[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21165]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


    THE WORDS ``UNDER GOD'' IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2002

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to note a strong statement in support 
of the words ``Under God'' in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, 
that was given to me by one of my constituents who is a member of the 
Knights of Columbus. I ask that this statement from the Knights of 
Columbus be included in the Record.

       I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of 
     America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation 
     under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.


     How the words ``UNDER GOD'' came to be added to the Pledge of 
                         Allegiance to the Flag

       The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States 
     originated on Columbus Day, 1893. It contained no reference 
     to Almighty God, until in New York City on April 22, 1951, 
     the Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus adopted a 
     resolution to amend the Pledge of Allegiance as recited at 
     the opening of each of the meetings of the 800 Fourth Degree 
     Assemblies of the Knights of Columbus by the addition of the 
     words ``under God'' after the words ``one nation''. The 
     adoption of this resolve by the Supreme Board of Directors 
     had the effect of an immediate initiation of this practice 
     throughout the aforesaid Fourth Degree Assembly meetings.
       At their annual State Meetings, held in April and May of 
     1952, the State Councils of Florida, South Dakota, New York 
     and Michigan adopted resolutions recommending that the Pledge 
     of Allegiance be so amended and that Congress be petitioned 
     to have such amendment made effective.
       On August 21, 1952, the Supreme Council of the Knights of 
     Columbus, at its annual meeting, adopted a resolution urging 
     that the change be made general and copies of this resolution 
     were sent to the President, the Vice President (as Presiding 
     Officer of the Senate) and the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives. The National Fraternal Congress meeting in 
     Boston on September 24, 1952, adopted a similar resolution 
     upon the recommendation of its President, Supreme Knight Luke 
     E. Hart. Several State Fraternal Congresses acted likewise 
     almost immediately thereafter.
       At its annual meeting the following year, on August 20, 
     1953, the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus repeated 
     its resolution to make this amendment to the Pledge of 
     Allegiance to the Flag general and to send copies of this 
     resolve to the President, Vice President, Speaker of the 
     House, and to each member of both Houses of Congress. From 
     this latter action, many favorable replies were received, and 
     a total of seventeen resolutions were introduced in the House 
     of Representatives to so amend the Pledge of Allegiance as 
     set forth in the Public Law relating to the use of the flag. 
     The resolution introduced by Congressman Louis C. Rabaut of 
     Michigan was adopted by both Houses of Congress, and it was 
     signed by President Eisenhower on Flag Day, June 14, 1954, 
     thereby making official the amendment conceived, sponsored, 
     and put into practice by the Knights of Columbus more than 
     three years before.
       In a message to Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart at the meeting 
     of the Supreme Council in Louisville, August 17, 1954, 
     President Eisenhower, in recognition of the initiative of the 
     Knights of Columbus in originating and sponsoring the 
     amendment to the Pledge of Allegiance, said:
       ``We are particularly thankful to you for your part in the 
     movement to have the words `under God' added to our Pledge of 
     Allegiance. These words will remind Americans that despite 
     our great physical strength we must remain humble. They will 
     help us to keep constantly in our minds and hearts the 
     spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to 
     man, and upon which our way of life is founded. For the 
     contribution which your organization has made to this cause, 
     we must be genuinely grateful.''
       In August, 1954, the Illinois American Legion Convention 
     adopted a resolution whereby recognition was given to the 
     Knights of Columbus as haven initiated, sponsored and brought 
     about the amendment to the Pledge of Allegiance; and on 
     October 6, 1954, the National Executive Committee of the 
     American Legion gave its approval to that resolution.

     

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