[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
[October 7, 1993]
[Pages 1699-1703]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Presenting Arts and Humanities Awards
October 7, 1993

    Thank you very much. To our distinguished honorees and all of you in 
the audience; I want to say a special word of thanks to Jane Alexander 
and to Dr. Sheldon Hackney for their leadership of our administration's 
efforts in the arts and humanities.
    As a person who at various times in his life has been a frustrated 
writer and a frustrated musician, this is an extremely humbling event 
for me today. [Laughter] But I've been getting a lot of training in 
humility lately. I have a Vice President who humbles me all the time by 
all the things he teaches me about things great and insignificant and 
who unlike me actually got to go on David Letterman to prove how funny 
he was. [Laughter] And I have a wife who swept the television ratings 
last week talking about the arcana of health care with a passion and an 
eloquence. As if that weren't bad enough, USA Today had the bad grace to 
go out and poll the American people, and 40 percent of them said she was 
smarter than I am. [Laughter] To which I reply, ``Of course, what kind 
of dummy do you think I am? How else would I have gotten elected 
President?''
    And just to drive this humility home--this is the actual true part 
of this wonderful story--I went to southern California last week, or the 
first of this week, and I was looking forward to staying in the Beverly 
Hilton. It seemed like

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an exotic sort of place. And I showed up, and Merv Griffin, who owns it, 
shook hands with me and took me up to the floor where I was staying. 
There is only one person who is a permanent resident of the floor where 
I stayed in the Beverly Hilton, Rodney Dangerfield, who said they had 
put me there because we seem to belong together--[laughter]--and gave me 
12 roses with ``a little respect'' on a gift card.
    I am delighted to be here to honor this year's winners of the 
National Medal of the Arts and the Charles Frankel Prize, men and women 
whose achievements represent the enduring power of the arts and 
humanities and, in a larger sense, of the creative spirit in all of our 
lives.
    Throughout history, the arts and humanities have been the cultural 
signature of this great Nation. They have enabled Americans of all 
backgrounds and walks of life to gain a deeper appreciation of who they 
are as individuals and who we all are as a society, stirring our minds 
and our senses, stimulating learning and collective discourse, the arts 
and humanities teach us in ways that nothing else can about the vastness 
and the depth of human experience. They are our great equalizers. We 
inherit them, and we can all participate in them.
    Whether or not one plays an instrument, reads poetry, learns to 
pirouette, or spends hours alone in a local art gallery, we all have the 
capacity to be moved by a song, a poem, a story, a dance, a painting. We 
can feel our spirits soar when we see an intriguing film or the sudden 
illumination of a new idea or an old idea put in a new way.
    At a time when our society faces new and profound challenges, at a 
time when we are losing so many of our children, at a time when so many 
of our people feel insecure in the face of change, the arts and 
humanities must remain a vital part of our lives as individuals and as a 
Nation.
    For 200 years, the freedom of our artistic and intellectual 
imagination has contributed to the quality of our civic life. It has 
helped to shape American ideas of democracy, of pluralism, of tolerance. 
Three decades ago, President Kennedy said this: There's a connection, 
hard to explain logically but easy to feel, between achievement in 
public life and progress in the arts. The Jeffersonian era gave birth 
not only to the Declaration of Independence but also to beautiful 
Monticello. The age of Lincoln produced the Emancipation Proclamation, 
along with the Hudson River school of painting and the writings of Ralph 
Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The first 
half of this century gave us universal suffrage and the empowerment of 
American workers, as well as Charlie Chaplin, Frank Lloyd Wright, 
William Faulkner, Marian Anderson, and Duke Ellington. The same 
unbridled energy and potent imagination that took Americans to the moon 
inspired rock and roll, Motown, modern dance, and a new emphasis on 
civil and human rights.
    Those of you gathered with us today are reminders that the human 
imagination is still the most powerful tool we have in moving forward as 
a civilization. You provoke our minds, you enliven our senses, endow our 
souls, help us to give our lives meaning. That's why public support for 
the arts and humanities remains essential today and for the generations 
to come.
    Today, we are indeed fortunate to have inspiring new leaders working 
in Government to expand our artistic and humanistic endeavors, to carry 
on our heritage to future generations. I'm very proud of the work and 
the life that Sheldon Hackney and that Jane Alexander have lived before 
they came to this work. I thank them for their work here. And I tell you 
that we welcome all of you to give us your ideas, your suggestions, and 
your energy as we try to move forward together. Now it is a privilege to 
call forward the following recipients of the National Medal of Arts.
    First, the contributions of Walter and Leonore Annenberg to American 
culture can literally not be overstated. The Annenbergs have enriched 
our appreciation of the arts through public service, publishing, and as 
board members of major arts institutions. They have given generously of 
their time and their money. And they provided among other things the 
magnificent portrait of Benjamin Franklin, which hangs in the Green Room 
at the White House, one of the most prized possessions of this, your 
American home.

[At this point, the President congratulated Mr. and Mrs. Annenberg, and 
Hillary Clinton presented the medal.]

    The legendary vocalist and bandleader, Cab Calloway, has had indeed 
a remarkable career, one of the originators of American jazz. An 
enduring figure in popular music, Cab Calloway added ``Hi-dee-ho'' and 
the scat sound to our musical vocabulary. And for those of us who

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have lived a while, we can enjoy seeing the brightness of his smile in 
our memories going back for decades. He is an American original, and I 
am deeply honored that he's here with us today.

[The President congratulated Mr. Calloway, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Literally for decades, Ray Charles has been one of America's 
favorite singers. From his roots in Georgia, he became one of the first 
great truly American singers, one of the first to combine the dynamic 
energy of gospel music with rhythm and blues. His songs are indelibly 
etched in the hearts of millions of Americans.
    I can tell you that it's a particular honor for me to give him this 
award today, because I suppose no singer ever had a bigger impact on my 
musical life than Ray Charles. I still remember over there in 
Constitution Hall a concert I attended on June 24th, 1967. I was notable 
for being one of a few members of my race in the audience. And Ray 
Charles electrified that crowd so much that that night I literally could 
not go to sleep until 5 o'clock in the morning. I went out and ran 3 
miles to get the energy out. And I still remember to this day the date 
of the concert. That is testament to the enduring impact of this 
phenomenal American original.

[The President congratulated Mr. Charles, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Our next honoree, I believe, is part of the only brother-sister team 
ever to receive this great award. Bess Lomax Hawes has played a major 
role in the American folk movement since the 1940's as a singer, a 
teacher, a composer, an author of articles and books that help bring the 
folk arts into the lives of countless Americans. At a time when our 
native folk arts are largely lost to millions of our younger people, she 
has performed an invaluable service to our Nation in helping us to 
remember who we are and how we got here.

[The President congratulated Ms. Hawes, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    You know what she said? She said, ``I wish all the beautiful artists 
I've recorded and seen across the years in this country were here to 
receive this award for me. They were the inspiration for what I did.'' 
Thank you.
    Poet and educator Stanley Kunitz has spent a life opening America's 
eyes and ears to poetry. He makes the ordinary become extraordinary, the 
everyday become timeless and significant. He was awarded the Pulitzer 
Prize for Poetry in 1959, and his works grace us still.
    Welcome, Stanley Kunitz.

[The President congratulated Mr. Kunitz, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Robert Merrill has been acclaimed by critics as one of the great 
natural baritones of the century. He's appeared in 787 performances at 
the Metropolitan Opera over a 31-year operatic career. He's also sung on 
Broadway and many solo recitals and on television. And all of us who 
have ever heard him sing wish, as I tried to persuade him to do today, 
that this would be the 787th performance. He turned me down, but I still 
think we should give him the medal. Mr. Robert Merrill.

[The President congratulated Mr. Merrill, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Arthur Miller has given our Nation some of the finest plays of this 
century. His character, Willy Loman in ``Death of a Salesman,'' caught 
the public's imagination by conveying the tension and drama of a common 
man's life. In ``The Crucible,'' he focused on issues of conscience by 
probing the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century. He won the 
Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1949. The thing that has always impressed me 
about him was the continuing energy he has brought to his work over such 
a long period of time, seeming forever young with something always new 
to say. Please welcome Arthur Miller.

[The President congratulated Mr. Miller, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Robert Rauschenberg is one of America's most innovative artists 
whose remarkable works have been displayed in museums and galleries 
around the world, and who has really helped to transform our notions of 
contemporary art. Modern art is often inaccessible to a lot of people 
who don't go to art galleries and often don't understand it. I have 
personally been impressed by how many people I know who don't count 
themselves as connoisseurs, who have seen and been moved by the works of 
our next honoree, Robert Rauschenberg.

[The President congratulated Mr. Rauschenberg, and Hillary Clinton 
presented the medal.]

[[Page 1702]]

    He's also a pretty good comic. I said, ``It's great to see you here 
today.'' He said, ``Oh, I'll show up for this anytime.'' [Laughter]
    Lloyd Richards has devoted his career to promoting theater in 
America. As dean of the Yale school of drama and artistic director of 
the Yale Repertory Theater, he has trained some our Nation's finest 
young talents, many of whom have turned into our finest, not so young 
talents, helping to make for him a remarkable legacy for which we are 
all grateful. Lloyd Richards.

[The President congratulated Mr. Richards, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Well, I got another little lesson in humility back there. He said, 
``You both have said some nice things today.'' And then he looked at me 
and he said, ``And you did something for stand-up comedy also.'' And 
then he said, ``Well, at least you didn't set it back.'' [Laughter]
    William Styron's haunting works, including ``Lie Down in Darkness,'' 
``The Confessions of Nat Turner,'' and ``Sophie's Choice,'' capture our 
history and character with a passion and insight few others have ever 
achieved. His compelling prose as a fiction writer and essayist has won 
him readers around the world, those of us who anxiously await each new 
word.
    I can tell you that as a young southerner, the impact of ``The 
Confessions of Nat Turner'' on me was truly stunning. And I can say that 
for a whole generation of us who had never quite found words to give 
expression to many of the things we had imagined until we read the works 
of William Styron.

[The President congratulated Mr. Styron, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Paul Taylor has been one of our Nation's preeminent dancers and 
choreographers for more than three decades. And I might say, he looks as 
if he could outdance most of us in this country still today. His more 
than 80 works explore the richness, the complexity of the American 
character, and graphically demonstrate the deep undercurrents of human 
relations in a way few other choreographers have ever been able to do. 
Please join me in welcoming Paul Taylor.

[The President congratulated Mr. Taylor, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Since coming to this country in the 1930's, Billy Wilder has helped 
to transform the American motion picture industry. As a writer, 
director, and producer, his name attached to many classics of American 
film. He's won six Academy Awards and millions of fans. And perhaps most 
important, he's given us a lot of moving movie moments. If you've never 
laughed at a funny Billy Wilder picture, you have never laughed. Mr. 
Billy Wilder.

[The President congratulated Mr. Wilder, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Now, it is my great honor to introduce the winners of the Charles 
Frankel Prize. Ricardo E. Alegria is an historian and anthropologist who 
has dedicated his career to the study and public appreciation of 
Caribbean culture. I'm glad to see so many of his supporters from his 
native Puerto Rico here today, and I thank him for coming this long way 
to be with us. Mr. Alegria.

[The President congratulated Mr. Alegria, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the award.]

    In a 50-year career as a writer and a teacher, historian John Hope 
Franklin has been a leading scholar of African-American studies and an 
active voice in the social transformation of America. He's won nearly 
100 honorary degrees. He's served on the National Council of Humanities. 
His writings have illuminated his subject for a whole generation after 
generation of young readers. I was once one of them--a reader, and 
young--reading John Hope Franklin. And I'd like to say that one of the 
great moments of our 1992 campaign was when John Hope Franklin came on 
one of our bus trips with us; and Al Gore and Tipper and Hillary and I 
sat and had a chance to visit with him and really learn something from a 
man who has mastered the mystery of America. John Hope Franklin.

[The President congratulated Mr. Franklin, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the award.]

    Hanna Holborn Gray has had a truly remarkable career. She served for 
15 years as president of the University of Chicago, where she became a 
highly visible and widely acclaimed advocate for higher education. She 
has been honored for her scholarship, her words, and her work in many 
ways, especially in receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our 
country's highest civilian award. She deserves greatly the award she 
receives today. Hanna Gray.

[The President congratulated Ms. Gray, and Hillary Clinton presented the 
award.]

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    After a distinguished career as chairman and chief executive officer 
of Time Incorporated, Andrew Heiskell was appointed founding chairman of 
the President's Committee on Arts and Humanities in 1982. As a leader in 
promoting the arts and humanities, he energetically, and I echo 
energetically, persuaded cultural leaders and business executives to 
support cultural activities and institutions. He filled a void in 
American life at a time when we needed him. And today we thank him for 
that. Andrew Heiskell.

[The President congratulated Mr. Heiskell, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the award.]

    There are a lot of funny people. He said ``All this and dinner, 
too?'' [Laughter]
    Historian Laurel T. Ulrich has introduced both scholarly and public 
audiences to the lives of ordinary people in New England's past. Her 
recent book ``A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, based on her 
diary,'' won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for History, among other honors.
    Now that I have become President, perhaps I can say this with 
greater authority than would otherwise be the case: We oftentimes tend 
to see our history too much through the lives and works of the famous 
and not enough through the remarkable lives of the people who are not 
famous. She has made a truly significant contribution to our 
understanding of our roots. And for that we thank her.

[The President congratulated Ms. Ulrich, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the award.]

    And now I have one last special honor, and that is to present to 
Congressman Sidney Yates the Presidential Citizens Medal for his 
exemplary deeds of service in the area of arts and humanities. The last 
time Congressman Yates was here for an occasion at the White House, it 
happened to be on the day he and his wife were celebrating their 58th 
wedding anniversary. And today, we honor him for that many years and 
more of dedication to our common cause. Congressman Yates, please come 
forward.

[The President congratulated Mr. Yates, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Again, let me thank the honorees for being here today, thank all of 
you in the audience who have come to support them and to support the 
arts.
    Before we go, I just can't resist saying this. Just before I came 
out here, I learned today that a great American writer and a friend of 
Hillary's and mine, Toni Morrison, was awarded the Nobel Prize for 
Literature today. I hope that in the years and struggles ahead we will 
work hard together to keep the arts and humanities alive and 
flourishing, not just here in the Nation's Capital or in the cultural 
capitals of this great land but in every community and in every 
neighborhood.
    Remember, all the people we honor today were once in an ordinary 
community in an ordinary neighborhood living only with the imagination 
they had that brought them to this day and this honor. We have to find 
that imagination and fire it in the children all over America.
    Thank you all, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 2:46 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to former television talk show host 
Merv Griffin and comedian Rodney Dangerfield.