Amelia Earhart statue to be placed in U.S. Capitol
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - One of the most famous pilots in aviation history, born nearly 125 years ago in Atchison, Kansas, will have special recognition in the U.S. Capitol. On Monday, June 27, U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall confirmed plans one month out, July 27, for a Congressional Statue Dedication Ceremony, honoring Amelia Earhart.
“A bold and inspiring aviator, Amelia Earhart soared into the history books, setting flight records and breaking barriers. She led the way for thousands of women to pursue their dreams – whether that was in aviation or to break their own, new barriers, Sen. Jerry Moran said. Next month, the statue of Amelia Earhart will join President Dwight D. Eisenhower as bronze beacons representing Kansas in our nation’s capital. I want to thank the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, the Earhart family and the City of Atchison for their persistent work to bring Amelia to the Capitol.”
Sen. Marshall said Earhart “was a true Kansas pioneer who exemplifies our state motto: Ad Astra Per Aspera - To the Stars [through] difficulties.”
“Today, Kansas is known as the Air Capitol of the World and the placement of the Earhart Statue in our nation’s capital furthers our commitment to that industry. As the birthplace of Earhart, we commend the city of Atchison and its leaders who worked diligently to make this statue possible,” he said.
The bronze statue will match a second Earhart statue to be placed at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison.
A news release from Moran’s office said in the U.S. Capitol, Earhart’s statue will be the 10th woman represented among the 100 statues within the National Statuary Hall Collection.
Recently, a leather helmet that Earhart wore on a flight across the Atlantic in 1928 and later lost in a crowd of fans in Cleveland has sold at auction for $825,000. Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She disappeared on a flight in July 1937.
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