HouseH.Res. 1624119th Congress
Recognizing the 110th anniversary of the Nation's First Presidential library, the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums.
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1624 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1624
Recognizing the 110th anniversary of the Nation's First Presidential
library, the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 13, 2026
Ms. Kaptur (for herself and Mr. Latta) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 110th anniversary of the Nation's First Presidential
library, the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums.
Whereas the year 2026 marks the 110th anniversary of the opening of the United
States of America's first Presidential library, the Rutherford B. Hayes
Presidential Library & Museums;
Whereas the year 2026 also marks the 150th anniversary of Rutherford B. Hayes'
Presidential campaign;
Whereas Rutherford B. Hayes was the 19th President of the United States, and his
8 children commemorated their father's legacy by creating the Rutherford
B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, which broke ground in Fremont,
Ohio, at Hayes' residence at Spiegel Grove, in 1912;
Whereas, in honoring the legacy of Rutherford B. Hayes, the Hayes family
established the first Presidential library in the United States, opening
its doors in 1916 to preserve not only his personal library, but also
the rich archival record of his military service and Presidency,
ensuring that the story of leadership, sacrifice, and governance would
be accessible to generations of Americans;
Whereas the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums at Spiegel Grove
stands today as a place of reflection, preserving the memory of these
events and inviting future generations to understand the
responsibilities of citizenship;
Whereas the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums was used as a
model for construction of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library
and Museum in Hyde Park, New York, which was the first official Federal
Presidential library, beginning a national tradition and paving the way
for 16 Federal Presidential libraries;
Whereas there are several unique features of the Rutherford B. Hayes
Presidential Library & Museums, such as each entrance is marked with
original White House gates used during the Hayes Presidency, the 31-room
Victorian-style home of Rutherford B. and Lucy Hayes has been restored
to look as it did during their lifetimes, and the building houses
President Hayes ``diaries, correspondence, and archival material of his
military career, and collections on genealogy and local history along
with Mrs. Hayes'', correspondence and many of her favorite recipes, like
those for green corn fritters and scalloped oysters, and the President
and First Lady Hayes are entombed on the property;
Whereas the museum also takes effort to richly document materials that depict
the social and economic life of the communities along Lake Erie's south
shoreline and the Erie Islands, as Rutherford B. Hayes was previously
Governor of Ohio;
Whereas the museum has 20,915 artifacts, and 2,051 are on permanent display,
offering a unique window into the American Presidency, housing treasured
artifacts collected in part by President Hayes himself, including
Abraham Lincoln's slippers and a letter or document from every President
of the United States, and features a replica of the historic Resolute
Desk, originally presented to President Hayes by Queen Victoria,
inviting visitors to reflect upon the weight and responsibility of
Presidential leadership;
Whereas the museum features an exhibit that displays an original signed document
from every President of the United States from George Washington to
Donald Trump, and this collection was started by President Hayes
himself, continued by his family, and now the museum staff;
Whereas the year 2026 also marks the 250th anniversary of American independence,
and the museum shall take part in many celebrations, and Hayes was Ohio
Governor at the time of preparations for the United States of America's
centennial and was appointed to the Ohio Centennial Commission in 1874
to represent Ohio at the Centennial;
Whereas, as a member of the State's Centennial Commission, he helped organize
what agricultural, industrial, technological, and historical exhibits
the State would send to Philadelphia and helped select a design for the
Ohio State Building that used sandstone from 21 Ohio quarries to be
built at Philadelphia's Fairmount Park;
Whereas, today, the Ohio State Building is one of the few structures from the
1876 World's Fair still standing;
Whereas, upon his passing, President Hayes bequeathed a remarkable collection of
approximately 8,000 volumes, along with thousands of pamphlets,
extensive newspaper files, volumes of clippings, and manuscripts, and
this body of work, deeded to the State of Ohio in 1912, continues to be
preserved and maintained through a partnership between the State and the
Hayes Foundation, standing as a testament to the enduring importance of
knowledge, history, and public service;
Whereas the story of 1776 reminds us that America is not merely a place, but a
promise, renewed by each generation, carried forward by working people,
and tested by time; and
Whereas, as the United States commemorates this historic milestone, Americans
are called not only to celebrate the Nation's journey, but to learn from
its lessons, honor the sacrifices of those who came before them, and
dedicate themselves to the unfinished work of building an America worthy
of its past, responsive to its present, and hopeful for its future: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the profound significance of the 250th
anniversary of American independence and the enduring
principles of liberty, self-government, and shared
responsibility;
(2) recognizes the 110th anniversary of the opening of the
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums and the role
of Ohio in shaping the Nation's history;
(3) encourages all Americans to reflect upon the sacrifices
and achievements that have defined this Republic and to
recommit themselves to the work of strengthening the Nation's
democracy; and
(4) calls upon communities across the Nation to celebrate
these anniversaries in a manner that uplifts civic
responsibility, protects people's freedoms, and renews their
promise to one another as Americans.
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