[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 117, 108th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
RALPH BUNCHE--HUMAN RIGHTS CONTRIBUTIONS
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Whereas Ralph Bunche's life of achievement made him truly one of the
twentieth century's foremost figures and a role model for youth;

Whereas Ralph Bunche graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude, and Phi
Beta Kappa from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1927
with a degree in International Relations;

Whereas Ralph Bunche was the first African-American to receive a Ph.D.
in Government and International Relations at Harvard University in
1934;


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117 STAT. 2968


Whereas Ralph Bunche served as a professor and established and chaired
the Political Science Department at Howard University from 1928 to
1941;

Whereas, in 1941, Ralph Bunche served as an analyst for the Office of
Strategic Services;

Whereas Ralph Bunche joined the Department of State in 1944 as an
advisor;

Whereas Ralph Bunche served as an advisor to the United States
delegation to the 1945 San Francisco conference charged with
establishing the United Nations and drafting the Charter of the
nascent international organization;

Whereas Ralph Bunche was instrumental in drafting Chapters 11 and 12 of
the United Nations Charter, dealing with non-self-governing
territories and the International Trusteeship System, which helped
African countries achieve their independence and assisted in their
transition to self-governing, sovereign states;

Whereas, in 1946, Ralph Bunche was appointed Director of the Trusteeship
Division of the United Nations;

Whereas, in 1948, Ralph Bunche was named acting Chief Mediator in
Palestine for the United Nations, and, in 1949, successfully
brokered an armistice agreement between Israel, Egypt, Jordan,
Lebanon, and Syria;

Whereas Ralph Bunche was deeply committed to ending colonialism and
restoring individual state sovereignty through peaceful means;

Whereas the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
awarded its highest honor, the Spingarn Medal, to Ralph Bunche in
1949;

Whereas for his many significant contributions and efforts towards
achieving a peaceful resolution to seemingly intractable national
and international disputes, Ralph Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1950, the first African-American and the first person of
color to be so honored;

Whereas Ralph Bunche was named United Nations Under Secretary General in
1955, in charge of directing peacekeeping missions in several
countries;

Whereas, in 1963, Ralph Bunche was presented by President John F.
Kennedy with the United States' highest civilian award, the Medal of
Freedom; and

Whereas Ralph Bunche's critical contributions to the attempt to resolve
the Arab-Israeli conflict and towards the de-colonization of Africa,
and his commitment to and long service in the United Nations and
numerous other national and international humanitarian efforts,
warrant his commemoration: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) recognizes and honors Ralph Bunche as a pivotal 20th
century figure and fighter in the struggle for the realization
and attainment of human rights on a global scale; and
(2) urges the President to take appropriate measures to

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117 STAT. 2969

encourage the celebration and remembrance of Ralph Bunche's many
significant achievements.

Agreed to November 22, 2003.