Authorizes the President to posthumously award a gold medal, on behalf of Congress, to Fred McFeely Rogers ("Mister Rogers" of "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" public television program) in recognition of his lasting contributions to the application of creativity and imagination in the early education of our Nation's children, and to his lasting example to the Nation and the world of what it means to be a good neighbor.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2850 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2850
To authorize the President to posthumously award a gold medal on behalf
of the Congress to Fred McFeely Rogers, in recognition of his lasting
contributions to the application of creativity and imagination in the
early education of our Nation's children, and to his lasting example to
the Nation and the world of what it means to be a good neighbor.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 27, 2004
Mr. Santorum (for himself and Mr. Specter) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking,
Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the President to posthumously award a gold medal on behalf
of the Congress to Fred McFeely Rogers, in recognition of his lasting
contributions to the application of creativity and imagination in the
early education of our Nation's children, and to his lasting example to
the Nation and the world of what it means to be a good neighbor.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) born in 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Fred McFeely
Rogers, was raised in an environment where education was highly
valued, and which fostered an active imagination;
(2) Fred Rogers earned his bachelor's degree in music
composition at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida in 1951;
(3) upon graduation, he was hired by NBC television in New
York as an assistant producer for ``The Voice of Firestone'',
and later as floor director for ``The Lucky Strike Hit
Parade'', ``The Kate Smith Hour'', and the ``NBC Opera
Theatre'';
(4) Fred Rogers later studied child development at the
University of Pittsburgh, attended Pittsburgh Theological
Seminary, and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister;
(5) in 1953, Fred Rogers began production of the television
program ``The Children's Corner'', one of his first efforts as
a producer, which was a live, daily, hour-long variety show
that incorporated his talents as a musician and puppeteer;
(6) in 1955, ``The Children's Corner'' won the Sylvania
Award for the best locally produced children's program in the
country;
(7) it was on this program that Fred Rogers developed and
first introduced us to his puppet characters, such as King
Friday XIII, Daniel Striped Tiger, X the Owl, Henrietta
Pussycat, and Lady Elaine Fairchilde;
(8) Fred Rogers produced ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'',
and hosted the show on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
from 1968 until the airing of the final episode in 2001;
(9) it was through ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' that
Fred Rogers invited both grownups and children alike to
actively engage their imaginations, and through the use of
stories, songs, and puppets, Fred Rogers infused laughter and
life lessons into each episode;
(10) time spent in Mr. Rogers' home taught children about
being a good neighbor, sharing, and expressing thoughts and
emotions;
(11) transported by the famous trolley to the ``Land of
Make Believe'', ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' allowed
children to escape to a safe place that creatively encouraged
them to use their imaginations and showed them the benefits of
being a friendly neighbor;
(12) ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' was the longest-
running program on PBS, and was created and filmed in Fred
Rogers' hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
(13) Fred Rogers' caring, genuine spirit reflected the
values shared by the people of southwestern Pennsylvania and by
so many neighborhoods throughout the country;
(14) ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' continues to air as a
nurturing, educational program for children, emphasizing the
value of every individual and helping children understand how
they fit into their families, communities, and country;
(15) each episode of ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' was
carefully crafted by Fred Rogers to convey wholesome, uplifting
messages for the children who watched;
(16) Fred Rogers was appointed Chairman of the Forum on
Mass Media and Child Development of the White House Conference
on Youth in 1968;
(17) winning 4 Emmy Awards, ``Lifetime Achievement'' Awards
from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and
the TV Critics Association, and 2 George Foster Peabody Awards,
Fred Rogers won every major award in television for which he
was eligible, and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame
in 1999;
(18) President George W. Bush awarded Fred Rogers the
Presidential Medal of Honor in 2002, and throughout his
lifetime, Fred Rogers was presented with over 40 honorary
degrees from colleges and universities; and
(19) in a country where children face neglect and may live
without the benefit of loving parents, Fred McFeely Rogers
succeeded, through his simple television program, in connecting
with children on an intellectual and emotional level, while
teaching them to value themselves and others.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized, on
behalf of the Congress, to posthumously award a gold medal of
appropriate design to Fred McFeely Rogers.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the presentation
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall
strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions,
to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck pursuant to section 2, under such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, and at a price sufficient to cover the cost
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes
of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
SEC. 5. FUNDING.
(a) Authority to Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund an amount
not to exceed $30,000, to pay for the cost of the medals authorized by
this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in the United States
Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9724-9725)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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