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Monday, October 28, 2013

Historic Churchill Ceremony to be Available for Live Online Viewing

"The Best Friend America Ever Had"



The historic ceremony to dedicate a bust of Winston Churchill being donated by The Churchill Centre to the U.S. Capitol will be available for free online viewing, beginning at 11:00 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 30, at the website of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. No login or other credentials are required. The ceremony will also be archived for later viewing on the Speaker's YouTube channel and on C-Span's video archive page.  If possible, we will also stream the ceremony live, here at Sunlit Uplands, or make a video available as soon as possible afterwards.
  

The bust will join the permanent Congressional collection, alongside images of great figures of American history.  Few non-Americans are represented in the Capitol and this event will be the most significant recognition accorded to Churchill by the United States government in many years.

The donation is made at the invitation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives pursuant to House Resolution 497 approved on the 70th anniversary of Churchill's historic address to a joint session of Congress shortly after America's entry into World War Two. The Resolution noted Churchill's status as an Honorary Citizen of the United States and recognized that his "persistence, determination and resolve remain an inspiration to freedom-fighters all over the world."

The work being donated by the Centre is a rare Estate casting of a historic bust of Churchill sculpted from life by renowned artist Oscar Nemon. Only two other such copies are in existence, in the Churchill War Rooms in London and in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow.

In announcing the ceremony, the Speaker noted "Placing a bust of Churchill in the Capitol is a fitting recognition of his service to the cause of freedom and his friendship to the United States……we will come together to salute this great statesman and honor his legacy of persistence, determination, and resolve."

All four Congressional Leaders will participate along with numerous members of Congress, Secretary of State John Kerry, members of the Churchill family, representatives of the American and British governments and other dignitaries from Washington and across the country.

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