[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 807 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
March 4, 2008.
Whereas Marjory Stoneman Douglas was born on April 7, 1890, in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, the daughter of Frank Stoneman, the first publisher of the
Miami Herald;
Whereas Marjory Stoneman Douglas graduated from Wellesley College in 1912 where
she was a member of the literary group Scribblers, editor-in-chief of
the yearbook, and served on the executive board of the Equal Suffrage
League;
Whereas Marjory Stoneman Douglas served in the Red Cross in Europe during World
War I;
Whereas Marjory Stoneman Douglas moved to Miami in 1915 and became a reporter
and writer at The Miami Herald where she wrote about progressive issues
such as the fight for women's rights, racial justice, and environmental
conservation;
Whereas Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote dozens of short stories that were
published in the Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, and Woman's Home
Companion throughout the 1920s, 30s, and 40s;
Whereas in 1947 Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote a ground-breaking book titled The
Everglades: River of Grass that helped to draw national attention to a
vast and little-known area that South Florida developers had deemed a
worthless swamp;
Whereas in the same year, Marjory Stoneman Douglas' book mustered the public
support to guard this subtropical marshland through a declaration from
President Harry Truman, officially protecting the Everglades as a
National Park;
Whereas at the age of 78, Marjory Stoneman Douglas founded the Friends of the
Everglades, an educational and advocacy group dedicated to the
protection and restoration of this ecosystem that continues to be at
forefront of Florida conservation;
Whereas in November 1993, President Bill Clinton awarded Marjory Stoneman
Douglas the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a
civilian;
Whereas 2007 marked the 60th anniversary of the publication of her book, The
Everglades: River of Grass; and
Whereas Marjory Stoneman Douglas passed away in 1998 living to the age of 108,
her ashes scattered in the Everglades she worked so tirelessly to
preserve: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life, achievements,
and distinguished career of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, pioneer in the field of
conservation, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the publication of The
Everglades: River of Grass.
Attest:
Clerk.