Point Udall, also called Orote Point, is the westernmost point (by

travel Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical Location (geography), locations. Travel can be done by Pedestrian, foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without Baggage, luggage, a ...

, not

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...

) in the

territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, located on the

Orote Peninsula The Orote Peninsula is a four kilometer-long peninsula jutting from the west coast of the United States territory of Guam. A major geologic feature of the island, it forms the southern coast of Apra Harbor and the northern coast of Agat Bay. Its t ...

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

. It lies at the mouth of

Apra Harbor Apra Harbor, also called Port Apra, is a deep-water port on the western side of the United States territory of Guam. It is considered one of the best natural ports in the Pacific Ocean. The harbor is bounded by Cabras Island and the Glass Breakwat ...

, on the end of Orote Peninsula, opposite the Glass Breakwater of

Cabras Island Cabras Island was historically a low-lying finger of land off the coast of Piti, Guam that formed part of the northern protective arm of Apra Harbor. Shortly after the 1944 Battle of Guam it was connected by a causeway to the mainland and exten ...

which forms the northern coast of the harbor. Many sources still call it Orote Point, such as the US Military's Orote Point Lanes bowling alley. The NRHP-listed

Orote Historical Complex The Orote Historical Complex is a series of prehistoric and historic features at the northern tip of the Orote Peninsula on the island of Guam. This area is on the grounds of Naval Base Guam and requires military permission to see. Major fe ...

is located at the point.

Naming

The point is named for former

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

congressman Morris "Mo" Udall. It was called Orote Point until it was renamed Point Udall in May 1987. Earlier that month, H.R. 2434, tabled by U.S. Congressman

Denny Smith Dennis Alan Smith (born January 19, 1938) is an American businessman and former United States congressman from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he served in the Air Force before working in the airline industry and taking over the famil ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, proposed renaming the point "to honor the service and accomplishments of Morris Udall."Bill text and articles
from the University of Arizona While the proposed resolution was referred to the House Subcommittee on Insular and International Affairs, the name was officially designated as Point Udall by

Governor of Guam The governor of Guam ( / ) is the head of government of Guam and the commander-in-chief of the Guam National Guard, whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Island (formerly the State of the Territory) addresses to t ...

Joseph Franklin Ada Joseph Franklin Ada (born December 3, 1943) is an Guamanian politician who served as the fifth governor of Guam from 1987 to 1995. Before his accession to the governorship, Ada previously served as the third Lieutenant Governor of Guam from 1979 t ...

later that month. In 1968, the easternmost point in the United States,

Point Udall Point Udall may refer to: *Point Udall (Guam) Point Udall, also called Orote Point, is the westernmost point (by travel, not longitude) in the territorial United States, located on the Orote Peninsula of Guam. It lies at the mouth of Apra Har ...

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands () are an archipelago between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Caribbean Sea, geographically forming part of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, Caribbean islands or West Indie ...

, had been named for Udall's brother, Stewart. In a 1987 statement in regards to H.R. 2434, Congressman Smith and Guam's nonvoting congressional delegate

Ben Blaz Vincente Tomás Garrido Blaz (February 14, 1928 – January 8, 2014), also known as Ben Blaz, was a Chamorro people, Chamorro United States Marine Corps Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General from the United States Territories of the ...

explained that "America's day would begin and end at a Point Udall." When Mo Udall died in 1998, President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

issued a statement saying in part "It is fitting that the easternmost point of the United States, in the Virgin Islands, and the westernmost point, in Guam, are both named 'Udall Point.' The Sun will never set on the legacy of Mo Udall." This was also noted in the

Congressional Record The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Ind ...

by Rep. George Miller of California.

References

External links

Congressional resolution designating Udall Point, Guam
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422040806/http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/udall/address/pt_u.html , date=2017-04-22 Landforms of Guam Headlands of Oceania Orote Peninsula

Naming

See also

References

External links