Bill Text: PA HR83 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Expressing condolences upon the death of the Reverend Doctor George Macpherson Docherty, esteemed clergyman, former pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., and father of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 47-26)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-02-13 - INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35 [HR83 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HR83-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 420
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 83 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY FLECK, HESS, ARGALL, BAKER, BEAR, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, BEYER, BOBACK, BOYD, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CAUSER, CONKLIN, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DALEY, DENLINGER, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EVERETT, FAIRCHILD, FRANKEL, GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHART, HARRIS, HELM, HENNESSEY, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KOTIK, MAHER, MAHONEY, MAJOR, McCALL, MILLARD, MOUL, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PASHINSKI, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, QUINN, RAPP, READSHAW, REED, ROCK, ROHRER, SAINATO, SCAVELLO, SEIP, SIPTROTH, K. SMITH, SONNEY, STERN, STEVENSON, SWANGER, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 13, 2009
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, FEBRUARY 13, 2009
A RESOLUTION
Expressing condolences upon the death of the Reverend Doctor
George Macpherson Docherty, esteemed clergyman, former pastor
of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington,
D.C., and father of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of
Allegiance.
WHEREAS, The Reverend Doctor George Macpherson Docherty of
Alexandria, Huntingdon County, passed away on November 27, 2008;
and
WHEREAS, As pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church, Reverend Doctor Docherty took two opportunities to
preach sermons advocating the insertion of the phrase "under
God" into the Pledge of Allegiance; and
WHEREAS, One of these sermons reached the ears of President
Dwight D. Eisenhower, who Rev. Dr. Docherty knew would be in the
congregation; and
WHEREAS, The sermon received praise from the President,
national press coverage and public response, and, as a result,
Congress enacted the inclusion of the words "under God," which
were first used officially on Flag Day, June 14, 1954; and
WHEREAS, Born in Scotland in 1911, Rev. Dr. Docherty
emigrated to the United States in 1950 and became a United
States citizen in 1960; and
WHEREAS, After serving parishes in Scotland from 1939 to
1950, Rev. Dr. Docherty was called to Washington, D.C., to
succeed another Scotsman, Dr. Peter Marshall, as minister of the
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, where he is remembered as a
vigorous preacher, an inspirational leader and a person deeply
involved in the Civil Rights Movement and in opposition to the
Vietnam Conflict; and
WHEREAS, After retiring in 1976, Rev. Dr. Docherty returned
to Scotland for 13 years, and in 1989, he returned to the United
States and settled in Huntingdon County, where he preached at
the Huntingdon Presbyterian Church; taught at Juniata College,
Virginia Episcopal Seminary and Washington and Lee University;
wrote numerous articles and edited several books, including his
autobiography "I Have Seen the Day"; and
WHEREAS, On November 3, 2002, the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church honored Rev. Dr. Docherty by dedicating its
spiritual center as the George M. Docherty Center for
Congregational Life; and
WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Docherty's last official duty was
performing the wedding ceremony of his daughter, Julie, to James
Jancosko on September 3, 2005, in the garden of his home in
Alexandria; and
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WHEREAS, Rev. Dr. Docherty was predeceased by his first wife,
Mary, and is survived by his wife, Sue, and children Garth,
Julie and Bridget, their spouses and their children; and
WHEREAS, The many contributions of Rev. Dr. Docherty to the
Presbyterian Church and to the church universal, to his native
and adopted countries, and to the people of Washington, D.C.,
Virginia and this Commonwealth are reknown and invaluable;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives express
condolences upon the death of the Reverend Doctor George
Macpherson Docherty, esteemed clergyman, former pastor of the
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., and
father of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.
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