    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [October 6, 1993]
    [Page 1697]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Honoring White House Fellows
    October 6, 1993

        Thank you very much. Mr. Vice President and my longtime friend Nancy
    Bekavac, ladies and gentlemen, I want to welcome the White House
    fellows, their families and friends and the White House Fellowship
    Commission here.
        This program has been largely a secret to the American people for a
    long time, and yet it has been one of the most important things that has
    been done to enrich and diversify the work of administrations for
    decades now.
        We have a remarkable array of White House fellows this year. We have
    an American Indian poet and legal scholar working at the Interior
    Department, a basketball star and a tax expert at State, an AIDS
    specialist at Commerce, two doctors at the Pentagon. Several fellows
    work here at the White House, including an astronomer tackling
    environmental issues at the National Security Council, a Bronx preacher
    reviewing domestic policy--sometimes I think we do better praying over
    these problems than what we do anyway--an author and an illustrator
    helping to build our national service corps, and we have two heroes of
    the Persian Gulf war, one working for the Vice President and one for
    Mack McLarty, my Chief of Staff.
        I am very grateful to all the people here behind me and all those
    who have served on the Fellowship Commission, including our birthday
    girl, Pauline Gore.
        With all of your responsibilities, it's a credit to you that you
    understand the importance of this program, that you've been willing to
    give your time, your attention, your energies to it. I hope that you
    will always be very, very proud of this.
        You know, Colin Powell was a White House fellow. Henry Cisneros was
    a White House fellow. Tim Wirth, our Under Secretary of State for Global
    Affairs, was a White House fellow. We don't have any idea what these
    young people here behind me will be doing in 5 or 10 or 15 years. But
    one thing is for sure, whatever it is they wind up doing, they'll do a
    better job of it because those of you on this Commission gave them an
    opportunity to serve. And I will certainly be a better President because
    you gave them an opportunity to serve.
        This has been a truly astonishing month. A lot of incredible things
    have happened in the world and in our country. And all these people have
    been a part of that remarkable change. We're committed to continuing to
    do that.
        I told a dinner last night there's something to be said just for
    showing up for work every day. Sooner or later you can make some good
    things happen. But it's a lot easier when you've got people with the
    richness, the diversity, the gifts and the commitment of the White House
    fellows.
        So to all of you, I say thank you, and I give you my renewed
    commitment to this program and to honoring your service and your
    efforts.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:57 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Nancy Bekavac, president, Scripps
    College, Claremont, CA.