[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 178 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7036-S7037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 635--RECOGNIZING AND COMMEMORATING THE BICENTENNIAL 
                        OF THE STATE OF INDIANA

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

                              S. Res. 635

       Whereas December 11, 2016, marks the 200th year of the 
     statehood of the State of Indiana, and in honor of the 
     momentous occasion, Hoosiers across the State of Indiana will 
     celebrate the historic past and the prosperous future of the 
     State of Indiana;
       Whereas, on December 11, 1816, President James Madison 
     signed the Joint Resolution entitled ``Resolution for 
     admitting the state of Indiana into the Union'', approved 
     December 11, 1816 (3 Stat. 399), which admitted the State of 
     Indiana as the 19th State of the United States and required 
     that the leaders of the State of Indiana draft a State 
     constitution;
       Whereas Jonathan Jennings, who spearheaded the effort in 
     Congress to secure Indiana statehood, together with 43 of his 
     peers, drafted the first Indiana State Constitution beneath 
     the shade of a giant elm tree in the city of Corydon, 
     Indiana, during the summer of 1816;
       Whereas in recognition of his role in Congress and as 
     president of the constitutional convention of the State of 
     Indiana, Jonathan Jennings was appointed the first Governor 
     of the State of Indiana, the giant elm tree was later dubbed 
     the Constitution Elm, and Corydon, Indiana, served as the 
     first capital of the State of Indiana;
       Whereas, in October 1824, a coalition of State officials 
     commenced an 11-day trek to move the capital of the State of 
     Indiana 130 miles north from Corydon to Indianapolis;
       Whereas, in 1850, a second constitutional convention of the 
     State of Indiana convened

[[Page S7037]]

     with the purpose of establishing more frequent elections, 
     imposing restrictions on State debt, and creating biannual 
     legislative sessions for the Indiana General Assembly, and as 
     of November 2016, the Indiana State Constitution of 1850, as 
     amended, still governs the State of Indiana;
       Whereas, in 1888, Benjamin Harrison was the first and only 
     Hoosier to be elected President;
       Whereas, since 1869, 5 Hoosiers have served the United 
     States as Vice President, and in 2016, the sixth Hoosier to 
     serve as Vice President was elected;
       Whereas in celebration of the centennial of the State of 
     Indiana, a design competition for the State flag was held, 
     and the design by Paul Hadley was chosen for its stoic 
     symbolism, including--
       (1) the torch that stands for liberty and enlightenment;
       (2) the rays that signify that knowledge and freedom are 
     available for all Hoosiers;
       (3) the 18 small stars that correspond to the States in the 
     Union before the State of Indiana; and
       (4) the 19th and largest star that represents the State of 
     Indiana;

       Whereas, the Indiana General Assembly adopted the flag 
     designed by Paul Hadley as the flag of the State of Indiana 
     in 1917;
       Whereas, in 1937, by the direction of a resolution of the 
     Indiana General Assembly, ``the Crossroads of America'' 
     became the official motto of the State of Indiana because the 
     city of Indianapolis serves as an intersection of several 
     major interstate highways that link--
       (1) Hoosiers throughout the State of Indiana; and
       (2) individuals across the United States;
       Whereas the seal of the State of Indiana--
       (1) was approved by the Indiana General Assembly in 1963 
     and originated from a lineage of designs dating back to the 
     period during which Indiana was a territory of the United 
     States;
       (2) illustrates a scene from the pioneer era of--
       (A) a woodsman cutting into 1 of 2 sycamore trees;
       (B) a buffalo in the foreground jumping over a log; and
       (C) the sun beginning to set behind 3 hills in the 
     background;
       Whereas residents of the State of Indiana embrace the 
     nickname for the State of Indiana, ``the Hoosier State'', 
     pride for the term ``Hoosier'' is deeply rooted in the 
     history of the State of Indiana, and Hoosiers bear the 
     nickname proudly;
       Whereas May 29, 2016, marked the 100th running of the 
     Indianapolis 500, which is a great source of pride to all 
     residents of the State of Indiana because of its influential 
     role in shaping and defining the city of Indianapolis and the 
     State of Indiana;
       Whereas the Indiana Bicentennial Commission was established 
     in December of 2011 with the objective of honoring the 200 
     years of history of the State of Indiana;
       Whereas the Indiana Bicentennial Commission has 4 key 
     pillars, which are--
       (1) historical celebration;
       (2) youth and education;
       (3) nature conservation; and
       (4) community involvement;
       Whereas, to achieve its 4 main directives, the Indiana 
     Bicentennial Commission has several major projects, 
     including--
       (1) a Bicentennial Nature Trust that allocates $30,000,000 
     in matching funds to acquire land statewide for the purposes 
     of recreation and conservation;
       (2) the construction of a Statehouse Education Center in 
     the Indiana State Library;
       (3) the building of a Bicentennial Plaza on the west side 
     of the Statehouse that features art and improves public 
     access to the surrounding governmental buildings; and
       (4) the construction of a new facility to house the Indiana 
     State Archives to provide increased access to the most 
     important documents of the State of Indiana;
       Whereas, on September 9, 2016, a torch relay began in 
     Corydon, Indiana, and ended at the Statehouse on October 15, 
     2016, during which the torch traveled through all 92 counties 
     of the State of Indiana in--
       (1) an effort to fortify the communal connection of all 
     Hoosiers; and
       (2) a symbolic culmination of the series of celebratory and 
     educational bicentennial events, concluding on Statehood Day 
     on December 11, 2016; and
       Whereas it is fitting that the bicentennial of the State of 
     Indiana and the corresponding 200 years of rich history are 
     celebrated: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and commemorates the 
     bicentennial of the State of Indiana.

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