HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1383
By Freeman
A RESOLUTION to recognize Adventure Science Center on the occasion of its eightieth anniversary of
incorporation.
WHEREAS, it is the privilege of the members of this General Assembly to specially recognize Adventure Science Center (ASC), an organization dedicated to opening every mind to
the wonders of science and technology and fostering a better understanding of themselves and the world around them, on the occasion of its eightieth anniversary of incorporation; and WHEREAS, in 1944, the Nashville community recognized the importance of preparing our youth for the future through the creation of a children's museum for the Nashville community; and WHEREAS, in 1946, the widow of founding Trustee Anthony "Tony" Sudekum made a gift to the science center to create the only planetarium in the State of Tennessee at that time,
dedicated as the Sudekum Planetarium on March 3, 1952; and WHEREAS, by the 1960s, the center and the breadth of those it served had outgrown its building downtown, and through negotiation with the Metro Parks Board of Commissioners and
a lead gift from Mrs. Albert Menefee, Jr., through the Justin and Valere Potter Foundation, a new building site on St. Cloud Hill was established; and WHEREAS, on September 15, 1971, construction of the new building, under the name Cumberland Museum and Science Center, began on the site on which the building currently stands today; and WHEREAS, the science center remained committed to evolving and growing to meet the needs of its diverse visitors through the addition of new exhibits, a significant expansion of
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16,000 square feet in 1986, and then yet again in 2002, completion of the central Adventure Tower led to the center's new and current name, Adventure Science Center; and WHEREAS, the science center today is home to 175 hands-on experiences, the award-
winning Sudekum Planetarium, and the state-of-the-art exhibit, soundBox, which opened in
2019 to educate visitors on the science of sound; and WHEREAS, the science center welcomes over 200,000 visitors each year, from field trips to Nashville visitors, serving learners of all ages; and WHEREAS, the science center is committed to continued connection between exhibits,
programs, and workforce development for learners of all ages who are stepping into a job market that is increasingly reliant on literacy in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics) field; and WHEREAS, the Adventure Science Center also benefits the State of Tennessee by
serving as the largest science center in the State and serving learners from all ninety-five counties and beyond; and WHEREAS, it is wholly fitting that we memorialize Adventure Science Center on this historic occasion; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
THIRTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we honor and commend Adventure Science Center on the occasion of its eightieth anniversary and thank its employees, both past and present, for their extraordinary achievements and distinguished service to our State.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear without House or Senate designation.
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