Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 5.djvu/510

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112 STAT. 3268 PUBLIC LAW 105-356—NOV. 6, 1998 Public Law 105-356 105th Congress An Act Nov. 6, 1998 To establish the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in the [S. 2232] State of Arkansas, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 16 USC 461 note the United States of America in Congress assembled, [table]. SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. (a) FINDINGS. — The Congress finds that— (1) the 1954 United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education, which mandated an end to the segregation of public schools, was one of the most significant Court decisions in the history of the United States. (2) the admission of nine African-American students, known as the "Little Rock Nine", to Little Rock's Central High School as a result of the Brown decision, was the most prominent national example of the implementation of the Brown decision, and served as a catalyst for the integration of other, previously segregated public schools in the United States; (3) 1997 marked the 70th anniversary of the construction of Central High School, which has been named by the American Institute of i^chitects as "the most beautiful high school building in America"; (4) Central High School was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated by the Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark in 1982 in recognition of its national significance in the development of the Civil Rights movement in the United States; and (5) the designation of Little Rock Central High School as a unit of the National Park System will recognize the significant role the school played in the desegregation of public schools in the South and will interpret for future generations the events associated with early desegregation of southern schools. (b) PURPOSE. — The purpose of this Act is to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit, education, and inspiration of present and future generations. Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and its role in the integration of public schools and the development of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL HIS- TORIC SITE. (a) ESTABLISHMENT. — The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in the State of Arkansas (hereinafter referred to as the "historic site") is hereby established as a unit of the National Park System. The historic site shall consist of lands and interests therein comprising the Central High School campus and