Joint resolution to establish the Woodrow Wilson Centennial Celebration Commision, and for other purposes
PL 83-705 (S.J.Res.147), enacted 08/30/1954

964 
PUBLIC LAW 70 5-AUG. 30, 1954 
[68 
S T A T . 
Transfer of lands 
b y Federal agen-
cies. 
Land in Mary-
land, acquisition. 
Use of lands for 
preliminary work. 
Traffic routing, 
etc. 
Approaches, as-
s u r a n c e s of Va. 
and Md. 
Appropriation. 
SEC. 202. (a) Any Federal agency and the District of Columbia 
having control and jurisdiction over any land at or near the site of 
the bridge shall transfer to the Secretary, upon his request, any sucli 
lands to be occupied by the bridge or approaches thereto. 
(b) The Secretary may acquire by purchase or by condemnation any 
land in the State of Maryland, not under Federal or District jurisdic-
tion or control, needed for the construction of such bridge, title to such 
land to be taken directly to and in the name of the United States. 
In 
case a price satisfactory to the Secretary cannot be agreed upon for 
the purchase of such land or in case the title cannot be made satis-
factory to the Attorney (xeneral of the United States, then the 
latter is directed to procure such land by condemnation, and the 
expenses of procuring evidence of title, or condemnation, or both, shall 
be paid from funds made available for the purposes of this title. 
SEC. 203. (a) The Secretary may make such use of lands owned or 
controlled by the United States, at or adjacent to the site of the bridge, 
as may be necessary for making borings, performing other prelimi-
nary work, routing and rerouting traffic, constructing such bridge, 
approaches, and connecting roads, and storing materials incident to 
such preliminary work and to actual construction. 
(b) The Secretary may route and reroute and cause the routing 
and rerouting of traffic on, and close or cause to be closed, streets, 
roads, and highways under the jurisdiction of the United States, and 
negotiate for the closing of streets, roads, and highways by contact 
with Virginia, Maryland, and District authorities, when necessary in 
connection with the preparation of plans for, and during the actual 
construction of, the bridge. 
SEC. 204. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the 
Secretary shall not begin construction of the bridge above referred to 
until the State of Virginia and the State of Maryland have taken such 
steps as the Secretary deems adequate to give assurances that there 
will be constructed and maintained, by and in such States, such 
approaches to such bridge as will be reasonably adequate to make 
possible the full and efficient utilization of such bridge. 
SEC. 205. The sum of $14,925,000 is hereby authorized to be appro-
priated out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
to carry out the provisions of this title. 
SEC. 206. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this title is hereby 
expressly reserved. 
Approved August 30, 1954. 
Public Law 705 
CHAPTER 1075 
, 
, „ _ 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
August 30, 1954 
[s. J. Res. 147] 
To establish the Woodrow Wilson Centennial Celebration Commission, and for 
other purposes. 
Woodrow Wilson 
Centennial Cele-
bration C o m m i s-
sion. 
Establishment. 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled^ That (a) there is hereby 
established a commission to be known as the "Woodrow Wilson Cen-
tennial Celebration Commission" (hereinafter referred to as the "Com-
mission") which shall be composed of twelve members as follows: 
(1) Two members who shall be Members of the Senate, to be ap-
pointed by the President of the Senate; 
(2) Two members who shall be members of the House of Representa-
tives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; 
68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 705-AUG. 30, 1954 
96! 
Functions. 
63 Stat. 954. 
5 u s e 1071 note. 
(3) One member from the Department of the Interior who shall be 
the Director of the National Park Service, or his representative, and 
who shall serve as executive officer of the Commission; and 
(4) Seven members to be appointed by the President after consid-
eration of such recommendations as may be made, upon the request of 
the President, by the Governor of Virginia as to three of such members, 
by the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace Foundation, Incorporated, as to 
two of such members, and by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation as to 
two of such members. 
(b) The President shall, at the time of appointment, designate one 
of the members appointed by him to serve as Chairman. 
The members 
of the Commission shall receive no salary but shall be reimbursed for 
their actual and necessary traveling and subsistence expenses incurred 
m the discharge of their duties. 
SEC. 2. The functions of the Commission shall be to develop and to 
execute suitable plans for the celebration, in 1956, of the one hundredth 
anniversary of the birth of Woodrow Wilson in Staunton, Virginia. 
In carrying out these functions the Commission is authorized to coop-
erate with and to assist the Commission established by the State of 
Virginia to plan a centennial celebration, in 1956, of the birth of Wood-
row Wilson, and to invite all the people of the United States to join 
therein. 
SEC. 3. The Commission may employ, without regard to civil-service 
Employees, 
laws or the Classification Act of 1949, such employees as may be neces-
sary in carrying out its functions. 
SEC, 4. (a) The Commission is authorized to accept donations of 
money, property, or personal services; to cooperate with patriotic 
and historical societies and with institutions of learning; and to call 
upon other Federal departments or agencies for their advice and 
assistance in carrying out the purposes of this resolution. The Com-
mission, to such extent as it finds to be necessary, may, without regard 
to the laws and procedures applicable to Federal agencies, procure 
supplies, services, and property and make contracts, and may exercise 
those powers that are necessary to enable it to carry out efficiently 
and in the public interest the purposes of this resolution. 
(b) Expenditures of the Commission shall be paid by the executive 
officer of the Commission, who shall keep complete records of such 
expenditures and who shall account also for all funds received by the 
Commission. 
A report of the activities of the Commission, including 
an accounting of funds received and expended, shall be furnished bj^ 
the Commission to the Congress within one year following the cele-
bration as prescribed by this resolution. 
The Commission shall termi-
nate upon submission of its report to the Congress. 
(c) Any property acquired by the Commission remaining upon ter-
mination of the celebration may be used by the Secretary of the 
Interior for purposes of the National Park System or may be disposed 
of as surplus property. 
The net revenues, after payment of Com-
mission expenses, derived from Commission activities, shall be de-
posited in the Treasury of the United States. 
SEC. 5. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated not to exceed 
$10,000 for travel expenses of the members of the Commission and 
for other expenses that may be incurred in developing suitable plans 
provided for herein, and no appropriation shall be deemed to be 
authorized herein to carry out the purposes of this resolution in 
accordance with such plans unless an additional appropriation to 
carry out such purposes is expressly authorized by further legislation. 
Approved August 30, 1954. 
Report 
gress. 
to Con-
Termination. 
Di spos al of prop-
erty. 
Appropriation.