[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF AMERICAN PEN WOMEN, INC. (NLAPW)

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 2016

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing a treasured historical 
landmark in our midst, The National League of American Pen Women, Inc. 
(NLAPW). The League's headquarters is located in the heart of the 
nation's capital between Dupont Circle and Scott Circle, just blocks 
away from the White House. With affiliates all across the United 
States, the League is a key nonprofit neighbor, whose headquarters 
building is a magnificent architectural gem.
  The League is dedicated to the recognition and advancement of women 
in the arts and letters in the District of Columbia and nationwide. Its 
mission is to represent and foster women's outstanding cultural and 
educational contributions to the nation. The League's membership, 
comprising some 82 branches throughout the country, encompasses a cross 
section of American women--all ages, races, religions, and cultures. 
For generations, the League has highlighted the great contributions and 
careers of creative American Women. Since its founding in 1897, 
luminaries such as Nobel Laureate Pearl Buck, Margaret Mitchell and 
Eudora Welty were illustrious members, among many others. Eleanor 
Roosevelt was a very active Pen Woman, as was Vinnie Ream, who sculpted 
the Lincoln statue that stands in the Capitol's Rotunda, as well as the 
statue of Admiral Farragut at Farragut Square.
  It should also be noted that the League's beautiful, mansion-class 
headquarters at 1300 17th Street NW is steeped in history. Its interior 
has been lovingly maintained. To walk through it, as so many did during 
the recent Dupont Circle House Tour sponsored by the Dupont Circle 
Citizens Association, is to experience the elegance and inspiration of 
a bygone era. It is also to realize that the Pen Arts Building was once 
the home of Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's oldest son. That is 
an especially noteworthy historical perspective in this 150th 
anniversary year of the death of Abraham Lincoln.
  Regrettably, the League has become financially stressed, a situation 
hindering the preservation efforts of many nonprofits today. Losing the 
League, which has been in the District for 64 years, would be a 
terrible blow to the city, to the Dupont Circle neighborhood, to 
preservation, and to history itself. I also ask the House to recognize 
the League's unfortunate current financial plight, and the efforts of 
TENAC, the D.C. Tenants' Advocacy Coalition, to help preserve this 
beautiful landmark. Under the leadership of its chairman, Jim McGrath, 
TENAC has long been the District's unrivaled champion of tenants' 
rights, helping the homeless, and historic preservation.
  Helping the League remain in the District and maintain its 
magnificent headquarters building here is a very worthy cause, 
enthusiastically supported by a broad variety of others in the city, 
including D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans, the Dupont Circle Citizens 
Association, and the historic Tabard Inn, among many others. I ask the 
House to recognize these efforts, and join in supporting this cause. At 
a time when women seem to be under attack in this country and all over 
the globe, assisting the National League of American Pen Women would be 
a worthy step in trying to redress that balance.
  For all of these reasons, I ask the House to join me in expressing 
support for the League and its successful mission, and to recognize the 
importance of saving it. I know the League would be profoundly grateful 
for that support.

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