[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 122 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                        March 11, 2003.
Whereas Ohio residents will celebrate 2003 as the 200th anniversary of Ohio's 
        admission into the Union;
Whereas Ohio was the 17th State to be admitted to the Union and was the first 
        State to be created from the Northwest Territory;
Whereas ``Ohio'' is derived from the Iroquois word meaning ``great river'', 
        referring to the Ohio River which forms the southern boundary and a 
        portion of the eastern boundary of the State;
Whereas Ohio was the site of battles of the American Indian Wars, French and 
        Indian Wars, Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War;
Whereas in the nineteenth century, Ohio, a free state, was an important stop on 
        the Underground Railroad as a destination for more than 100,000 
        individuals escaping slavery and seeking freedom;
Whereas Ohio, which is known as ``The Mother of Presidents'', has given eight 
        United States presidents to the Nation, including William Henry 
        Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, 
        Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William H. Taft, and Warren G. 
        Harding;
Whereas Ohio inventors, including Thomas Edison (incandescent light bulb), 
        Orville and Wilbur Wright (first in flight), Henry Timken (roller 
        bearings), Charles Kettering (automobile starter), Charles Goodyear 
        (process of vulcanizing rubber), Garrett Morgan (traffic light), and Roy 
        Plunkett (Teflon), created the basis for modern living as we know it;
Whereas Ohio, which is also known as ``The Birthplace of Aviation'', has been 
        home to 24 astronauts, including John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, and Judith 
        Resnik;
Whereas Ohio has a rich sports tradition and has produced many sports legends, 
        including Annie Oakley, Jesse Owens, Cy Young, Jack Nicklaus, and Nancy 
        Lopez;
Whereas Ohio has produced many distinguished writers including Harriet Beecher 
        Stowe, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Toni Morrison, and James Thurber;
Whereas the agriculture and agribusiness industry is and has long been the 
        number one industry in Ohio, contributing $73,000,000,000 annually to 
        Ohio's economy and employing 1 in 6 Ohioans, and that industry's tens of 
        thousands of Ohio farmers and 14,000,000 acres of Ohio farmland feed the 
        people of the State, the Nation, and the world;
Whereas the enduring manufacturing economy of Ohio is responsible for \1/4\ of 
        Ohio's Gross State Product, provides over one million well-paying jobs 
        to Ohioans, exports $26,000,000,000 in products to 196 countries, and 
        provides over $1,000,000,000 in tax revenues to local schools and 
        governments;
Whereas Ohio is home to over 140 colleges and universities which have made 
        significant contributions to the intellectual life of the State and 
        Nation, and continued investment in education is Ohio's promise to 
        future economic development in the ``knowledge economy'' of the 21st 
        century;
Whereas, from its inception, Ohio has been a prime destination for immigrants, 
        and the rich cultural and ethnic heritage that has been interwoven into 
        the spirit of the people of Ohio and that enriches Ohio's communities 
        and the quality of life of its residents is both a tribute to, and 
        representative of, the Nation's diversity;
Whereas Ohio began celebrations commemorating its bicentennial on March 1, 2003, 
        in Chillicothe, the first capital of Ohio; and
Whereas the bicentennial celebrations will include Inventing Flight in Dayton 
        (celebrating the centennial of flight), Tall Ships on Lake Erie, Tall 
        Stacks on the Ohio River, Red, White, and Bicentennial Boom in Columbus, 
        and the Bicentennial Wagon Train across the State: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes--
            (1) the bicentennial of the admission of Ohio into the Union; and
            (2) the residents of Ohio for their important contributions to the 
        economic, social, and cultural development of the United States.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.