Bill > K00737

This resolution commemorates the 125th anniversary of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum, recognizing the book's significant impact on American culture and literary history. The resolution highlights Baum's origins in Chittenango, New York, and celebrates the novel as the first American fantasy book to achieve immediate and widespread popularity, introducing iconic characters like Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. It acknowledges Baum's journey from a struggling businessman to a beloved author, noting his collaboration with artist William Wallace Denslow and his creation of a 14-book Oz literary universe. The resolution also recognizes the story's cultural legacy, including its famous 1939 MGM film adaptation and subsequent theatrical productions like "The Wiz" and "Wicked". Specifically, it honors the annual Oz-Stravaganza Festival in Chittenango, which celebrates Baum's life and work, and formally resolves to commemorate the book's anniversary by transmitting an official resolution to the International L. Frank Baum & All Things Oz Historical Foundation and the Village of Chittenango.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/K737