. Lawson of Florida, Mr. Mast, Mr. Posey, Ms. Shalala, Mr. Spano, Mr. 
     Rutherford, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. 
 Bilirakis, Ms. Mucarsel-Powell, Mr. Crist, and Ms. Frankel) submitted 
    the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 
                   Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to 
 present the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune from the people of Florida 
                for placement in National Statuary Hall.

Whereas Mary McLeod Bethune was born on July 10, 1875, in Mayesville, South 
        Carolina, and she was the first member of her family, including all of 
        her 16 siblings, born free following the conclusion of the Civil War;
Whereas beginning at a young age, Mary McLeod Bethune became engaged with 
        learning and teaching after receiving an opportunity to attend Trinity 
        Presbyterian Mission School in her hometown, and her dedication was 
        evidenced through attending as many classes as she could and teaching 
        her parents and siblings what she had learned;
Whereas Mary McLeod Bethune was awarded a scholarship allowing her to enroll at 
        the then-Scotia Seminary for Girls in Concord, North Carolina, from 
        which she graduated in 1893, and she went on to continue her studies at 
        the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago;
Whereas upon graduating from the Moody Bible Institute, Mary McLeod Bethune 
        became a teacher and taught at schools in Georgia and South Carolina 
        before moving to Florida to teach at the Palatka Mission School;
Whereas through observing the burgeoning Black population in the area prompted 
        by labor needed for railroad construction, Mary McLeod Bethune decided 
        to follow through with her dream of opening her own school;
Whereas Mary McLeod Bethune bought a small cottage in Daytona Beach to allow for 
        the opening of the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for 
        Negro Girls in 1904 and through her commitment to fundraising, the 
        school's enrollment grew from 5 to 250 students in just 2 years;
Whereas the school continued to grow, which eventually resulted in its merger 
        with the Cookman Institute for Men in Jacksonville to form Bethune-
        Cookman College, where she later served as president;
Whereas Mary McLeod Bethune's advocacy continued with her founding of the 
        National Council of Negro Women and her appointment as Director of the 
        Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration by 
        President Franklin Delano Roosevelt;
Whereas through her position as the highest ranking African-American woman in 
        the Federal Government, Mary McLeod Bethune was able to assist African-
        American youth in finding employment and worked with the Women's Army 
        Corps during World War II to recruit African-American female officers;
Whereas upon her death in 1955, Mary McLeod Bethune's inspirational leadership 
        was praised by many, including former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who 
        lauded ``her wisdom and her goodness'';
Whereas in 1995, the United States National Park Service established the Mary 
        McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site in Washington, DC, 
        which has preserved the townhouse that was once her personal residence 
        and the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women;
Whereas Mary McLeod Bethune's legacy continues to be felt in Florida through the 
        continued success of Bethune-Cookman University, whose enrollment is 
        currently approaching a record high of 4,000 students;
Whereas Mary McLeod Bethune's significant contributions to advance equality for 
        all persons represent the highest ideals of America;
Whereas, on March 19, 2018, the Florida legislature passed, and the Governor of 
        Florida signed into law, legislation authorizing the placement of a 
        statue memorializing Mary McLeod Bethune in the National Statuary Hall 
        collection; and
Whereas Mary McLeod Bethune's significant contributions to advance equality for 
        all persons represent the highest ideals of America, and her statue 
        deserves permanent placement in a location within the Capitol complex 
        that has high public visibility in order to inspire future generations 
        of Americans: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. USE OF ROTUNDA FOR CEREMONY FOR PRESENTATION OF STATUE OF 
              MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE FROM THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA FOR 
              PLACEMENT IN NATIONAL STATUARY HALL.

    (a) Ceremony To Present Statue.--The State of Florida is authorized 
to use the rotunda of the Capitol on a date mutually agreed to by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the majority leader of the 
Senate for a ceremony to present the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune from 
the people of Florida for placement in National Statuary Hall. The 
Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board shall take such 
action as may be necessary with respect to physical preparations and 
security for the ceremony.
    (b) Display in Rotunda.--The statue shall be displayed in the 
rotunda of the Capitol for a period of not more than 6 months, after 
which period the statue shall be moved to its permanent location in 
National Statuary Hall.

SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL.

    The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall transmit a copy of 
this concurrent resolution to the Governor of Florida, the Mayor of 
Daytona Beach, Florida, and the President of Bethune-Cookman University 
in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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