[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 579 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 579

  Recognizing the 100th anniversary of Big Bertha, one of the largest 
 bass drums in use by a university in the United States and located at 
                   The University of Texas at Austin.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 6, 2022

 Mr. Cruz submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
                               agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the 100th anniversary of Big Bertha, one of the largest 
 bass drums in use by a university in the United States and located at 
                   The University of Texas at Austin.

Whereas Big Bertha, one of the largest bass drums in use by a university in the 
        United States, is known as the ``Sweetheart of the Longhorn Band'' and 
        an icon of The University of Texas at Austin;
Whereas Big Bertha is so large that, following her construction, part of the 
        walls of the factory where she was assembled had to be removed so Big 
        Bertha could leave the factory for shipping;
Whereas the year 2022 marks the 100th anniversary since Big Bertha was first put 
        into service on October 28, 1922, in support of the football team for 
        the University of Chicago, which was led by Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg and 
        his assistant Fritz Crisler, both of whom would go on to be inducted 
        into the College Football Hall of Fame;
Whereas, in 1938, Big Bertha made a special trip to Carnegie Hall in New York 
        City to join an orchestra directed by famed Italian conductor Arturo 
        Toscanini for a performance of Verdi's Requiem, where Big Bertha was the 
        star of the show, used to play a single note;
Whereas Big Bertha was a witness to history, having been present at the dawn of 
        the Atomic Age, when, at approximately 3:25 PM on December 2, 1942, 
        Enrico Fermi and his colleagues at the Metallurgical Laboratory at the 
        University of Chicago engineered the first controlled, self-sustaining 
        nuclear chain reaction as part of their work in support of the Manhattan 
        Project;
Whereas the nuclear chain reaction occurred on a squash court under the west 
        stands of the former Stagg Field on the University of Chicago campus 
        adjacent to where Big Bertha was in storage, resulting in Big Bertha 
        becoming radioactive;
Whereas The University of Texas at Austin purchased Big Bertha from the 
        University of Chicago in 1955, at which time Big Bertha moved to Texas, 
        making her new home in Austin;
Whereas Big Bertha now resides in the north end zone concourse of Darrell K. 
        Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, where she has been admired by Longhorn 
        football fans for generations;
Whereas, due to her important role supporting The University of Texas at Austin 
        Longhorns football team (referred to in this preamble as the ``Texas 
        Longhorns''), Big Bertha has an endowment to provide for her care;
Whereas, since moving to Austin, Big Bertha has been a witness to football 
        history on multiple occasions, including witnessing the Texas Longhorns 
        win national championships in 1963 and 2005, back-to-back national 
        championships in 1969 and 1970, 19 conference championships, 8 Cotton 
        Bowl Championships, and many other prominent bowl games;
Whereas Big Bertha supported the Texas Longhorns during each of Hall of Fame 
        Coach Darrell K. Royal's 20 years coaching the Texas Longhorns to a 
        record that included 167 wins, 47 losses, and 5 ties;
Whereas Big Bertha boomed in support of the winning Heisman Trophy campaigns of 
        Texas Longhorns greats Earl Campbell in 1977 and Ricky Williams in 1998;
Whereas Big Bertha's name was given to her on the 50th anniversary of her move 
        to Austin;
Whereas Big Bertha is a television celebrity, having been the focus of a 2015 
        episode of the Arts and Entertainment Network television show ``Shipping 
        Wars'' in which Big Bertha was shipped to London, England, to 
        participate in a New Year's Day parade;
Whereas photogrammetry is the science and technology used to obtain reliable 
        information about the size and dimensions of physical objects;
Whereas photogrammetry has been used to measure and compare the size of Big 
        Bertha with other large university bass drums and has scientifically 
        proven that Big Bertha is, in fact, larger than other drums that have 
        been claimed to be the ``world's largest'';
Whereas Big Bertha and her handlers, the ``Bertha Crew'', are an essential part 
        of United States history and The University of Texas Longhorn Band; and
Whereas Big Bertha has been part of many historic performances across Texas, the 
        United States, and the world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate recognizes--
            (1) the 100th anniversary of the construction of Big 
        Bertha, one of the largest bass drums in use by a university in 
        the United States;
            (2) The University of Texas Longhorn Band as an important 
        cultural and historical icon of The University of Texas at 
        Austin and the State of Texas;
            (3) Big Bertha for her preeminence in band and musical 
        performances, including on the national stage as the star of 
        the show at an historic performance at Carnegie Hall in 1938 
        and the international stage as part of a New Year's Day parade 
        in London, England, in 2015;
            (4) the Bertha Crew and The University of Texas Longhorn 
        Band for their continued legacy of excellence in musical 
        performance and in support of school spirit; and
            (5) that the ongoing debate between universities in the 
        United States regarding which institution possesses the largest 
        bass drum is reflective of the spirit of competition that has 
        helped the United States reach new heights in academic and 
        scientific achievement and ingenuity for more than a century.
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