MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2003 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Cuevas, Dawkins, Ross, Stogner, Lee, Frazier, Posey, Turner, Bryan, Chamberlin, Gordon, Nunnelee, Minor, Williamson, Hyde-Smith

Senate Concurrent Resolution 506

(As Adopted by Senate and House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF STEPHEN E. AMBROSE, MILITARY HISTORIAN AND BIOGRAPHER, WHO MADE HIS HOME IN BAY ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI, AND EXPRESSING THE SYMPATHY OF THE LEGISLATURE ON HIS PASSING.

     WHEREAS,  Stephen E. Ambrose, the military historian and biographer whose books recounted the combat feats of American soldiers and airmen and fueled a national fascination with the generation that fought World War II, and who made his home in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, passed away on Sunday, October 13, 2002; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Stephen Ambrose, born on January 10, 1936, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, was a renowned historian and acclaimed author of more than 30 books.  Among his New York Times best-sellers are:  Nothing Like It In The WorldThe Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869 (2000); Citizen SoldiersThe U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany, June 7, 1945 (1997); Band of BrothersE Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne From Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest (1992); D-Day-June 6, 1944The Climactic Battle of World War II (1994); and Undaunted CourageMeriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West (1996); and

     WHEREAS, he was not only a great author, but also a captivating speaker, with the unique ability to provide insight into the future by employing his profound knowledge of the past.   His stories demonstrate how leaders use trust, friendship and shared experiences to work together and thrive during conflict and change; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans.  He was the Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, the founder of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans to exhibit artifacts entrusted to him by veterans he had interviewed (the museum initially was meant for the university campus but turned into a $30 Million exhibit in a converted downtown warehouse), was a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the Board of Directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board; and

     WHEREAS, Dr. Stephen Ambrose divided his time between Mississippi and Montana, two distinctly different locales that fed his writing talents.  He discovered Bay St. Louis and adopted it as his residence because of his years of university teaching in nearby New Orleans, and there he lived and wrote in a two-story clapboard house by the Gulf; and

     WHEREAS, the Mississippi Gulf Coast residents have adopted Mr. Ambrose as a Mississippian by choice, not by chance, and all Mississippians claim him on their long list of famous Mississippi authors; and

     WHEREAS, his talents did not go unnoticed by the film industry.  Dr. Ambrose was the historical consultant for Steven Spielberg's movie "Saving Private Ryan", and Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks purchased the film rights to his books Citizen Soldiers and Band of Brothers to make the 13-hour HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers"; he has also participated in numerous national television programs, including ones for the History Channel and National Geographic; and

     WHEREAS, Governor Ronnie Musgrove presented Dr. Ambrose the 2002 Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts for Lifetime Achievement, and he had many other awards and honors to his name; and

     WHEREAS, Stephen Ambrose is survived by his wife, Moira, brothers, Harry and Bill, and children, Hugh, Andy, Barry, Grace and Stephenie; and

     WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize the contributions of this adopted Mississippian who honored soldiers and turned the world into his classroom to popularize history, and allowed us all to learn from him:

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the life and legacy of Stephen E. Ambrose of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, renowned military historian and biographer, and express to his family the sympathy of the Legislature.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Dr. Ambrose and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.