IV 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 545 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 14, 2012 Mr. McDermott submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Congratulating the World Affairs Council of Seattle on the occasion of its 61st anniversary and recognizing its contributions to the greater Seattle region and Washington State.

Whereas Seattle is home to innovative companies, world-class research, educational institutions, one of the United States largest ports, and serves as a gateway for the global economy; Whereas the United States faces new challenges in an economically interdependent and technologically interconnected world that provides extraordinary opportunities for people to participate in global debates and expand people-to-people relationships; Whereas the World Affairs Council of Seattle was founded on September 12, 1951, by 22 Seattle community leaders with the goal of connecting the Seattle community with the world; Whereas the World Affairs Council of Seattle quickly established itself, presenting 80 speakers from 30 countries in its first 2 years, including Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, Dean Rusk, and Harvard University President and United States Ambassador to Germany, Dr. James Bryant Conant; Whereas the World Affairs Council of Seattle was cited in the Institute of International Education’s award to Seattle in 1967 for 16 years of active programming in the city and positive influence in the region; Whereas in 1969, the World Affairs Council of Seattle replaced the closing Department of State’s Reception Center as Seattle’s official greeter of international visitors; Whereas the World Affairs Council of Seattle continued to grow in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s to foster dialogue and discussion about pressing world issues through one-on-one, small group, and professional development meetings with international visitors from nearly every country in the world; Whereas in 1990, the International Visitor Program of the World Affairs Council of Seattle was awarded Best in Nation by the National Council for International Visitors in Washington, DC; Whereas the World Affairs Council of Seattle has promoted diverse perspectives on issues of international importance through leadership and educational programs for K–12 students; and Whereas the World Affairs Council of Seattle leverages connections and resources that expand access to global issues by acting as a clearinghouse for information on global issues: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives congratulates the World Affairs Council of Seattle on its 61st anniversary and salutes its distinguished legacy of elevating understanding and engagement in critical global issues.