#aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#ejaf  ,,an ,,act  ,to designate the    
medical center of the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs located in           
,anchorage1 ,alaska1 as the ,colonel    
,mary ,louise ,rasmuson ,campus of the  
,alaska ,,va ,healthcare ,system1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,colonel 
,mary ,louise ,rasmuson ,campus of the  
,alaska ,,va ,healthcare ,system ,act of
 #bjbb4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds  
the following3 7#a7 ,mary ,louise       
7,milligan7 ,rasmuson was born ,april   
#aa1 #aiaa1 in ,east ,pittsburgh1       
,pennsylvania4  7#b7 ,mary ,louise      
received a ,bachelor of ,science degree 
from the ,carnegie ,institute of        
,technology and a ,master of ,education 
degree from the ,university of          
,pittsburgh4  7#c7 ,mary ,louise was one
 of the first two women to receive an   
,honorary ,doctorate of ,laws degree    
from the ,carnegie ,institute of        
,technology4  7#d7 ,in #aidb1 ,mary     

,louise joined the ,women's ,army       
,auxiliary ,corps as a ,private and was 
in the first graduating class4  7#e7    
,mary ,louise worked up the ranks1 and  
in #aieg1 ,president ,dwight ,eisenhower
 appointed ,mary ,louise as the ,fifth  
,director of the ,women's ,army ,corps  
and she was reappointed to this position
 by ,president ,john ,f4 ,kennedy in    
#aifa4  7#f7 ,in #aifb1 ,colonel        
,rasmuson retired from the ,army4  7#g7 
,colonel ,rasmuson was recognized for   
her outstanding service in the ,women's 
,army ,corps with the ,legion of ,merit 
award with two ,oak ,leaf ,clusters for 
her work in expanding the roles and     
duties of women in the ,army1 as well as
 her role in integrating ,black women in
 the ,women's ,army ,corps4  7#h7       
,colonel ,rasmuson became ,director of  
the ,women's ,army ,corps during        
tumultuous times and is credited with   
enhancing the image and recruitment of  
women into the ,women's ,army ,corps    
during her years as the ,director4  7#i7

 ,colonel ,rasmuson expanded            
opportunities for women to serve in     
assignments previously reserved only for
 men1 starting with the assignments of  
#ab enlisted women into the ,first      
,missile ,master ,unit at ,fort ,meade1 
,maryland4  7#aj7 ,colonel ,rasmuson was
 instrumental in enabling women to be   
promoted above the grade of ,e-#g into  
the highest enlisted ranks of the ,army1
 ,e-#h and ,e-#i4  7#aa7 ,during her    
time in the ,women's ,army ,corps1      
,colonel ,rasmuson was the guiding force
 behind the ,army opening up the college
 enlistment option to women under the   
self-enhancement programs and witnessed 
the first female enlisted member attend 
college under those programs4  7#ab7    
,the career of ,colonel ,rasmuson also  
laid the groundwork for women to be     
fully integrated into the ,united       
,states ,army when the ,women's ,army   
,corps was disbanded in #aigh4  7#ac7   
,in #aifa1 ,mary ,louise married a      
prominent leader in ,alaska1 ,elmer ,e4 

,rasmuson1 and she was the first        
,director of the ,women's ,army ,corps  
to be married while serving in that     
position4  7#ad7 ,after her retirement  
from military service in #aifb1 ,mary   
,louise moved to ,alaska where she      
continued her leadership as a veteran in
 her community in ,alaska4  7#ae7 ,mary 
,louise served as ,first ,lady of       
,anchorage after the devastating        
magnitude #i4b earthquake in #aifd1     
after her husband1 ,elmer1 was elected  
as mayor1 serving from #aifd to #aifg4  
7#af7 ,mary ,louise was an advocate of  
social justice1 education1 and the arts 
during her #de years of work on the     
,board of the ,rasmuson ,foundation4    
7#ag7 ,mary ,louise served as the       
,honorary ,chair and was a major founder
 to renovate the ,anchorage ,veterans   
,memorial on the ,delaney ,parkstrip in 
downtown ,anchorage4  7#ah7 ,mary       
,louise also contributed to the ,army   
,women's ,museum1 the ,national ,museum 
of the ,american ,indian1 and the       

,national ,museum of the ,united ,states
 ,army4  7#ai7 ,mary ,louise was the    
,chair of the ,anchorage ,museum        
,foundation and helped establish the    
museum in ,anchorage1 serving as its    
,chair for #ba years4  7#bj7 ,on ,july  
#cj1 #bjab1 ,mary ,louise died at her   
home in ,anchorage1 at the age of #aja1 
but her legacy of character and         
leadership will endure as an example to 
all who serve in the ,united ,states    
military4  #c4 ,designation of ,colonel 
,mary ,louise ,rasmuson ,campus of the  
,alaska ,,va ,healthcare ,system  7a7   
,designation ,the medical center of the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs in    
,anchorage1 ,alaska1 shall1 after the   
date of the enactment of this ,act1 be  
known and designated as the ,colonel    
,mary ,louise ,rasmuson ,campus of the  
,alaska ,,va ,healthcare ,system4  7b7  
,reference ,any reference in any law1   
regulation1 map1 document1 paper1 or    
other record of the ,united ,states to  
the medical center referred to in       

subsection 7a7 shall be considered to be
 a reference to the ,colonel ,mary      
,louise ,rasmuson ,campus of the ,alaska
 ,,va ,healthcare ,system4  ,passed the 
,senate ,december #f1 #bjbb4,secretary