[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   A RECOGNITION OF FEDEX'S DONATION TO THE NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY

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                        HON. HAROLD E. FORD, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 8, 1997

  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to take the opportunity to 
recognize FedEx Corp. for its $1 million donation to the National 
Digital Library Program at the Library of Congress.
  As you know, Mr. Speaker, the Library of Congress is the world's 
largest library, with a collection of more than 111 million items, 
which until recently was only available to those who could visit its 
hallowed halls. Thanks to recent advancements in technology, however, 
that has all begun to change.
  Over the last 7 years the Library has been able to begin digitizing a 
wide array of its archives, ranging from Civil War photographs and 
panoramic maps to Thomas Edison's early films and Walt Whitman's 
writings. Moreover, since 1994, when the National Digital Library 
Program was launched, these and other invaluable historical documents 
have been available via the World Wide Web to millions of people across 
the globe, including elementary and secondary students right here in 
America. And thanks to FedEx's generous gift last week, even more of 
this priceless information will become widely accessible in the next 
century.
  It goes without saying that the residents of Memphis and the mid-
South region are extremely fortunate to have a corporate partner in 
their community that is lead by an innovative and visionary chairman, 
Fred Smith, who recognizes the nexus between technology and education. 
Mr. Speaker, FedEx understands that if this Nation is to compete and 
win in tomorrow's marketplace--driven and dominated by digitalization, 
deregulation, diversity, and globalization--then we must develop a 
workforce that is more highly skilled and computer literate than ever 
before.
  By donating resources to ensure that every young person with access 
to a computer can be exposed to the world of ideas, FedEx is helping to 
fulfill its role as a partner with its community and the Federal 
Government. The challenge now is for Congress to step up to the plate 
and muster the political will and resources to partner with States and 
the private sector to rebuild and computerize every schoolhouse in 
America, so our young people can lead this Nation from what has been to 
what can be in the new millennium.




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