Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

                  A Weekly Summary of Events and
            Topics of Interest to Online Genealogists

                 Vol. 6 No. 40 - October 1, 2001
Permisson given to reproduce this article by Dick Eastman


    SENATE PASSES HATCH BILL TO COMMEMORATE
    OCTOBER 2001 AS FAMILY  HISTORY MONTH

    Legislation Promotes Genealogical Research

    September 26, 2001

        By unanimous consent, the Senate today approved
    legislation introduced by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch to designate
    October as "Family History Month."

    "Millions of Americans are researching the history of their
    families," said the Utah Republican. "Experts say that in the
    United States, genealogy is now the second most popular hobby
    next to gardening. It is believed that more that 80 million
    Americans are currently actively searching for more
    information about their ancestors.

    "It is only natural that we want to find out more about our
    ancestors," Hatch continued. "What better way to bring
    families closer together than by discovering more about the
    story of their own family? Like it or not, who we are today is
    in large part, a product of our ancestors.

    Hatch's bill (S.R. 160), which was co-sponsored by Robert
    Bennett (R-Utah), commemorates October as Family History Month
    and encourages President Bush to issue a proclamation calling
    upon the people of the United States to observe the month of
    October with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

    "With the advent of the Internet, there has been an explosion
    of interest in family history," Hatch continued. "Last month
    alone, more than 14 million Americans used the Internet to
    research their family history. Genealogy Internet sites are
    some of the most popular sites on the World Wide Web. My
    church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has
    family history information on nearly 500 million individuals
    on its family history web site at
    http://www.familysearch.com."

    "Essentially, we are all immigrants to this country. Our
    ancestors came from different parts of the globe," Hatch said.
    "By searching for our roots, we come closer together as a
    human family.

    S.R. 160 had 84 co-sponsors and was approved by unanimous
    consent.

    "Researching ancestry is a very important component of
    identity. It can lead to long-sought-after family reunions or
    allow for life saving medical treatments that only genetic
    links will allow," Hatch said. "For all of these reasons, I
    encourage people across this nation to find out more about
    where they came from."

President Bush is expected to sign the bill, officially
designating October as "Family History Month."