[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 118 (Thursday, August 5, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S6908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 614--COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
                PUBLICATION OF ``TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD''

  Mr. SESSIONS (for himself and Mr. Shelby) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 614

       Whereas Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, to 
     Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch in Monroeville, Alabama;
       Whereas Nelle Harper Lee wrote the novel ``To Kill a 
     Mockingbird'' portraying life in the 1930s in the fictional 
     small southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, which was modeled on 
     Monroeville, Alabama, the hometown of Ms. Lee;
       Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' addressed the issue of 
     racial inequality in the United States by revealing the 
     humanity of a community grappling with moral conflict;
       Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' was first published in 
     1960 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961;
       Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' was the basis for the 
     1962 Academy Award-winning film of the same name starring 
     Gregory Peck;
       Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' is one of the great 
     American novels of the 20th century, having been published in 
     more than 40 languages and having sold more than 30,000,000 
     copies;
       Whereas, in 2007, Nelle Harper Lee was inducted into the 
     American Academy of Arts and Letters;
       Whereas, in 2007, President George W. Bush awarded the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom to Nelle Harper Lee for her 
     great contributions to literature and observed, `` `To Kill a 
     Mockingbird' has influenced the character of our country for 
     the better'', and ``As a model of good writing and humane 
     sensibility, this book will be read and studied forever''; 
     and
       Whereas ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' is celebrated each year 
     in Monroeville, Alabama through public performances featuring 
     local amateur actors: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the historic milestone of the 50th 
     anniversary of the publication of ``To Kill a Mockingbird''; 
     and
       (2) honors the outstanding achievement of Nelle Harper Lee 
     in the field of American literature in authoring ``To Kill a 
     Mockingbird''.

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