June 8, 2026
Ms. Lofgren (for herself, Mr. Liccardo, Mr. Khanna, and Mr. Panetta) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
A resolution expressing support for the James Lick Observatory celebrating their 150th anniversary on June 7, 2026, and recognizing its contributions to science and astronomy.
Whereas the James Lick Observatory, located on the summit of Mount Hamilton in Santa Clara County, California, was established in 1874 by visionary philanthropy of James Lick and his $700,000 contribution, valued at over $1,000,000,000 today, to science and exploration;
Whereas Congress authorized the reservation of Federal lands on Mount Hamilton for the observatory’s use by an Act approved on June 7, 1876, and thereafter transferred those lands to the University of California;
Whereas, in 1888, the Lick Observatory was the world’s first permanently staffed mountaintop observatory, housing the 36-inch Great Refractor, then the largest telescope on Earth, cementing California as an early epicenter of astronomical research;
Whereas Lick Observatory has been the site of monumental breakthroughs such as the first photographic discovery of a comet and identified a fifth moon of Jupiter and eclipse expedition provided the empirical confirmation of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, and pioneered adaptive optics to pierce through atmospheric distortion and was at the forefront of the search for exoplanets, moments that fundamentally shifted our understanding of the physical world and the cosmos;
Whereas Lick Observatory operates under the University of California Observatories, which serves 9 UC campuses and 2 national laboratories, and partners with California’s State Universities and Community Colleges, training the next generation of scientists while inspiring tens of thousands of visitors through its outreach programs; and
Whereas June 7, 2026, marks the 150th anniversary of the Act of Congress that made Lick Observatory possible: Now, therefore, be it
Sec.
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
congratulates Lick Observatory on the occasion of its 150th anniversary;
(2)
recognizes the enduring scientific legacy of James Lick and the astronomers, engineers, and staff who have sustained the observatory across a century and a half;
(3)
commends the University of California for its stewardship of this national scientific treasure; and
(4)
encourages continued Federal, State, and private support for Lick Observatory’s research, education, and public outreach programs.