Juneau -- Karen Staser, President and Founder of the National Museum of Women's History (NMWH), announced today that the Alaska State Legislature enthusiastically endorsed the museum by unanimously passing House Joint Resolution (HJR) 14. Alaska's HJR 14 asks Congress to appoint an advisory committee to oversee the creation of the museum and to provide an existing government building in Washington, D.C. for the museum. Bills to do just that, S 706 and HR 1246, are pending in the U.S. Congress.

"The 'Last Frontier' state now leads the nation by being the first state to formally support this project," said Representative Gail Phillips (R), sponsor of the resolution. "The Alaska Legislature offered unanimous support for the National Museum of Women's History, a project that will begin to correct the imbalance in our history, which has tremendously understated the contributions and experiences of women. It is a proud day for the Alaska Legislature."

"The museum began as a dream to provide an opportunity for people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds to learn about women's participation and accomplishments in history," said Staser. "Broad-based national support for NMWH is growing, and the Alaska Legislature's support is a leap forward-helping the museum move from a dream to a reality." The Museum's Board of Advisors now includes over 200 notable women and men from various disciplines throughout the country.

Workng on many fronts to advance women's historical contributions, members of NMWH:

• Worked tenaciously, and successfully, to move the Portrait Monument, from the Capitol Crypt to the Rotunda. The Portrait Monument is dedicated to the leaders of the woman suffrage movement.
  
  
• Opened the first CyberMuseum on Women's History, dedicated to bringing women's history into the home, classroom, and workplace.
  
  
• Sponsored the first annual Women Making History Awards in 1998, honoring women who have made unusual or unheralded contributions to history.
  
  
• Raised pledges of more than $10 million to date for the NMWH, to be located in Washington, D.C.
  
  
• Initiated congressional legislation and gained bipartisan support to provide a building in Washington, D.C. for the museum.
  
  
• Partnered with Forbes magazine on a special advertising section in the May 17, 1999 issue of Forbes entitled "Enterprising Women, A Tribute to Women in Business."
  
  
• Gained White House backing as a focal point for women's history in the nation's capital.
  
  

The National Museum of Women's History in Washington, DC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit educational institution dedicated to preserving, displaying, interpreting, and celebrating the historic contributions and rich, diverse experiences of women, and restoring this heritage to the cultural mainstream. NMWH Councils have been established in Alaska, Arizona, California, Illinois, New York, and Texas to coordinate educational outreach programs, recruit new members, and host fundraising events for the museum. Funding for the museum will come from private contributions.

For more information, contact Karen Staser, or visit the NMWH CyberMuseum at http://www.nmwh.org.

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