EDISON NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK CLOSER TO REALITY

May 7, 2008

CONTACTS:
Afshin Mohamadi 202-224-4744

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate Energy and National Resources Committee approved legislation authored by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and co-sponsored by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) that would create a Thomas Edison National Historical Park. The legislation would make the Edison National Historical Site in West Orange part of the National Park System, raising its prestige and significance among America’s historical areas. Currently, the Edison Site preserves Thomas Alva Edison’s research and development laboratories, library, papers, and artifacts, as well as his home.

“Thomas Edison, his work and his home are tremendously significant parts of the rich historical and educational fabric of our state, not to mention our nation,” said Senator Menendez. “In order to best preserve and honor our history and the extraordinary advancements Thomas Edison brought to mankind, this site should be designated a national historic park. The prestige and significance that comes with that designation is fitting for a site of this importance.”

The current Site is a national historic treasure and contains the world’s largest collection of materials related to Thomas Edison, encompassing an estimated 5,000,000 pages of documents, over 400,000 artifacts, approximately 35,000 sound recordings, and 10,000 books from Edison’s personal library.

Having passed the committee, the bill now moves to the Senator floor, where it is expected to be considered as part of a broader package of national parks legislation later this year.

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