From the Daily Courier: Daughters of the American Revolution promote Constitution Week
The
tradition of celebrating the Constitution was started many years ago by
the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 1955, the Daughters
petitioned Congress to set aside Sept. 17 through 23 annually to be
dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was
later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into Public Law #915 on
Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The aims of the
celebration are to emphasize citizens' responsibilities for protecting
and defending the Constitution, preserving it for posterity; inform the
people that the Constitution is the basis for America's great heritage
and the foundation for the American way of life; and encourage the study
of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution
in September 1787.
DAR has served America for 122 years. In 1928,
the Daughters began work on a building as a memorial to the
Constitution. John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial,
was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as DAR
Constitution Hall. Today, DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure
erected in tribute to the Constitution of the United States of America.
DAR has over 165,000 members, with approximately 3,000 chapters in all
50 states and 11 foreign countries. For more information about DAR,
visit www.dar.org or call 708-9693.
