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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REGARDING THE STATUE

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OF PHILO T. FARNSWORTH

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2019 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

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Chief Sponsor: Jeffrey D. Stenquist

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Senate Sponsor: Deidre M. Henderson

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8     LONG TITLE
9     General Description:
10          This concurrent resolution recommends that the statue of Philo T. Farnsworth that is
11     currently on display in the National Statuary Hall be found a permanent and honorable
12     home in the state of Utah.
13     Highlighted Provisions:
14          This resolution:
15          ▸     recognizes Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the world;
16          ▸     recognizes Philo T. Farnsworth as a symbol for the state of Utah; and
17          ▸     recommends that the statue of Philo T. Farnsworth that is currently on display in the
18     National Statuary Hall be found a permanent and honorable home in the state of
19     Utah.
20     Special Clauses:
21          None
22     

23     Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
24          WHEREAS, Philo T. Farnsworth made truly amazing contributions to society that are
25     worth recognizing, celebrating, and memorializing;
26          WHEREAS, Philo overcame substantial obstacles and persevered in his quest to
27     become an inventor to change the course of human history;
28          WHEREAS, Philo received more than 200 patents, including patents for:

29          (1) the image dissector tube and the receiver that reassembled broadcasted images,
30     upon which today's television and wireless broadcast technology is based;
31          (2) the incubator, which has saved hundreds of thousands of premature infants;
32          (3) an electronic microscope;
33          (4) an infrared night scope; and
34          (5) many other important inventions that profoundly changed the world and are still
35     affecting our culture;
36          WHEREAS, at the end of his life, Philo focused on developing cold fusion technology
37     -- for which he received two patents and developed a working model -- but died before he
38     could consummate another world-changing invention;
39          WHEREAS, Philo was self-educated, yet managed to achieve recognition by the most
40     gifted scientists of his day;
41          WHEREAS, Philo was born in Beaver, Utah, grew up poor in rural Utah, had
42     substantial ties to the state of Utah, and is an excellent emissary and symbol for the state of
43     Utah;
44          WHEREAS, both Philo and his wife Pemberly are buried in Utah;
45          WHEREAS, Pemberly spent the last 30 years of her life fighting for the recognition
46     Philo deserved;
47          WHEREAS, when the fifth grade class at Ridgecrest Elementary School sought input
48     from the public regarding which public figure should represent the state of Utah in the National
49     Statuary Hall of the national capitol building, hundreds of survey responses from around the
50     state were submitted indicating a strong desire that Philo should be that representative;
51          WHEREAS, the children of Ridgecrest Elementary School successfully petitioned the
52     state Legislature to commission the creation and placement of the statue of Philo that is
53     currently on display in the National Statuary Hall;
54          WHEREAS, Utah's school children collected substantial funds to pay for the statue, led
55     by the students at Ridgecrest Elementary School;

56          WHEREAS, the idea to place the statue of Philo was discussed for several years and
57     many advocates worked vigorously over that time to ensure Philo was selected; and
58          WHEREAS, when the statue of Philo is removed from the National Statuary Hall, the
59     statue deserves to be treated with the dignity and respect that Philo deserves:
60          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
61     Governor concurring therein, recommends that the statue of Philo T. Farnsworth that is
62     currently located in the National Statuary Hall be found a permanent and honorable home in
63     the state of Utah.