EXECUTIVE ORDER
97-16

WHEREAS, in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson selected Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to embark on one of the greatest adventures in history – to traverse the continental U.S. by following two rivers, the Missouri and the Columbia; and

WHEREAS, Lewis and Clark commenced their westward journey at the confluence of the nation's two great rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, on September 23, 1806, the successful Lewis and Clark returned to St. Louis; and

WHEREAS, in 1813, William Clark was appointed Governor of Missouri, a post which he held until the incorporation of Missouri into statehood in 1820; and

WHEREAS, from 2003 to 2006, we will celebrate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the important role of Missouri in one of the greatest adventures in history.

NOW, THEREFORE, I Mel Carnahan, Governor of the State of Missouri, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Missouri, do hereby establish the Missouri Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission whose composition will be as follows:

The Governor will designate two (2) members of the Commission as co-chairs. The Commission shall consist of nine (9) persons appointed by the Governor: the Governor or his designee; the Secretary of State or her designee; the directors or their designees of the Department of Conservation, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Division of Tourism; the director or his designee of the State Historical Society of Missouri; and the director or his designee of the Missouri Historical Society.

The purpose of the Commission is to rekindle the spirit of discovery, achievement and wonder fostered by the original exploration.

The Commission will recommend to the Governor and the citizens of Missouri effective means by which to observe the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The Commission will promote public awareness of the important historical significance of the Missouri Territory and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, as well as cultural tourism in and around the State of Missouri in relation to the Expedition and its legacies.

The Commission will serve as the official liaison between other Lewis and Clark Trail states and other public and private bicentennial committees to coordinate and plan activities that foster recognition of the Missouri Territory in the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The Commission will report to the Governor as it deems necessary.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Missouri, in the City of Jefferson, on this 5th day of December, 1997.

[Mel Carnahan's signature]
GOVERNOR

ATTEST:

[Rebecca McDowell Cook's signature]
SECRETARY OF STATE

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