My Speech In Boston
April 30, 2001
By Manuel Luciano da Silva, M. D. 

Before the Joint Committee on State Administration, presided by Senator Dianne Wilkerson and by Representative Geoffrey D. Hall,  in Room B-1, of the Massachusetts State Capitol, I spoke in favor of the Bill House 1688, submitted by Representative George Rogers and Representative John Quinn, to "Provide for the Establishment of the Position of Director of the Dighton Rock Museum".

Here is my testimony and my speech. I spoke loud and clear. I waited twenty two years to testify on a Bill for a Director of Dighton Rock Museum!!!  Is this perseverance or what?

By Manuel Luciano da Silva, Vice-President of the Friends of Dighton Rock Museum, Inc.

I am grateful for the opportunity to address this Committee.

With your permission, I have a two minute statement that I like to read and then be available for questions.

I am here as Vice-President of the "Friends of Dighton Rock Museum", a non-profit organization.

My name is Manuel Luciano da Silva. I was born in Portugal on September 5^th, 1926, but I am an American Citizen since birth, because my father was an American Citizen before I was born. I came to this country 55 years ago.

I practiced Internal Medicine for almost 40 years, at the Bristol County Medical Center, in Rhode Island.

Besides Medicine, I became interested in the History of Dighton Rock to the point that I wrote two books 30 years ago: one in English and the other in Portuguese. Both are sold out.

I also started giving lectures with color slides about the Dighton Rock inscriptions and I have already delivered 346 lectures, throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa and South America. Always free of charge. I have done also several radio and television shows.

I have given interviews about the historical significance if Dighton Rock to major American newspapers and even made the National Geographic Magazine, on January 1975.

The State of Massachusetts has spent more than two millions dollars with the preservation of Dighton Rock and the Dighton Rock State Park, since its creation in 1954.

In 1963, the Rock was elevated from the tidal waters of the Taunton River to a cofferdam, and in 1974 a Pavilion was built and the Dighton Rock became protected from the vandals by a glass enclosure. In 1978 a final building was added to complete the Dighton Rock Museum.

The Friends of Dighton Rock Museum, Inc, a non-profit organization, provided the panels and the historical and navigational artifacts, and I can state with pride that, for the passed 22 years, the Dighton Rock Museum is a very attractive institution that all people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can be proud of.

Unfortunately the Dighton Rock Museum is closed nine months out of the year!

This is a terrible mistake! It should be open to the students of the Commonwealth and to the citizens of this great country.

I have been the guide to thousands of students and I can attest to you their delight, curiosity and enthusiasm about the contents of the museum and the Dighton Rock inscriptions.

If we consider Massachusetts the cradle of the American History, Dighton Rock, together with the Plymouth Rock, are two very important corners stones of the American History that should be available to the public all year around.

For more than 40 years, I have been dealing with the people of the Natural Resources which lately is called the Department of Environmental Management. Every one has treated me with kindness and respect. I am deeply grateful to all of them.

But I ask permission to be frankly blunt! The people of the Environmental Management are very good at trimming trees and cutting grass, but they do not have anybody that is knowledgeable to explain the historical significance of the Dighton Rock inscriptions to the students and the general public. And because of this the Dighton Rock Museum continues to be a waste, instead of being a treasure for every citizen to enjoy.  

The efforts of DEM are   "conserving the NATURAL and CULTURAL  treasures of Massachusetts”. The establishment of the  Director of   Director Rock Museum is the best way to boost that CULTURAL  endeavor! 

Last year Secretary Bob Durand visited the Museum. He was so enthusiastic with it that he asked the Commonwealth Legislature to approve 50 thousands dollars to make improvements in the Museum and the house next to it.

This house, 100 feet way from the Museum, is now being winterized , so it can be used as the office for the Director of the Museum and also serve as a gift shop.

The salary of the Director can be recuperated by charging entrance to the Museum and also by profits from the gift shop and grants from educations institutions.

I must state here publicly that none of the Directors of the Friends of the Dighton Rock Museum organization are interested in becoming the Director. We do not want any conflict of interest.

And finally I would like to state:

If this Bill is approved I would like to ask you to add the following to it.

That the Director of the Dighton Rock Museum should also be the Director of the Profile Rock State Park and the Historical Significance of the Freetown State Park.

These three State Parks are all encompassed within a radius of FOUR MILES. You will be killing three rabbits with one stone!

If you never visited Dighton Rock I urge you do it with your family. I guarantee, you will be pleasantly surprise.

Many thanks for your attention. Now, I am available to answers any questions you might have.

There were two questions which gave me even more opportunity to expand my knowledge and patriotism concerning the historical significance of Dighton Rock.

I honestly believe the members of the Joint Committee were positively impressed with my presentation, and I hope they will recommend to the entire House and Senate the final approval of the House Bill = H-1688, for the cultural benefit of all Massachusetts citizens, especially the students.

I left with the Joint Committee, as documentation:

(1) One copy of my book "Portuguese Pilgrims and Dighton Rock"

(2) One copy of "Os Pioneiros Portugueses e a Pedra de Dighton"

(3) One copy of the National Geographic Magazine, January 1975, with a story and color photograph of the face of Dighton Rock (page 98).

(4) Ten copies of the pamphlets that we give to every visitor entitled "Dighton Rock Museum" which explains all the four theories on the panels and all the artifacts that exist inside the museum.

(5) A copy of my biography.

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