[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 107 (Friday, July 18, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H7114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          OPENING OF THE CLAY CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND SCIENCES

  (Mrs. CAPITO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the recently 
opened Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. My hometown of 
Charleston, West Virginia, has been eagerly awaiting the opening of 
this magnificent cultural and entertainment center over the course of 
the past 2 decades.
  The center, which began as a farfetched idea, progressed through 
arduous fund-raising and construction, finally opened its doors on July 
12.
  This impressive project would not have been possible without John 
McClaugherty's vision, as well as generous contributions by Lyell and 
Buckner Clay, the Clay Foundation and Clay extended family, the Benedum 
Foundation, the Maier Foundation, the Greater Kanawha Valley 
Foundation, the City of Charleston, Kanawha County, and the West 
Virginia State Legislature.
  The Clay Center offers the combination of a first-class art museum, a 
1,800-seat performing arts center, and state-of-the-art science center, 
complete with a 180-seat planetarium.
  This outstanding center will undoubtedly enhance cultural, 
educational, and economic opportunities for West Virginians. I am proud 
to have this new center in my State and in my district, and I look 
forward to the wonderful opportunities that it will provide for West 
Virginia's future. I also would like to welcome all of America to visit 
the Clay Center.

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