[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 29, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              200TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALABAMA AND TUSCALOOSA

 Mr. SHELBY. Madam President, today I wish to call attention to 
the special significance of the year 2019 in our great State of 
Alabama. This year we celebrate the 200th anniversary of our State and 
my hometown, the city of Tuscaloosa.
  Tuscaloosa was incorporated on December 13, 1819, which was one day 
before the State of Alabama was admitted to the Union. Beginning in 
1826 and extending for more than two decades, Tuscaloosa was the State 
capital of Alabama. This period marked the historic opening of the 
University of Alabama, the construction of a stately capitol building, 
and the city's transformation as a center for education, healthcare, 
and industry. Strategically situated on the banks of the Black Warrior 
River, Tuscaloosa became a thriving hub for foundries, cotton mills, 
forestry, and marine commerce.
  Founded in Tuscaloosa in 1831, the University of Alabama, which is 
the beloved alma mater of my family along with countless others, has 
become one of America's premier public research universities. The 
Capstone of education, the University serves the citizens of Alabama as 
well as students, faculty, and staff who come from throughout the 
United States and around the globe to pursue a world-class education at 
both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The university proudly 
partners with Stillman College and Shelton State Community College, as 
well as an abundant community of K-12 schools, to hold stature as a 
major center for educational excellence.
  Today Tuscaloosa is recognized as one of the region's most 
economically prosperous cities. International corporations join 
homegrown industries and businesses to provide a robust climate for job 
creation, industrial expansion, and a quality of life that is envied 
and admired by one and all. Recreational amenities, cultural gems, and 
championship athletic teams are legendary.
  On December 13, 2018, the Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Commission 
dedicated Bicentennial Square in Government Plaza, located in the heart 
of the city's burgeoning downtown district. Over the next 12 months, 
citizens will join together in a diverse calendar of events and 
programs that will educate, celebrate, and feature 2019 as a year to 
remember.
  I share in the Record a schedule of events for ``Tuscaloosa 200,'' 
together with the names of the bicentennial commission members who, 
along with dozens of other volunteers, have devoted countless hours to 
planning and organizing the bicentennial commemoration, as well as the 
companies whose generosity made possible the extensive, yearlong 
celebration: dedication of Bicentennial Square at Government Plaza, 
December 13, 2018; ringing in Tuscaloosa 200 bicentennial fireworks, 
December 31, 2018, at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre; Tuscaloosa 200 
bicentennial launch ceremony, January 31, 2019, at the Tuscaloosa 
RiverMarket; the Bicentennial Bash Family Activities and Music 
Saturday, March 30, 2019, at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre; ``Tuscaloosa 
Through Time'' history expo, April 24-27, 2019, at the Bryant 
Conference Center; ``Welcome Back to T-Town Celebration'' in 
conjunction with the Druid City Music Festival, Friday and Saturday, 
August 23-24, 2019; community book experience, ``the History of 
Tuscaloosa,'' by Dr. Guy Hubbs, September 22, 2019, Federal courthouse; 
and Tuscaloosa 200 birthday party and holiday parade, Friday, December 
13, 2019, preceded by ``200 Voices for Tuscaloosa,'' December 12, 2019, 
Moody Concert Hall.
  Members of the Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Commission: Lyda Black, Robert 
Ennis, Kari Frederickson, Sarah Elizabeth Heggem, Shelley Jones, 
Elizabeth McGiffert, Pam Parker, Tim Parker, Cathy Randall, Kellee 
Reinhart, Don Staley, and Harrison Taylor.
  Bicentennial Sponsors and Donors: Presenting Sponsors--Mercedes Benz 
USI, Coca Cola, DCH Health System; Capital Donor--city of Tuscaloosa, 
the University of Alabama; Chief Tuskaloosa Donor--Tuscaloosa Tourism 
and Sports; Druid Oaks Donor--Harrison Family Foundation, Hunt Refining 
Company, Nucor Steel, Parker Towing Company, PECO Foods, Inc., Reese 
Phifer Memorial Foundation, Randall-Reilly, TotalCom; Black Warrior 
Donor--Bryant Bank, College Station Properties, Harrison Construction 
Company, Industrial Warehouse Services, Inc., McAbee Family Foundation, 
McGiffert and Associates, LLC/Price McGiffert Construction Co. Inc., 
Regions, Synovus, Westervelt; City Champion Donor--Cadence Bank, 
Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, BF Goodrich, Jamison Money Farmer, 
PC, Junior League of Tuscaloosa, R.L. Zeigler Company, Inc., Tuscaloosa 
County Parks and Recreation, Tuscaloosa Rotary Memorial Foundation.

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