[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 24] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 33472-33473] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]CONGRATULATING NELLE HARPER LEE ON THE OCCASION OF BEING AWARDED THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM ______ HON. JO BONNER of alabama in the house of representatives Thursday, December 6, 2007 Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, it is with both pride and pleasure that I rise today to honor one of the most beloved residents of Alabama, Miss Nelle Harper Lee, on the occasion of her receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. A native of Monroeville, Alabama, Miss Lee began her writing career at the University of Alabama where she wrote for student publications and served for one year as the editor of a campus humor magazine. She moved to New York City in 1950 where she worked as a reservations clerk with Eastern Air Lines and BOAC. In 1956, Miss Lee found an agent, and soon after, she began the draft of To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel was published on July 11, 1960, and became an immediate bestseller. She won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel, and in a 1999, poll run by the Library Journal, her novel was voted ``Best Novel of the Century.'' In 1966, Miss Lee was named to the National Council of Arts by President Johnson, and since that time, she has received many honorary doctorate degrees for her outstanding contributions to literature. Madam Speaker, Miss Lee's masterpiece To Kill a Mockingbird is a model of literary achievement that has become an American classic. Its pages spoke a strong message of honor and tolerance during our Nation's struggle for equality. So, from one native south Alabamian to another, please accept my heartfelt expression of pride--on behalf of all of us who, over the years, have been touched in some way by ``Mockingbird.'' It is only appropriate that I ask my colleagues to join with me in congratulating Miss Nelle Harper Lee on receiving this award. I know her sisters--Louise Lee Conner and Alice Lee--her family and her many friends join with me in praising her significant accomplishments. Today, Madam Speaker, I rise to ask that President George W. Bush's remarks in honor of Miss Lee made at the ceremony for the 2007 Medal of Freedom recipients be entered into the Congressional Record: [[Page 33473]] President Bush Honors Medal of Freedom Recipients, East Room--November 5, 2007 The President. Good morning. Laura and I are thrilled to welcome you to the White House. We welcome the members of Congress, the members of the Cabinet, and other distinguished guests. It's an honor to be with the Medal of Freedom recipients, as well as their family members and friends. We're sure glad you're here. The Medal of Freedom is the highest civil honor that a President can bestow. By an executive order of John F. Kennedy, the medal is designed to recognize great contributions to national security, the cause of peace and freedom, science, the arts, literature, and many other fields. The eight men and women came to this distinction by very different paths. Each of them, by effort and by character, has earned the respect of the American people, and holds a unique place in the story of our time. The story of an old order, and the glimmers of humanity that would one day overtake it, was unforgettably told in a book by Miss Harper Lee. Soon after its publication a reviewer said this: ``A hundred pounds of sermons on tolerance, or an equal measure of invective deploring the lack of it, will weigh far less in the scale of enlightenment than a mere 18 ounces of a new fiction bearing the title To Kill a Mockingbird.'' Given her legendary stature as a novelist, you may be surprised to learn that Harper Lee, early in her career, was an airline reservation clerk. (Laughter.) Fortunately for all of us, she didn't stick to writing itineraries. (Laughter.) Her beautiful book, with its grateful prose and memorable characters, became one of the biggest-selling novels of the 20th century. Forty-six years after winning the Pulitzer Prize, To Kill a Mockingbird still touches and inspires every reader. We're moved by the story of a man falsely accused--with old prejudice massed against him, and an old sense of honor that rises to his defense. We learn that courage can be a solitary business. As the lawyer Atticus Finch tells his daughter, ``before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.'' Years after To Kill a Mockingbird was put to film, the character of Atticus Finch was voted the greatest movie hero of all time. It won Gregory Peck the Oscar. He was said to believe the role ``brought him closest to being the kind of man he aspired to be.'' The great actor counted Harper Lee among his good friends, and we're so pleased that Gregory Peck's wife, Veronique, is with us today. Thank you for coming. One reason To Kill a Mockingbird succeeded is the wise and kind heart of the author, which comes through on every page. This daughter of Monroeville, Alabama had something to say about honor, and tolerance, and, most of all, love--and it still resonates. Last year Harper Lee received an honorary doctorate at Notre Dame. As the degree was presented, the graduating class rose as one, held up copies of her book, and cheered for the author they love. To Kill a Mockingbird has influenced the character of our country for the better. It's been a gift to the entire world. As a model of good writing and humane sensibility, this book will be read and studied forever. And so all of us are filled with admiration for a great American and a lovely lady named Harper Lee. Now I call on the military aide to read the citations for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Military Aide. Harper Lee. Harper Lee's beautiful book is a meditation on family, human complexity, and some of the great themes of American life. At a critical moment in our history, To Kill a Mockingbird helped focus the nation on the turbulent struggle for equality. The novel became an instant American classic and earned her a Pulitzer Prize. Nearly half a century after its publication, her work continues to captivate new readers who encounter its compelling power for the first time. The United States honors Harper Lee for her outstanding contribution to the great literary tradition of America. The President. Thank you all for coming. Laura and I now invite you to a reception here in the State Dining Room. I hope you've enjoyed this ceremony as much as I have. May God bless you all. Thank you. ____________________