Bill Text: DE HCR55 | 2015-2016 | 148th General Assembly | Draft
Bill Title: Recognizing The 110th Anniversary Of The Delaware Public Archives.
Sponsorship: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-03-10 - Passed by Senate. Votes: Passed 21 YES 0 NO 0 NOT VOTING 0 ABSENT 0 VACANT [HCR55 Detail]
Download: Delaware-2015-HCR55-Draft.html
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SPONSOR: |
Rep. Lynn & Rep. Bennett, on behalf of all Representatives & Sen. Bushweller & Sen. Lopez, on behalf of all Senators |
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 55 |
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RECOGNIZING THE 110TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DELAWARE PUBLIC ARCHIVES. |
WHEREAS, the Delaware Public Archives dates its establishment from the 1905 enactment by the General Assembly of legislation to create a new "Division of Public Records, which shall be devoted to the classification and cataloging of, looking to the preservation of, all public records throughout this State, which are now in the custody of the State and County officials, but not in current use, and consequently, primarily of historical value"; and
WHEREAS, the agency that ultimately became the Delaware Public Archives predates the National Archives by nearly 30 years and is one of the oldest state archives in the United States; and
WHEREAS, prior to its establishment, public records of great historical importance were largely ignored or treated as an afterthought, with many having fallen into private hands and those that did remain under government control relegated to damp basements, dusty attics, and neglected corners of public buildings; and
WHEREAS, following the appointment of the first State Archivist in 1913, the Public Archives offices were established in a wing of Delaware's Old State House, which then served as the state capitol; and
WHEREAS, 25 years later, with the strong urging of the "Public Archives Commission" and many public-spirited citizens, the General Assembly approved the construction of a new "Hall of Records," erected in 1938 across the street from Delaware's new state capitol building, Legislative Hall, which opened in 1933; and
WHEREAS, over the decades the archives continued to expand in the size and extent of its holdings, many of which were housed in a new underground storage facility built in 1970 adjacent to the Hall of Records, which, in 1989, was named for longtime State Archivist Leon DeValinger, Jr. (1905�2000); and
WHEREAS, by the early 1990s, space at the Archives was again running out and to further complicate matters, the underground storage space had developed leaks and other structural problems, leading a group of interested citizens to come together, form an organization known as "the Friends of the Delaware Archives," and begin gathering signatures of thousands of Delawareans on a petition supporting the construction of a new archives facility; and
WHEREAS, before they were through, the organization, headed by Mrs. Jacqueline F. Skinner of Wilmington, had gotten 5,000 signatures, including those of two former governors, two retired Delaware Supreme Court justices, and two eminent Delaware historians, all of which were presented to then Governor Thomas R. Carper and the General Assembly in 1995; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the signatures, the friends group also raised some three million dollars in private funding to augment state funds appropriated for what became a new $18 million, 80,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Delaware Public Archives building adjacent to the old Hall of Records; and
WHEREAS, the new facility opened in 2001 and, after renovations to the old Hall of Records were completed in 2003, the two structures together comprised one of the most modern records storage facilities in the U.S., and
WHEREAS, the Delaware Public Archives of today contains a wealth of historic documents, photographs, maps, and other forms of records pertaining to the long history of the State of Delaware, including the royal charter given by King Charles II to his brother, James, Duke of York (later King James II) for various lands in America, which became an important part of the underpinnings of the future State of Delaware; and
WHEREAS, the Delaware Public Archives today works to bring our state's rich heritage to Delaware citizens and other interested persons in both old and new ways, including visits to the archives by a steady stream of historical and genealogical researchers; publications of works on Delaware history by the Delaware Heritage Commission, now a branch of the archives; through an extensive website and social media; through a regular schedule of public speakers with expertise in many aspects of Delaware and American history; through outreach to historical societies and other organizations; and in numerous other ways;
NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the 148th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the members do hereby recognize the year 2015 as the 110th Anniversary of the Delaware Public Archives.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Delaware General Assembly does hereby commend the staff of the Delaware Public Archives and such supporting groups as the Friends of the Delaware Public Archives and the many volunteers who assist the archives, for their outstanding efforts to preserve our state's rich archival heritage and to use it for the edification of present and future generations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly extends to the Delaware Public Archives the hope that it will enjoy many more years of success.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitably prepared copy of this house concurrent resolution be sent to Mr. Stephen M. Marz, C.A., State Archivist of Delaware, upon its passage.
