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Constitution Day marked with building dedication
12:56 p.m., Sept. 17, 2005--The first federally mandated Constitution Day was marked with a morning ceremony that included a ribbon-cutting to dedicate George Read Hall and a talk that paid tribute to Delaware founding father, George Read, a signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. In a gathering that took place between the north and south wings of UD’s newest, state-of-the-art residence hall, University students, faculty and administrators came together to observe the occasion and hear remarks by University President David P. Roselle and Jonathan Russ, UD assistant professor of history. “We gather this morning to celebrate this beautiful new University residence hall; to honor one of our first alumni, George Read, for whom this building is named; and to mark the nation’s first federally recognized Constitution Day, established to honor our government’s founding document,” Roselle said. “As the poet T.S. Eliot said, ‘To make an end is to make a beginning,’ [and] just so, the completion of this magnificent building is the first step in a redesign of this area of the Laird Campus,” he said. Before introducing Russ, Roselle thanked Ayers/Saint/Gross, the architectural firm; Whiting-Turner, the construction management firm; and the several trade contract firms who completed the project in less than 15 months, in time for the start of the fall semester. More than 500 students live in the new residence hall. Russ took the podium then, saying, “Harvard. Yale. Princeton. Dartmouth. Penn. Great schools, all, with reputations for academic excellence throughout their histories. And yet, none of them can boast what we here at the University of Delaware can. Indeed, we have as part of our legacy a man whose witness to our nation’s birth is so unique that no other institution of higher learning in the United States can lay claim to such an individual. That man was George Read...." "It is in honor of George Read that this magnificent new residence hall is dedicated," Russ said, "and it is my distinct pleasure today to reflect upon a few of the many accomplishments of this great man. “[Read] was one of only six men to have signed both [The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States,]” Russ said, “and the only one of those to have secured an advanced, formal education in Colonial America.” Russ spoke of Read’s education, career and early connection with UD, which “began at the age of 10, when, in 1743, he came to the Rev. Francis Alison’s newly opened academy that eventually became the University of Delaware.” Russ outlined Read’s ambition, explaining how he opened his own law practice at 20 and was named attorney general of Delaware’s three counties by the time he turned 30. “It was a prestigious appointment that brought with it security, deference and a prominent place in his community,” Russ explained, “nevertheless, Read was not afraid to risk all of this and to speak out against English authority when he thought a matter merited such voice.”
“It was because of Read’s very success in the Stamp Act Congress that his fellow Delawareans elected him as a representative to the Continental Congress that gathered in Philadelphia for the first time in 1774,” Russ said, “and it was this body that drew up the Declaration of Independence, in 1776. “Here again,” Russ continued, “we have an opportunity to see Read’s principled character. For, although George Read ultimately signed the Declaration of Independence, he at first opposed the measure. He believed that all attempts at peaceful reconciliation between the colonies and the royal authorities should be exhausted before plunging into war, and feared that perhaps there remained unexplored avenues for peace. Moreover, as a legal matter, he believed that perhaps a functioning government should be created before announcing the new birth of the new nation. Therefore, it was only after long, careful consideration that Read concluded independence was the proper course of action.” Read’s sense of fairness also played a key role in drafting the Constitution, Russ said, as well as in establishing protection for the rights of small states, such as Delaware. “He was particularly concerned that smaller states, like Delaware, have adequate power in the new government, and thus argued passionately in favor of equal representation for all the states in the U.S. Senate. “His was a remarkable life,” Russ concluded, “and it is indeed fitting that this grand structure be named in his honor. In the years to come, thousands of students will call this building home. To be sure, it will be a temporary home for them, but a home that exists in a state and in a country that was shaped by the efforts of this man, George Read.” For the complete text of Russ' remarks on George Read, click here. Participating in the official ribbon-cutting were Kevin Tressler, hall director for Read Hall North; Hara Henshell, hall director for Read Hall South; Zakia Reaves, complex coordinator; YoUDee, Russ and Roselle. Constitution Day was established by Congress in December 2004 as a day to be observed each Sept. 17 by all federally funded educational institutions. In addition to the Saturday morning ceremony, the day will be marked with a “We the People” party, featuring Constitutionally themed activities, at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 20, in the complex lounge of George Read Hall North. The University of Delaware Library also has created a new web page in observance of Constitution Day, which includes many resources for the study of the U.S. Constitution. Article by Becca Hutchinson To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |
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