Private Acts of 1929 Chapter 519

WHEREAS, It is the duty of the State of Tennessee to make adequate recognition of the deeds and valor of its sons and daughters in the World War and other wars in which our country has been engaged and who have brought honor to the Commonwealth; and,

WHEREAS, It is fitting that for such purpose a memorial in the nature of a building to be erected in the City of Newport, Tennessee, to be used by the Newport Post No. 41, American Legion, and other patriotic organizations in said city; and whereas such memorial ought to be erected in Newport, Cocke County, Tennessee.  Now, therefore:

SECTION 1.  That for the purpose of providing a fitting and suitable memorial, there shall be erected, established and maintained in the City of Newport, in Cocke County, Tennessee, a Memorial Building, to be known as the Memorial Building.

SECTION 2.  That the management of said Memorial Building after same shall have been completed, shall be placed in Newport Post No. 41, American Legion, and its successors, said building to be a permanent and perpetual memorial.

SECTION 3.  That the details of the building to be erected as such memorial shall be determined by a commission hereinafter provided for; but said memorial shall be in the form of a building, which shall contain an auditorium in which the American Legion and other patriotic organizations of Newport, Tennessee, and the people of Newport and Cocke County may meet for public purposes, or in connection with matters of interest to citizens of Newport and Cocke County, Tennessee; and there shall also be constructed therein suitable rooms for the carrying out of the general ideas of this Act, including provisions for the assembling and collection of portraits, statues, memorials and relics of distinguished citizens of the State of Tennessee who have participated in wars or rendered distinguished public service.

SECTION 4.  That there shall be and is hereby created a commission to be known as the Memorial Building Commission, which shall be composed of nine (9) members, three to be appointed by the Governor, three by the American Legion, Post No. 41, of Newport, Tennessee, and three by the Chairman of the County Court of Cocke County.  Said Commission shall have the power and authority and it shall be its duty, to provide for and supervise the construction of the Memorial Building provided for in this Act, according to designs and plans for such building to be selected by said Commission from designs and plans for same submitted by competition, which plans and designs shall include provisions for walkways and roadways and other incidental features connected with said memorial.

SECTION 5.  That for the purpose of providing the funds to carry out the terms and provisions of this Act, there is hereby appropriated, out of moneys not otherwise appropriated, in the State Treasury of Tennessee, the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00), which shall be paid over to the Memorial Building Commission, herein provided for, as requested by said Commission, by warrants of the Comptroller drawn on the Treasury of Tennessee; provided, however, that the payment of said appropriation shall be conditioned upon Cocke County, Tennessee and American Legion No. 41 shall furnish in cash the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00).

SECTION 6.  That this Act take effect from and after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.

Passed:  April 2, 1929.