[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 157 (Monday, September 24, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL CULTURAL CENTER ACT

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                       HON. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 24, 2018

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, this month we mark the 60th anniversary of 
the enactment of the National Cultural Center Act, which established 
the institution now known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the 
Performing Arts.
  The 85th Congress and President Eisenhower envisioned a cultural 
center which would present performances of dance, drama, music, opera, 
and poetry, develop arts programming to encourage the participation of 
and educate citizens of all ages, from the young to the elderly, and 
provide a space for civic activity.
  Today, the Kennedy Center accomplishes these original mandates from 
1958 to serve the nation through cultural innovation and inclusive 
programming. This past season, the Kennedy Center showcased 2,203 
performances and reached 1,405,796 students through school and 
community programs. The Kennedy Center has broken ground on an expanded 
physical campus for civic activity and increased accessibility; the 
REACH (Renew, Experience, Activate, Create, and Honor) will open the 
week of the National Cultural Center Act's 60th anniversary.
  I invite my colleagues to join me in thanking the many members of the 
public who over the past six decades have partnered with and supported 
our national cultural center.

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