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Marathon reading exceeds 56 hours; 6,000 people view Declaration
RELEASED: Nov. 7, 2002
DANVILLE, KY—Centre College students, faculty, staff and Danville community residents read the Declaration of Independence and other historical and literary documents continuously for more than 56 hours Nov. 3-5, surpassing the current Guinness Book World record.
The marathon reading was in conjunction with the Declaration of Independence Road Trip exhibit.
The College displayed a rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence and presented a host of civic and historical activities Nov. 4-5 at the Norton Center for the Arts.
An estimated 6,000 school children, teachers and other visitors toured the exhibit those two days. Declaration Road Trip organizers said the 6,000-mark was a record for a venue with a two-day visit.
Even more impressive, Danville is the smallest community to ever host the Declaration Road Trip.
"This was a wonderful, moving event," said John Roush, president of Centre College. "It was inspiring to see people from all walks of life come and be a part of this celebration. Having the tour here on election day was also a bonus.
"We'd like to thank the city of Danville, Boyle County, the Heart of Danville and the many others who contributed their time, goods and services to make this event such a success."
The Guinness World Book organization will now review Centre's attempt and make a determination as to whether they will certify it as a new record. The current record of 52 hours of continuous reading was set in 2001.
"The marathon reading was an exciting event," said Centre junior Jennifer Paul. "It brought Centre students and the surrounding community together. There are times when students don't feel as if they are part of the community, but the Declaration Road Trip and the activities that accompanied it helped change that. It was a really positive experience."
Centre's attempt began 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, at the school's Norton Center for the Arts. The Guinness record mark was passed just after 5 p.m. on Nov. 5, election day. The reading didn't stop until 9:13 p.m. on Nov. 5, making it 56 hours and 13 minutes of non-stop reading.
For more information on the Declaration Road Trip, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/news/declare402.html or go to http://www.independenceroadtrip.org/.
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