[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 144 (Monday, August 9, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6115-S6116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SENATE RESOLUTION 350--RECOGNIZING AND CELEBRATING THE 200TH 
 ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENTRY OF MISSOURI--THE ``SHOW ME STATE''--INTO THE 
                        UNION AS THE 24TH STATE

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

                              S. Res. 350

       Whereas the 200th anniversary of the entry of Missouri into 
     the Union as the 24th State marks a time for Missourians and 
     all people of the United States to remember the past and 
     celebrate the future, including recognizing the significant 
     contributions of the State of Missouri to the culture, 
     governance, and intellect of the United States;
       Whereas Congress and President James Monroe approved 
     statehood and entry into the Union for the Missouri Territory 
     on August 10, 1821, making it the Nation's 24th State and the 
     ``Gateway to the West'';
       Whereas the City of Jefferson, lying on the Missouri River, 
     was named the Missouri State capital in 1821 for President 
     Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States;
       Whereas the State served as the ``Gateway to the West'', 
     symbolized by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, 
     representing a new beginning for so many people in the United 
     States and marking the beginning for Lewis and Clark, the 
     Pony Express, the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails, and individuals 
     venturing West to test their luck in the Gold Rush;
       Whereas, despite the State's role in some dark moments in 
     the history of the United States, Missouri proves that we can 
     have a brighter future, as evidenced by the fact that as 
     commander of the District of Southeastern Missouri, General 
     Ulysses S. Grant utilized the Mississippi River to combat 
     Confederate forces, and Francis Preston Blair, Jr., who later 
     became a United States Senator, fought for the Union and 
     organized the protection of Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, 
     which contributed to the Confederate defeat in Missouri;
       Whereas General John Pershing, born in Laclede, Missouri, 
     was president and first captain of the West Point class of 
     1886, became a 5-star general and commander of the American 
     Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I and served as 
     the Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1921 to 
     1924;
       Whereas Missouri is the birthplace of President Harry S. 
     Truman, the 33rd President, who--
       (1) served as a captain in World War I, a United States 
     Senator, and Vice President before succeeding President 
     Franklin D. Roosevelt;
       (2) oversaw the end of World War II and rocketed the United 
     States to the international stage through his foreign policy, 
     including the founding of the United Nations and the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization (``NATO'') and the recognition 
     of Israel; and
       (3) promoted the advancement of civil rights by 
     desegregating the United States

[[Page S6116]]

     Armed Forces and forbidding racial discrimination in Federal 
     employment;
       Whereas, in Fulton, Missouri, Winston Churchill drew the 
     line between free Western democracies and the growing threat 
     of communism in his famous ``Sinews of Peace'' speech, where 
     he popularized the term ``Iron Curtain'';
       Whereas Missouri is the home to the national treasures of 
     Alley Mill and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the 
     patchwork of the Mark Twain National Forest, the Sainte 
     Genevieve National Historical Park, and the Lake of the 
     Ozarks, all of which are cherished by Missourians;
       Whereas the unique terrain of forested hills, wetlands, 
     resource-rich soil, and vast farmland and the critical 
     Mississippi, Missouri, and Osage Rivers established the 
     ``Show Me State'' as a leader in agriculture and commerce and 
     a dominant producer of soybeans, corn, cotton, rice, cattle, 
     swine, and poultry in the United States and as a home to 
     nearly 95,000 farms that cover \2/3\ of the State;
       Whereas Missourians have shown their unwavering patriotism 
     to the United States through their dedicated service and 
     selfless sacrifice for the protection of our Nation, with 
     more than 410,000 veterans and 36,000 active duty and reserve 
     personnel in the State;
       Whereas Missouri is the site of the National World War I 
     Museum and Memorial, which began when leaders in Kansas City, 
     Missouri, raised more than $2,500,000 in just 10 days to 
     commemorate the men and women who served in the war, and the 
     site was dedicated by the Allied commanders in 1921, and 
     recognized as the National Museum and Memorial by Congress in 
     2014;
       Whereas, in the 200 years since the birth of Missouri as a 
     sovereign State, the citizens of Missouri have made many 
     significant achievements in agriculture, art, athletics, 
     industry, literature, music, science, and many other 
     important areas;
       Whereas St. Louis debuted and popularized to the world 
     groundbreaking and life-changing innovations while it was 
     host to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904, where the 
     world marveled at--
       (1) the ice cream cone;
       (2) the radiophone, the first wireless telephone;
       (3) the telautograph, the precursor to the modern-day fax 
     machine;
       (4) the X-ray machine;
       (5) the personal automobile;
       (6) the first public airship flight in the United States;
       (7) Dr. Pepper;
       (8) peanut butter; and
       (9) iced tea;
       Whereas Missouri is also known for different types of 
     barbecue across the State, the roots of which can be traced 
     back to the early 1900s in Kansas City, Missouri when Henry 
     Perry opened the city's first barbecue restaurant, later 
     passing the legacy on to Charlie Bryant;
       Whereas Missouri's barbecue history also includes other 
     ``greats'' such as George Gates and Otis Boyd;
       Whereas, the birthplace of great minds, Missourians have 
     contributed to our society and economy through technological 
     and agricultural advancements, including--
       (1) James Ferguson, born in Wakenda, Missouri, an inventor 
     and entrepreneur who is best known for creating the Liquid 
     Crystal Display (``LCD'');
       (2) Jack Kilby, born in Jefferson City, Missouri, an 
     engineer who invented the microchip and was a corecipient of 
     the Nobel Prize for Physics;
       (3) Bill Lear, born in Hannibal, Missouri, an inventor and 
     businessman who created the Lear Jet, the first mass produced 
     business jet; and
       (4) George Washington Carver, born in Diamond, Missouri, 
     whose contributions to the agricultural industry changed the 
     way crops are grown;

       Whereas Missouri, home to Branson, known for its shows and 
     live entertainment, has produced numerous renowned artists in 
     the areas of music, writing, acting, television, radio, and 
     visual art, including--
       (1) Maya Angelou, born in St. Louis, Missouri;
       (2) Yogi Berra, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri;
       (3) Chuck Berry, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri;
       (4) Walter Cronkite, born in St. Joseph, Missouri and 
     raised in Kansas City, Missouri;
       (5) Walt Disney, raised in Marceline, Missouri and Kansas 
     City, Missouri;
       (6) Thomas Hart Benton, born in Neosho, Missouri;
       (7) Rush Limbaugh, born and raised in Cape Girardeau, 
     Missouri;
       (8) Phyllis Schlafly, born and raised in St. Louis, 
     Missouri;
       (9) Mark Twain, born in Florida, Missouri and raised in 
     Hannibal, Missouri;
       (10) Tennessee Williams, raised in St. Louis, Missouri; and
       (11) Porter Wagoner, born and raised in West Plains, 
     Missouri;
       Whereas Missouri is world renowned for its rich jazz and 
     blues history, which began in the 1920s when artists from 
     around the country were attracted to Kansas City, Missouri 
     during Prohibition and the Depression years, and includes 
     legends such as Count Basie, Andy Kirk, Charlie Parker, Joe 
     Turner, and Mary Lou Williams;
       Whereas Missouri was the host of the 1904 Summer Olympics--
     the first Olympics held in the United States;
       Whereas Missouri is the birthplace of the Negro National 
     League, the first successful, organized, professional 
     African-American baseball league in the United States that 
     not only changed the game of baseball, but also our Nation, 
     and is the home of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in 
     Kansas City;
       Whereas the major league sports teams of Missouri exhibit 
     an impressive level of athleticism and sportsmanship and have 
     won several national championships, including--
       (1) the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970 and 2020;
       (2) the Kansas City Royals in 1985 and 2015;
       (3) the St. Louis Blues in 2019; and
       (4) the St. Louis Cardinals in 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 
     1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, and 2011;
       Whereas August 10, 2021, marks the 200th anniversary of the 
     statehood of Missouri; and
       Whereas this bicentennial is a monumental occasion to 
     celebrate and commemorate the achievements of the great State 
     of Missouri: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate recognizes and celebrates the 
     200th anniversary of the entry of Missouri into the Union as 
     the 24th State.

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