To award a congressional gold medal to Dr. Dorothy Height in recognition of her many contributions to the Nation.
PL 108-162 (H.R.1821), enacted 12/06/2003

117 STAT. 2017
PUBLIC LAW 108–162—DEC. 6, 2003
Public Law 108–162
108th Congress
An Act
To award a congressional gold medal to Dr. Dorothy Height in recognition of
her many contributions to the Nation.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Dr. Dorothy Irene Height was born March 24, 1912,
to James Edward Height and Fannie (Borroughs) Height in
Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Rankin, Pennsylvania.
(2) Dr. Height is recognized as one of the preeminent
social and civil rights activists of her time, particularly in
the struggle for equality, social justice, and human rights for
all peoples.
(3) Beginning as a civil rights advocate in the 1930s, she
soon gained prominence through her tireless efforts to promote
interracial schooling, to register and educate voters, and to
increase the visibility and status of women in our society.
(4) She has labored to provide hope for inner-city children
and their families, and she can claim responsibility for many
of the advances made by women and African-Americans over
the course of this century.
(5) Her public career spans over 65 years.
(6) Dr. Height was a valued consultant on human and
civil rights issues to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and she
encouraged President Eisenhower to desegregate the Nation’s
schools and President Johnson to appoint African-American
women to sub-Cabinet posts.
(7) Dr. Height has been President of the National Council
of Negro Women (NCNW) since 1957, a position to which she
was appointed upon the retirement of Dr. Mary McLeod
Bethune, one of the most influential African-American women
in United States history.
(8) The National Council of Negro Women is currently
the umbrella organization for 250 local groups and 38 national
groups engaged in economic development and women’s issues.
(9) Under Dr. Height’s leadership, the National Council
of Negro Women implemented a number of new and innovative
programs and initiatives, including the following:
(A) Operation Woman Power, a project to expand busi-
ness ownership by women and to provide funds for voca-
tional training.
(B) Leadership training for African-American women
in the rural South.
31 USC 5111
note.
Dec. 6, 2003
[H.R. 1821]
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117 STAT. 2018
PUBLIC LAW 108–162—DEC. 6, 2003
(C) The Black Family Reunion, a nationwide annual
gathering to encourage, renew and celebrate the concept
of not only the Black family but all families.
(D) The Women’s Center for Education and Career
Advancement to empower minority women in nontradi-
tional careers.
(E) The Bethune Museum and Archives, a museum
devoted to African-American women’s history.
(10) Dr. Height has been at the forefront of AIDS education,
both nationally and internationally; under her direction, the
National Council of Negro Women established offices in West
Africa and South Africa and worked to improve the conditions
of women in the developing world.
(11) Dr. Height has been central in the success of 2 other
influential women’s organizations, as follows:
(A) As president and executive board member of Delta
Sigma Theta, Dr. Height left the sorority more efficient
and globally focused with a centralized headquarters.
(B) Her work with the Young Women’s Christian
Association (YWCA) led to its integration and more active
participation in the civil rights movement.
(12) As a member of the ‘‘Big Six’’ civil rights leaders
with Whitney Young, A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King,
Jr., James Farmer, and Roy Wilkins, Dr. Height was the only
female at the table when the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. and others made plans for the civil rights movement.
(13) Dr. Height is the recipient of many awards and
accolades for her efforts on behalf of women’s rights, including
the following:
(A) The Spingarn Award, the NAACP’s highest honor
for civil rights contributions.
(B) The Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by
President Clinton.
(C) The John F. Kennedy Memorial Award from the
National Council of Jewish Women.
(D) The Ministerial Interfaith Association Award for
her contributions to interfaith, interracial, and ecumenical
movements for over 30 years.
(E) The Lovejoy Award, the highest recognition by
the Grand Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks of the World for outstanding contributions to human
relations.
(F) The Ladies Home Journal Woman of the Year
Award in recognition for her work for human rights.
(G) The William L. Dawson Award presented by the
Congressional Black Caucus for decades of public service
to people of color and particularly women.
(H) The Citizens Medal Award for distinguished service
presented by President Reagan.
(I) The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Freedom Medal
awarded by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute.
(14) Dr. Dorothy Height has established a lasting legacy
of public service that has been an invaluable contribution to
the progress of this Nation.
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117 STAT. 2019
PUBLIC LAW 108–162—DEC. 6, 2003
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1821:
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 149 (2003):
Oct. 15, considered and passed House.
Nov. 21, considered and passed Senate.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of the House
of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on
behalf of the Congress, to Dr. Dorothy Irene Height a gold medal
of appropriate design in recognition of her many contributions to
the Nation.
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purpose 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 emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined
by the Secretary.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medals struck under section 2 at a price sufficient to cover the
costs of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of
machinery, and overhead expenses.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck under this Act are national medals for
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—There is hereby
authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public
Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the
cost of the medal authorized under section 2.
(b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the sale of
duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Approved December 6, 2003.
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