Department Of Interior

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Office of the Secretary
Contact: Frank Quimby
For Immediate Release: Dec. 17, 2003
252-480-1449 or 571-236-3196
 

Secretary Norton Dedicates Life-Size Sculpture at
Wright Brothers National Memorial

Bronze and Stainless Steel Sculpture Given to
National Park Service to Commemorate "Centennial of Flight"

 

KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC - Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton joined President George W. Bush at ceremonies today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight. Secretary Norton also took part in the dedication of a life-size, interactive sculpture of the Wright Brothers' first flight at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, a unit of the Department of the Interior's National Park Service.

The bronze and stainless steel sculpture was presented as a gift to the park by the people of North Carolina and Governor Michael Easley. Secretary Norton expressed her gratitude for the gift, accepting it on behalf of Wright Brothers National Memorial.

"The National Park Service and the Nation are indebted to the people of North Carolina for this gift," Secretary Norton said. "It should be a measure of pride for all of the descendants of those helpful townsfolk who pitched in to literally move the experiment along. To me it is also a celebration of a wonderful partnership between the State and its Centennial of Flight Commission and the National Park Service."

The 10,000-pound sculpture depicts the 1903 Wright Flyer with Orville Wright on board, as it is about to leave the ground; Wilbur Wright running along side; and local resident John Daniels who photographed the historic first flight on December 17. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources provided $250,000 in public arts program funding for the sculpture.




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