[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13449]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                     COMMEMORATING FRANCIS BELLAMY

  (Mr. COLLINS of New York asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. COLLINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate 
Francis Bellamy, one of the most influential individuals from Mount 
Morris, New York. Francis Bellamy is the author of the Pledge of 
Allegiance.
  Tomorrow marks the 125th anniversary of the Pledge of Allegiance, 
which was first published in a magazine called The Youth's Companion on 
September 8, 1892.
  The pledge was initially written as part of a campaign to put 
American flags in every school in the country. In its original form, it 
read:
  ``I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it 
stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.''
  In 1923, the words, ``the flag of the United States of America'' were 
added. In 1954, Congress added the words, ``under God,'' creating the 
31-word pledge we have today.
  Bellamy's words are recited millions of times every day and are 
ingrained in our society as an expression of national pride and 
patriotism.

                          ____________________