WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, have introduced legislation to honor former Majority Leader U.S. Senator George Mitchell. The bill would designate the Hulls Cove Visitor Center at Acadia National Park as the “George J. Mitchell, Jr., Visitor Center”.

George Mitchell, born in 1933 in Waterville, is an American politician and diplomat who served as a member of the U.S. Senate (1980–95), as majority leader (1989–95). He later served as a special adviser to the peace process in Northern Ireland under President Bill Clinton (1995–2000). Mitchell also served as a member of the special envoy to the Middle East under President Barack Obama (2009–11), and spent time in the judicial branch, when he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 to serve on the U.S. District Court of Maine.

“During his storied career in public service, George Mitchell was a peacemaker, a statesman, and a loyal champion of the State of Maine,” said Senator Collins. “Naming Acadia’s Visitor Center in his honor will serve as a reminder of his commitment to improving our country and inspire others to do the same.”

“George Mitchell has dedicated his life to public service, working across all three branches of federal government, in pursuit of a more perfect union,” said Senator King. “Throughout his career, George Mitchell has largely embodied the character of our state motto—Dirigo— a leader working to resolve conflicts here in the United States and around the world. Renaming the Acadia National Park Visitor Center after Majority Leader Mitchell will remind Maine people and tourists alike what it means to give back, tackle hard challenges, and overcome the odds in an effort to provide a better future for generations to come.”

“We would like to thank Senators King and Collins for their efforts to recognize Senator George Mitchell who has given so much to Acadia National Park by naming the Hulls Cove Visitor Center in his honor.  As National Parks tell the story of America’s greatest natural and cultural places, it is important to recognize its champions,” said Eric Stiles, President and CEO of Friends of Acadia.

Completed by December of 1986, Hulls Cove Visitor Center originally served as the park’s administrative headquarter and visitor center. Funding for the building came from the Mission-66 Program, a nationwide effort to improve infrastructure in America's national parks from 1956-1966. 

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

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