S.Res. 431 (112th): A resolution celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.

SRES 431 IS

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.

April 19, 2012

Ms. CANTWELL submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.

Whereas, on April 21, 2012, the City of Seattle will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair (referred to in this preamble as the ‘Seattle World’s Fair’), which showcased the optimism, energy, and innovative spirit of Seattle;

Whereas more than 9,000,000 people visited the Seattle World’s Fair, a number that represents roughly 3 times the total population of the State of Washington at the time;

Whereas the Seattle World’s Fair brought together the most talented architects of the Pacific Northwest to create a civic legacy and the treasured Seattle Center public space, which includes the Space Needle, the Seattle Center Armory, the Pacific Science Center, the Coliseum (now known as ‘Key Arena’), Memorial Stadium, the International Fountain, and the Opera House;

Whereas the Seattle World’s Fair facilitated the construction of key transportation infrastructure, including the SR 520 floating bridge, the portion of Interstate 5 that traverses downtown Seattle, and the Monorail;

Whereas, to officially open the Seattle World’s Fair, President John F. Kennedy used the same historic telegraphic key that had been used to open the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle 53 years earlier;

Whereas the attendance of music icon Elvis Presley in Seattle during the filming of the movie ‘It Happened at the World’s Fair’ further elevated the City of Seattle as an international city for the arts;

Whereas the theme of the Seattle World’s Fair, ‘science’, foreshadowed regional innovations in technology and advanced manufacturing that now support world leading companies and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs;

Whereas some of the earliest satellite transmissions of telephone calls and television broadcasts occurred at the Seattle World’s Fair, and the Seattle area is now home to global information and communications technology companies; and

Whereas the Seattle World’s Fair celebrated aviation and the new Space Age, and the aerospace industry in the Seattle area now employs 82,000 people (including 7,000 engineers), generates a combined annual revenue of $32,000,000,000, and includes a cluster of 650 companies: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair;

(2) commends the City of Seattle for its innovation, growth, and entrepreneurial spirit during the past 50 years;

(3) supports the ‘Next Fifty’ initiative to develop a blueprint for success in Seattle for the next half-century; and

(4) requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the City of Seattle for appropriate display.

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