Bill To Rename Gateway Arch Moves To President's Desk

ST. LOUIS, MO — A bill renaming the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial passed the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday after clearing the senate late last year. The bill, which would make "Gateway Arch National Park" the monument's official name, is headed to the president's desk for final approval.

Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and Republican Sen. Roy Blunt co-sponsored the senate legislation. Missouri Reps. Wm. Lacy Clay and Ann Wagner introduced a companion bill in the House.

“The Arch is known worldwide as a symbol for our great city of St. Louis, the Show-Me state, and the Gateway to the West,” McCaskill said. “As the memorial grounds re-open this summer, it’s the perfect time to bring our majestic park together under a new name that highlights this remarkable symbol.”

“The St. Louis Arch is one of the world’s most iconic landmarks and a symbol of our state’s historic role as the ‘Gateway to the West,’” Blunt added. “Renaming the park will better highlight its central feature and make it more immediately recognizable to the millions of people who visit St. Louis every year.”

President Franklin Roosevelt designated the monument a national memorial in 1935. Construction on the Arch began in 1947 and was completed in 1965.

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