PRINTER'S NO. 3486
No. 485 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY VAN HORNE AND DERMODY, MAY 4, 2000
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MAY 4, 2000
A RESOLUTION 1 Proclaiming May 27, 2000, as "Rachel Carson Day" in 2 Pennsylvania. 3 WHEREAS, Rachel Carson, writer, scientist and ecologist, was 4 born May 27, 1907, in Springdale, Pennsylvania, the youngest of 5 three children who credited her mother for introducing her to 6 her lifelong love of nature; and 7 WHEREAS, She was graduated magna cum laude in 1929 from the 8 Pennsylvania College for Women, now known as Chatham College; 9 and 10 WHEREAS, She was hired by the United States Bureau of 11 Fisheries to write radio scripts during the Great Depression; 12 and 13 WHEREAS, During this time, she also wrote feature articles on 14 natural history for the Baltimore Sun newspaper; and 15 WHEREAS, In 1936, the Bureau of Fisheries appointed her as a 16 full-time junior aquatic biologist; and 17 WHEREAS, In 1946 she was promoted to information specialist,
1 and in 1949 she became chief editor of publications for the 2 United States Fish and Wildlife Services; and 3 WHEREAS, Her first published work appeared in the Atlantic 4 Monthly in 1937 and was titled "Undersea"; and 5 WHEREAS, She published her first book in 1941, titled "Under 6 the Sea-Wind"; and 7 WHEREAS, In 1952 she wrote her award-winning study of the 8 ocean, titled "The Sea Around Us"; and 9 WHEREAS, That same year she resigned from government service 10 to devote her time to writing and teaching people about the 11 wonder and beauty of the living world; and 12 WHEREAS, Her landmark book, published in 1962 and titled 13 "Silent Spring," argued against the overuse of pesticides and 14 manmade chemicals; and 15 WHEREAS, The book "Silent Spring" is credited with starting 16 the environmental movement; and 17 WHEREAS, Rachel Carson was quoted: "It is a wholesome and 18 necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the 19 contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and 20 humility"; and 21 WHEREAS, Her birthplace and childhood home in Springdale, 22 Pennsylvania, is being preserved and restored by the Rachel 23 Carson Homestead Association and is being used as an educational 24 resource for future generations of Pennsylvanians; and 25 WHEREAS, The Rachel Carson Homestead Association is marking 26 the 93rd anniversary of the birth of Rachel Carson with a free 27 public event on May 20, 2000; therefore be it 28 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives proclaim May 27, 29 2000, as "Rachel Carson Day" in Pennsylvania. E1L82BIL/20000H0485R3486 - 2 -