Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 118.djvu/4096

 118 STAT. 4066 CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—SEPT. 30, 2004 Whereas New York City has never hosted the Olympic Games: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress— (1) encourages the International Olympic Committee to choose New York City as the site of the 2012 Olympic Games; and (2) hopes that the United States will be selected as the host country of the 2012 Olympic Games, and pledges its cooperation and support for their successful fulfillment in the highest Olympic tradition. Agreed to September 28, 2004. DUKE ELLINGTON, MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENTS— RECOGNITION Whereas jazz music is America’s classical music and is an art form that is indigenous to the United States; Whereas the influence of jazz has spread across the world and jazz truly incorporates and transcends differences of nationality, religion, language, culture, socioeconomic status, and race; Whereas Edward Kennedy ‘‘Duke’’ Ellington, who was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington, D.C., and died on May 24, 1974 in New York City, was one of the pioneers of jazz music; Whereas Duke Ellington formed his first band in 1917; Whereas over the course of his 50-year musical career, Duke Ellington took jazz to the farthest corners of the world, performing in Europe, the Soviet Union, Japan, and Australia during the 1960’s on diplomatic tours sponsored by the Department of State; Whereas among his numerous other public honors, Duke Ellington was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 1968, received the President’s Gold Medal in 1966 from President Lyndon Johnson, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive in the United States, in 1969; Whereas Duke Ellington has also received many awards and honors from private entities, including 13 GRAMMY Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences over 40 years, the Pied Piper Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers in 1968, and honorary doctoral degrees from 16 institutions; Whereas after the death of Duke Ellington, Western High School in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year; Whereas the House of Representatives has declared that jazz is a rare and valuable national treasure that deserves attention, support, and resources to ensure that it is preserved, understood, and promulgated; Whereas Washington, D.C., does not currently host its own jazz festival; Whereas Charles Fishman, who was Dizzy Gillespie’s personal man- ager and producer until his death and is highly regarded in Sept. 30, 2004 [H. Con. Res. 501] VerDate 11-MAY-2000 15:04 Nov 10, 2005 Jkt 029194 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 9796 Sfmt 6581 C:\STATUTES\2004\29194PT4.003 APPS10 PsN: 29194PT4

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