eNewsletter from Congressman Paul Gosar

Congressman Paul Gosar Celebrates the Centennial

"When I arrived in Arizona 25 years ago to open my dentistry office, I immediately felt like I was home. The breathtaking skyline and natural beauty of rural Arizona as a backdrop to our thriving cities and small town communities is unlike anywhere else in the nation.

Arizona is known for the five C's–Copper, Cattle, Cotton, Citrus and Climate–that have defined the state and grew its economy. I believe that a sixth C, the character of its citizens, is what really makes Arizona such an appealing and wonderful place to live.

To the Arizonans who give life, culture, and history to this great state, I say thank you. This centennial celebration is for all Arizonans, both past and present, whose character defines our state.

To this end, I was pleased to cosponsor two resolutions in the House of Representatives to honor Arizona's centennial. The first was Congressman David Schweikert's H.Res 551, "Celebrating the Arizona Centennial" which was meant to honor and commend the state of Arizona. The second was Congressman Ben Quayle's H.Con.Res 100, which recognizes February 14th, 2012 as Arizona's centennial.

I recently added historical documents to my website that were provided by the National Archive Gallery that celebrate Arizona's path toward statehood. To view these documents, please click here."


Congressman Gosar was pleased to attend many of the Centennial events, and you can see photos below:

· Centennial Gala
· Saturday February 11
· Tuesday February 14

With over 425 events around the state, there were many different ways to celebrate Arizona's birthday—here are the ones that Representative Gosar was able to attend:

· Arizona Best Fest Centennial Way Dedication and Opening Ceremony—The opening festivities during the weekend drew over 60,000 Arizonans to celebrate our state's birthday.

· Arizona 48 Centennial Ride—Congressman Gosar watched as motorcyclists from around the state participated in this historic ride from the Mesa Riverview to the Arizona State Capitol.

· The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concerts—The 360 members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the 110-member orchestra gave a powerful performance celebrating the centennial.

· Arizona centennial stamp first-issue day—The "forever stamp," designed by Phoenix artist Ed Mel, was unveiled to the public and is a proud symbol of our state.

· Arizona American Indians Sunrise Ceremony—Arizonan Native Americans held a sunrise ceremony at 7:14 a.m. to show thanks for the past 100 years, and to bless the next 100 years.

· Happy 100th Birthday Arizona!—Governor Jan Brewer addressed the crowd as part of the Happy Birthday Ceremony. Throughout the day there were many different performers at the State Capitol giving free performances to celebrate our statehood.

· Prescott Centennial Celebration "Where it all began"—The City of Prescott hosted the Statehood Day event at the Elks Theatre. The event included the opening of a time capsule that was encased in City Hall since 1962.

· Fandango! The "Gala of a Century"—A grand affair held in the North Ballroom of the Phoenix Convention Center hosted a silent auction to help underwrite the Arizona centennial's dedication to education.


The National Archives provided the following historical background on Arizona's rise to statehood:

The path to statehood for Arizona was anything but easy. For many years, the people in the New Mexico and Arizona Territories petitioned Congress seeking admission into the Union. During the late 19th Century various members of Congress introduced bills in support of Arizona and New Mexico statehood, but none were approved. Despite widespread concern over Arizona's constitutional provision for the recall of judges, Congress passed H.J.Res. 14, "to admit the territories of New Mexico and Arizona as States into the Union." On August 15, 1911, President William Howard Taft vetoed the statehood resolution in large part because Arizona's constitution allowed for the recall of judges, a provision that he stated went against the need for an independent judiciary.

Immediately after Taft vetoed the resolution providing for New Mexico and Arizona statehood, Congress passed S.J.Res. 57, admitting the territories of New Mexico and Arizona as states conditioned upon Arizona voters' adoption of an amendment to the constitution removing the judiciary recall provision. President Taft approved the resolution on August 21, 1911. On February 14, 1912, Taft signed the proclamation making Arizona the 48th state, and the last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the union.


In closing Congressman Gosar stated, "one hundred years later, as we celebrate the centennial of the great State of Arizona, it is incredible to see how far we have come. Natural beauty and bountiful resources bless this state. A hard work ethic and resilient spirit define its residents. Here is to another great one hundred years for this wonderful State".


As always, you can follow everything I am working on in Washington through my website (http://gosar.house.gov) on Twitter @repgosar, or through my Facebook page at Paul Gosar on Facebook.