[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 176 (Tuesday, October 31, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S6918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                100TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHICAGO'S NAVY PIER

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I join my colleague and friend Senator 
Duckworth to recognize the 100th anniversary of Chicago's Navy Pier, 
one of the most visited attractions in Illinois and the Midwest.
  Navy Pier, originally named Municipal Pier, was the first of its 
kind. The pier was created to bring revenue into the city by supporting 
industry and tourism. The pier opened in 1916 and served as a port for 
commercial shipping and provided the entertainment and recreation 
needed to transform Chicago's lakefront into a popular tourist 
attraction.
  During World War I and World War II, the pier was used as a naval 
training center for over 60,000 Navy recruits and was later named Navy 
Pier to honor the Navy personnel who served and contributed to the 
national war effort.
  Throughout its history, Navy Pier was home to several Chicago 
institutions and traditions.
  Navy Pier was also the former home to the University of Illinois at 
Chicago from 1946 to 1965, nicknamed ``Harvard on the Rocks,'' and 
served more than 100,000 students.
  Navy Pier originally held the famous Taste of Chicago in 1978 and 
today continues to host a variety of festivals, conferences, trade 
shows, and live entertainment.
  Navy Pier opens its doors to locals and visitors to experience 
Chicago's rich historical and cultural history while enjoying 
activities and the city's lakefront. Its popular attractions, including 
the iconic ferris wheel, have attracted more than 9 million visitors a 
year, generated millions of dollars in revenue, and created thousands 
of jobs for the region.
  It is no surprise that Navy Pier has been labeled a Chicago historic 
landmark with its significant contributions to the city of Chicago and 
the Nation.
  Navy Pier continues to promote tourism and support economic growth in 
Chicago and the Midwest, while improving its facilities and core 
missions to better provide services to visitors. It is with great pride 
that I join Senator Duckworth in honoring Navy Pier and its many 
accomplishments.
  Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, today I join my close friend and 
colleague, Senator Dick Durbin, to honor one of the magnificent 
landmarks of Illinois, Chicago's Navy Pier.
  Since Chicago architect Daniel Burnham first established his vision 
of a public pier to transform Chicago's landscape and draw visitors to 
experience the lakefront, what opened as Municipal Pier in 1916 has 
been a gathering point for the community. In World War I and World War 
II, it became central to the war effort and Navy Pier got its name to 
honor the sailors who served and continued to serve in defense of our 
Nation.
  Many institutions of Chicago began in Navy Pier before finding their 
home elsewhere in the city, like the University of Illinois' Chicago 
campus, the Taste of Chicago, and the trade shows that continue to come 
through Chicago to take advantage of the city's commercial 
infrastructure. Navy Pier has been a place for people to meet and 
experience the Great Lakes, city skyline, and various attractions that 
have sprung up and grown through the city.
  Locals, Illinoisans, Americans, and international visitors alike 
experience the Midwest through the lens of the pier, and it reflects 
back on our city the multicultural, historical aspects of our city and 
this Nation. You only have to look at the iconic ferris wheel to see 
how it has transformed Chicago's skyline and become such an integrated, 
iconic part of the city.
  As a public venue for culture and commerce, Navy Pier continues to 
revitalize so that it can be sustainable, universal, and accessible to 
all. I am proud to come before this body with Senator Durbin and honor 
Navy Pier as it celebrates its centennial anniversary.
  (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered 
to be printed in the Record.)

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