Tartan Day Recognized by U.S. Congress
                                 The Congressional Record, April 7,
                                 1997 -- Mr. Lott, Mr. President, as a
                                 result of the recent recess of the US
                                 Senate, I did not get the opportunity to
                                 come to the Senate floor and recognize
                                 Sunday, April 6, 1997, as Tartan Day.
                                 This day is set aside to honor the millions
                                 of Scottish-Americans who have made
                                 outstanding contributions to our great
                                 country.This date has a special
                                 significance for all those of Scottish
                                 heritage. It is the anniversary of
                                 the Declaration of Arbroath -- the
                                 Scottish Declaration of Independence
                                 which was signed on April 6, 1320.
 
                            This declaration of independence
                               includes these inspirational lines:
                               "We fight not for glory, nor riches, nor
                                 honors, but for freedom alone, which no
                                 good man gives up, except with his life."
                                 Mr. President, Scottish-Americans have
                                 left their mark as pioneers and innovators
                                 in the fields of science, technology,
                                 medicine, government, politics,
                                 economics, architecture, literature, the
                                 media, and the visual and performing
                                 arts. Their contributions to the history
                                 and development of the United States are
                                 invaluable. Some of these great past and
                                 present Scottish-Americans include: Neil
                                 Armstrong, Alan Bean, Alexander Graham Bell,
                                 Andrew Carnegie, Julia Child, Hugh
                                 Downs, Thomas Alva Edison, Malcom
                                 S. Forbes, Katherine Hepburn, Billy
                                 Graham, Brit Hume, Washington Irving,
                                 Robert MacNeil, William Holmes
                                 McGuffey, Andrew Mellon, Samuel B.
                                 Morse, Grandma Moses, James
                                 Naismith, Edgar Allen Poe, Willard
                                 Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Gilbert
                                 Stuart, Elizabeth Taylor and James
                                 McNeil Whistler just to mention a few.
                                 Mr. President, Almost 11 percent of all
                                 the Nobel Prizes awarded have gone to
                                 people of Scottish ancestry.
                                 Mr. President. A tartan provides an
                                 instant recognition of a family and its
                                 kinship.
                                 By recognizing Tartan Day we are
                                 commemorating all that is best in
                                 Scottish heritage. I believe it is important
                                 for the Senate to pause, even if it is
                                 belated, and to recognize Tartan Day. I
                                 firmly believe it will further emphasize
                                 the many Scottish contributions to the
                                 growth and development of the United
                                 States.
                                 Mr. President. As I look around the
                                 Senate Chamber, I see many who can
                                 claim Scottish ancestry. I see my
                                 colleage and friend, John McCain. His
                                 family ancestry and my mother's actually
                                 goes back to four Scottish families who
                                 migrated to Carroll County, MS, back in
                                 the 1830s. I see others in the Chamber --
                                 Judd Gregg and Kay Bailey Hutchison,
                                 and there are many more. Every day the
                                 Scottish in this Chamber live by the
                                 words in the Declaration of Arbroath that
                                 I quoted -- they are here to advance
                                 freedom.
                                 Mr. President. When our Nation was
                                 founded, almost half of the signers of
                                 America's Declaration of Independence
                                 were of Scottish descent. Throughout the
                                 history of our country three-fourths of
                                 our Presidents have been of Scottish
                                 ancestry. This tells me that despite the
                                 fact that they are few in number, Scots
                                 tend to take seriously the word from the
                                 Declaration of Arbroath.
                                 Many organizations were involved in
                                 making the observance of Tartan Day on
                                 April 6 a success. There are clan
                                 societies, clubs and fraternal associations
                                 and individual Scots-Americans
                                 representing literally millionso of
                                 Americans nationwide that participated.
                                 They include the Scots' Charitable
                                 Society (the oldest charitable society in
                                 the United States), the St. Andrew's
                                 Society of the City of Charleston, SC
                                 (the first St. Andrew's Society in the
                                 United States), the Saint Andrew's
                                 Society of New York (the second oldest
                                 society in the United States), Scottish
                                 Socity of Martha's Vineyard, MA; the
                                 American-Scottish Foundation, Inc.: the
                                 Association of Scottish Games and
                                 Festivals; the Caledonian Foundation,
                                 Inc., the Clans of Scotland, USA;
                                 Council of Scottish Clans and
                                 Associations; Scottish Heritage USA,
                                 Inc.,: the Illinois St. Andrew's Society;
                                 the Tartan Education and Cultural
                                 Association, Inc.; Highland Light Scottish
                                 Society, Massachursetts; Scottish
                                 Historic and Research Society of the
                                 Delaware Valley, PA and numerous
                                 individual Scottish Americans including
                                 those from my own State of Mississippi.
                                 Mr. President. I am proud to declare my
                                 Scottish-American ancestry and it is an
                                 honor to recognize the  anniversary
                                 of the Declaration of Arbroath. Tartan
                                 Day is indeed a significant day for all
                                 Americans.