H.R. 6214 (115^th): Paul Laurence Dunbar Commemorative Coin Act

Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first influential African-American poets in American literature, writing such classics as Majors and Minors and Lyrics of Lowly Life, and composing the lyrics to In Dahomey, the first all-African-American musical produced on Broadway;

Paul Laurence Dunbar was born June 27, 1872, to freed slaves Joshua and Matilda Murphy Dunbar;

Paul Laurence Dunbar first published a series of poems at age 14 in the Dayton Herald;

in 1893, Paul Laurence Dunbar published a series of poems in a work entitled Oak and Ivy;

by the late 1890s, Paul Laurence Dunbar had become a prominent author, having had his poems published in such major national newspapers and magazines as The New York Times;

over his career, Paul Laurence Dunbar went on to publish more collections of poems, short stories, and novels;

Paul Laurence Dunbar died on February 9, 1906, at 33 years of age;

Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School (hereafter referred to as Dunbar High School) was established in the District of Columbia in 1870 as the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth, and was the first public high school for African-American students in the country;

the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth was renamed in 1916 in honor of Paul Laurence Dunbar;

the Dunbar Alumni Federation (hereafter in this Act referred to as the Federation) was organized in 2002 to provide scholarships and other financial support to students and graduates of Dunbar High School;

the Federation promotes and supports scholarship efforts, along with school and community activities;

the Federation leverages the prestige of Dunbar High School and its distinguished alumni to enhance the education of Dunbar High School students;

the Federation promotes Dunbar High School alumni from more than 35 years of graduating classes through their scholarship efforts, community activities, and other endeavors to support Dunbar High School;

the Federation helps finance such student development activities as the Debate Team, the Band, the Ski Team, the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, and athletics;

the Federation funds faculty, staff, and parent appreciation and development activities; and

the Federation collects and assembles artifacts and memorabilia from alumni for historical and legacy displays to chronicle Dunbar High School’s rich history.

minting and issuing coins under this Act will not result in any net cost to the United States Government; and

no funds, including applicable surcharges, are disbursed to the recipient designated in section 7 until the total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins authorized by this Act (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping) is recovered by the United States Treasury, consistent with sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.