c-span city tour staff recently visited many sites showcasing the city's rich history. theo liska's home to university of alabama founded in 1831. learn more about tuscaloosa here on american history tv. >> if there is a remand that ,eserve recognition, so often the men and women deserve recognition cannot receive it, and to see him receive it was a wonderful thing. standing in the main library in the center of campus of universe of alabama. this is the first courage award from the john f. kennedy library foundation. in 1990, the former congressman

carl elliott came through. he was many things. he was a president. he was a congressman from 1948 until 1964. carl elliott was born very poor in northwest alabama. at the depths of the depression, he came to the university with two dollars $.60 and his property and a $25 check he had been given. when he arrived and presented himself to the president and said you said anybody could come here, the president looked at his finances and said not you. nightt out and spent the under a truck. they found him the next day and took him back to the president and the president said if you wanted that badly, we will find a way for you to get an education. president of the

student body and got a law degree. the first of his family to receive a college degree. he actually ran for accounting judgeship and lost. in 1948, he ran against the four-time incumbent congressman and defeated the four-time incumbent congressman. he began his congressional career. very few members of the house of representatives ever altered a bill, a major bill that would become law. mr. elliott, during the time he was in congress authored to. services ofand construction act of 1956, and the national defense education act of 1958. the library services and was aimed atact constructing libraries in rural areas. he was the father of the bookmobile that would take a

library into a remote area. the national defense act was very comparable. it was forf scholarships and loans for college students and graduate students. first legislation in regard to education that over $1 billion was spent over the years , and 20 million americans receive a college education through an mba loan or grant. it has been said that if you take the accomplishments of , and 20 million students made him believe the most significant piece of legislation theed by congress or chemical of a suicidal plan

called the 9-8 plan. if you receive the nomination and your congressional district, online names will go on the ballot a month later. each voter had a devote. in 1962.urvived in 1964, george wallace have become governor. carl elliott was targeted because of his progressive stance. ballots were circulated all over the state. they said they have the list of eight candidates, but not mr. elliott. so, he was defeated.

the suicidal crazy nine-a primary. he began practicing law after he was defeated. in 1966, 2 years later, he ran for governor in the democratic primary against governor wallace's wife. death a camp rain campaign fraud with race. one of the lines he would give over and over was they will tell you that i am u.s. government approved, they are wrong. it is not stamped on my back, was stamped is on my heart. that is my country, right or wrong. my country. what you have there was a feeling of all the segregation votes. alabama attorney general richard direct appeal a to the african-american votes, and mr. elliott was a moderate.

a man in the middle, who is the most difficult position to take, i think one of the things that characterized it was the ceremony. the place in selma the civil rights demonstrator met. course, the edmonds bridge was the bridge upon which the marchers were so badly beaten. tosaid i'm not come to selma go to the brown's chapel ame church and sing we shall overcome. to stand i come here on the bridge and you'll never. surely, for the people of alabama, there is room in the middle. >> he came in third. in two races, the 64-9 race the 66 editorial race, he withdrew his congressional pension.

so, he was left again learning to practice law at a late age. diabetes,gnosed with and it began to take a real toll on him. ultimately confining him to a wheelchair. 1999, there is a cover story in parade magazine with john f. kennedy junior and they urged americans to nominate people for a hope, valor, and courage award. the name coming from president kennedy's future prize-winning book about americans who displayed great courage in public office, they encourage nominations for the first awards would be given in 1990, when the parade and magazine article came jolley, a longtime aide to mr. elliott and remained

through his life one of his closest people, she called me and said we should nominate mr. elliott. i said if you will put together the right stuff, i will write the nomination. told that there were 5000 nominations for the profile of courage award. erica stern who headed the committee said when they read mr. elliott's nomination, then immediately said this is it. the award is a sterling silver liner. that is to be a beacon, the sculptor or designer was at salzburg who was caroline the lanternsband, is modeled after a lantern that would have been used on a 19th theury sailing ship, and, lantern is universally regarded as a symbol of truth, and hope, which is the characteristic that

the library looks for and the recipients of these awards are at the time of the presentation mr. elliott was on the stage of the kennedy remarks and, he made expressing his gratitude to the kennedy family, he talked about his relationships, and he followed president kennedy to congress about two years, they served together in the house of representatives, he ended it in a statement that i really think sums up his life, as long as we have overcrowded underpaid teachers, schools with inadequate libraries, and young men and women who are being denied an education because they do not have the resources, our work is not finished. john f. kennedy's vision for america will not be fully accomplished until all of our young people have the opportunity to obtain the

quality of education which is their birthright. such educated young people engage in public service are essential to meet the challenges of each new frontier. there are those who said i was ahead of my time. they were wrong. i always believed that i was behind the times that ought to be. >> are cities tour staff recently traveled to alabama to learn about the rich history. learn about other subsequent tour c-span.org. you're watching american history tv. all weekend every weekend on c-span3. >> on march 22, the house of representatives passed a bill to allow world war ii women air force service pilots, also known as wasps, to be interred

at arlington national cemetery. officials said that under existing rules, they do not qualify. up next the floor debate on the , bill. this is about 25 minutes. >> i moved to suspend the rules as amended. >> the clerk will report the title of the bill. >> hr 4336, a bill to amend title 38, united states code to provide for the burial of the cremated remains of persons served as women's air force service pilots at arlington national cemetery. >> the gentleman from florida , mr. miller and ms. brown will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. >> mr. speaker, i ask all unanimous consent and all members will have five days with which to revise remarks or add