Press Releases

Luetkemeyer Resolution Secures Special Recognition for Fulton, Missouri, Churchill Memorial

Washington, DC, June 15, 2009
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) successfully shepherded a resolution through the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., as America's National Churchill Museum.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) successfully shepherded a resolution through the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., as America’s National Churchill Museum.  
“The Winston Churchill Memorial is a tremendous asset to Fulton and to Missouri, and is deserving of this special recognition,” Luetkemeyer said. “I was honored to sponsor this resolution declaring the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in Fulton as America’s National Churchill Museum. I am hopeful that more people will visit this awesome memorial dedicated to a great statesman.”
The resolution that passed the House today, which requires no other legislative action and was co-sponsored by the entire Missouri congressional delegation and dozens of other members of Congress, was heralded by Edwina Sandys, granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill.
“I am delighted that the U.S. House of Representatives has designated the Churchill Memorial and Library as America’s National Churchill Museum,” she said.
And Sir Martin Gilbert, Churchill’s official biographer and noted British historian, added: “This is a much welcomed and appropriate recognition that will give great pleasure to Churchillians everywhere.”
Westminster College is the site of Churchill’s famous speech in 1946, where he uttered the phrase “an iron curtain has descended,” in recognizing the threats of the emerging Cold War.  The museum is located in the undercroft of a 17th-Century Christopher Wren church, which was brought stone by stone from London and reconstructed on the Westminster campus in 1969 to commemorate Churchill’s historic visit. The Churchill Memorial and Library in Fulton underwent major renovations in 2005 and reopened to the public in 2006 in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Churchill’s famous 1946 speech.
“On behalf of the entire Westminster community, I want to thank Congressman Luetkemeyer, the rest of our Missouri House Congressional delegation and all the other representatives who agreed to co-sponsor or voted to approve the resolution giving our beloved Memorial national museum status,” said Westminster President George B. Forsythe. “The Memorial is the hub of what makes our college unique in its international focus and preparation of leaders of character who are ready to make a difference in the world. Churchill is an important symbol of what we seek to inspire in our students. With this new designation, the Churchill Memorial and Westminster College both will be known as national centers of excellence.”
The state-of-the-art interactive museum showcases new interactive exhibits that bring Churchill and history to life. Visitors to the museum walk away with a greater appreciation of the historical and political significance of the life and legacy of Churchill and a sense of Westminster’s educational mission to graduate the world’s future “leaders of character.” The Winston Churchill Memorial and Library is the only museum in North America totally devoted to Churchill’s life and work.
“For 40 years, the Churchill Memorial has sat on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri,” said Dr. Rob Havers, executive director of the Memorial. “It has told countless visitors about Churchill’s life and times and inspired thousands of Americans. With the addition of the new interactive museum, just three years ago, the Memorial took a quantitative step forward in how it remembers Churchill. This new exhibition has the power to inspire many more Americans for years to come. We are most pleased to have this recognition from the House of Representatives and with it, the endorsement of the nation that there continues to be much to learn today from this great statesman and that America’s National Churchill Museum is the place to learn it.”
For more information on America’s National Churchill Museum, interested parties may go to the website www.churchillmemorial.org.
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