[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
[October 14, 1994]
[Pages 1762-1766]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Presenting Arts and Humanities Awards
October 14, 1994

    Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, Hillary and I are 
delighted to have all of you here today. This is the second year I've 
had the pleasure of honoring the winners of the National Medal of the 
Arts and the Charles Frankel Prize. And it's really one of the great 
pleasures of my job. I may or may not be the first President who's 
actually reviewed the recommendations of the committee when they send 
them to me for who should receive the prize, but it enables me to sort 
of relive large chunks of my life as I see the artists who have been 
recommended for this esteemed honor.
    Today we celebrate the human imagination and its power to move us 
forward as a civilization. In honoring our finest artists and humanists, 
we honor the great American cultural traditions of pluralism, free 
expression, and tolerance. We honor the quality of our civic life, which 
for more than two centuries has offered hope and opportunities to 
Americans from all walks of life, even in the midst of momentous social 
and political change.
    The arts and humanities are our bridge as a people, our bridge to 
one another. Whatever divisions exist among us, the arts and humanities 
draw us together. They enable us to celebrate our own individual 
identities, while also teaching us about the things we share as 
Americans. They give us a window on the human condition that prevents us 
from becoming too complacent or too numb or too fearful of the 
challenges and complexities of the world of today and tomorrow.
    Too often we think of art and scholarship, of creative expression 
and the world of ideas, as the provinces of a cultural elite. Indeed, 
too often these very arguments have been made by those who would seek to 
divide us one from another, to divide those who write our songs and 
paint our pictures and act in our dramas from what they would call 
normal Americans. But the truth is that the arts and humanities don't 
discriminate or prejudge, they honor all of us equally. And when we 
listen and look and feel, they bind us together instead of giving in to 
those who would divide us.
    Song, dance, painting, drama, books, ideas, and scholarship have 
never been the province of one ethnic group, one religion, one political 
faction in this country. They are part of our common heritage. They 
convey all the distinct and different voices, emotions, and images that 
together make up what is a uniquely American culture. That's why they 
can be a powerful source of our renewal and our common unity as we move 
forward into the 21st century.
    We need only look at our own history to know that every step we have 
taken forward as a democracy has coincided with a period of great 
artistic and intellectual ferment. By fueling our own imaginations, by 
enlarging our understanding of human experience, the arts and humanities 
have always given us greater confidence to confront whatever 
uncertainties loom before us. We need that now, greater confidence in 
the face of uncertainty, because I believe more than I can convey in 
words that the 21st century can be our greatest time if we learn to 
relish and cherish and celebrate our diversity and to face our 
challenges with genuine confidence. [Applause] You know, I'm glad you 
clapped for that because it wasn't in the notes; it's just what I wanted 
to say. [Laughter] The president of my alma mater, Georgetown, is over 
there. He's very glad I'm well-educated enough to think of

[[Page 1763]]

one coherent sentence that wasn't written for me. [Laughter]
    Given that this is National Arts and Humanities Month, it's an 
appropriate time also to remember that public support for the arts and 
humanities, while always a minor portion of overall financial backing, 
remains essential today. And it will be so, as far as we can foresee. 
Therefore, I want to thank especially all those people who were 
individually introduced by the First Lady just a few moments ago. They 
are a powerful voice for arts and humanities within this administration, 
and I am very proud of each and every one of them and the service they 
render to the United States.
    Now, I have the honor of conferring the National Medal of the Arts 
and the Charles Frankel Prize on a wonderful group of awardees.
    First, to a man whose music I love and who I found to be one of the 
funniest people I ever saw perform in person, who later lived long 
enough to be able to encourage and on occasion rebuke me as President, 
Harry Belafonte. Harry Belafonte once brought tears to my eyes of 
laughter at one of his concerts and later brought tears to my eyes with 
his passion for an event which is unfolding today, the return of 
President Aristide to Haiti. He once said, ``The role of art isn't just 
to show life as it is but to show life as it should be.'' Well, Harry 
Belafonte has not only brought joy to his audiences, but he's inspired 
people throughout the world with his dedication to freedom movements and 
humanitarian causes.
    Singer, actor, producer, Harry Belafonte has set industry standards 
with many successes. His third album, ``Calypso,'' was the first ever to 
sell over a million copies. We're familiar with his work on U.S.A. for 
Africa, which produced a Grammy award-winning album and video, ``We Are 
The World.'' Today he continues to bring art and activism together to 
inspire all of us to live our lives with passion and with concern for 
others.
    Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating Harry 
Belafonte.

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

    The next awardee is the first person on this list whose work ever 
touched me personally. I'll never forget the first time when, as a high 
school musician, I discovered that I could actually play the saxophone 
lead in ``Take Five.'' And Mr. Brubeck, I can still almost do it. 
[Laughter]
    A pianist, composer, and bandleader, Dave Brubeck is truly an 
American jazz legend. Reaching international stardom in the 1950's, the 
Dave Brubeck Quartet performed with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, 
Stan Getz, and others. The ``Time Out'' album was the first modern jazz 
album to go gold. A classically trained musician, Dave Brubeck is also 
recognized worldwide for his compositions that include ballet scores, 
piano concertos, oratorios, cantatas, and a mass. Merging both of his 
interests, he was a pioneer in combining jazz and symphony sounds.
    I can also tell you that he is still playing all the time and very 
well. It is my great personal honor to present the next award to Dave 
Brubeck.

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

    Contralto Celia Cruz is known internationally as the Queen of Salsa. 
Born in Havana, she began her vocal career singing her younger siblings 
to sleep. It wasn't long, though, before she began electrifying 
audiences on a larger scale. She's sung with Latin musical greats like 
La Sonora Matancera, Tito Puente, and Johnny Pacheco. Celia Cruz has 
used her powerful voice and style to transplant Afro-Cuban music to 
every corner of the globe. Please congratulate Celia Cruz.

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

    Since beginning her career as a violin teacher at the Juilliard 
School in 1948, Dorothy DeLay has inspired and instructed dozens of 
virtuosos and concert masters from all over the world. Instead of 
teaching a particular technique or a tone, her greatest achievement has 
been to draw out the individual talents and passions of her students. 
Through her guidance and encouragement, artists such as Itzhak Perlman, 
Sarah Chang, Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg, Cho-Liang Lin, and Nigel Kennedy 
have become internationally renowned violinists. Itzhak Perlman said 
this: ``Miss DeLay's contributions to the excellence of the arts in this 
country are vast, and her place in the history of classical music is 
secure.'' No one could say it better.

[[Page 1764]]

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

    Anyone who has ever seen our next awardee perform knows what great 
acting is all about. Julie Harris is a 5-time Tony Award winner, one of 
our Nation's most talented and versatile actresses. Her credits include 
``I Am a Camera,'' ``The Lark,'' ``Forty Carats,'' ``The Last of Mrs. 
Lincoln,'' and ``The Belle of Amherst,'' in which she had the starring 
role as Emily Dickinson. That 1976 production broke box office records 
here at the Kennedy Center as well as in Philadelphia and Boston. Her 
stage successes won her the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the 
Donaldson Award. She has also, as all of you know, lent her considerable 
talents to television, radio, and film. Miss Julie Harris.

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

    Our next honoree is truly a pioneer in his field. Erick Hawkins was 
the first American in George Balanchine's School of American Ballet and 
the first male dancer in Martha Graham's company. In 1951, he opened his 
own dance school and founded a dance company, both of which continue to 
add vitality and originality to the dance world today. As a 
choreographer, dancer, and teacher, Erick Hawkins' unique talent has 
been to place dance in a larger cultural and philosophical context. For 
his boldness and talent, Erick Hawkins commands a legendary place in 
American modern dance heritage. Erick Hawkins.

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

    Our next honoree is Gene Kelly. Perhaps the most versatilely 
talented and widely admired American dancer, singer, and actor of this 
generation. He wanted very much to be here today and had planned to 
come, but at the last moment was literally forbidden by his doctors to 
do so. So his wife has come to receive the award for him.
    All of you know that he is an award-winning director, choreographer, 
and producer, a household name who has inspired even the most 
uncoordinated among us to imitate his memorable scenes, as I must 
confess I tried to do for my daughter not very long ago when he was 
singing in the rain on television. Every one of you has probably done 
the same thing, if you would be perfectly honest about it. [Laughter]
    Having performed in such timeless classics as ``For Me and My Gal,'' 
``Anchors Aweigh,'' ``On the Town,'' and ``An American in Paris,'' its's 
no wonder that he received a Kennedy Center Award in 1982 for his 
lifetime contribution to the arts. Whether on stage or screen, Gene 
Kelly is an American treasure whose musicals entertain people of all 
generations. Even though he is unable to join us today, we know he's 
here with us in spirit. We're glad that Patricia is here to accept this 
award on his behalf. Mr. Gene Kelly.

[The President congratulated Mrs. Kelly, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    The next awardee is the second person on this list who had a 
personal impact on my life, and I would daresay, the lives of every 
American citizen, at least every American who is 50 years of age or 
younger and maybe who's 75 or 80 or younger. Pete Seeger is an American 
legend. Influenced by his father, Charles Seeger, a famous American 
musicologist, he achieved international fame as a folk singer, 
songwriter, and political activist in the fifties and sixties. Among his 
many credits are performing with Woodie Guthrie's band and composing 
``If I Had a Hammer,'' ``Where Have all the Flowers Gone,'' and many 
other songs that all of us know by heart. He has also lent his music to 
support the civil right movement, the protection of our environment, and 
the labor movement. Occasionally he still picks up his banjo, and anyone 
who is fortunate enough to listen will attest still to his place as one 
of our most enduring and endearing and important folk musicians. Mr. 
Peter Seeger.

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

    Catherine Filene Shouse has been a lifelong patron of the arts. Her 
leadership has supported the Washington Ballet, the Washington Opera, 
the Kennedy Center, the New York City, and Miami City Ballets. For a 
half century, she worked on behalf of the National Symphony Orchestra. 
In 1966, she donated 100 acres of her Virginia farm as well as funds for 
an amphitheater to the United States Government. The Wolf Trap Farm Park 
for the Performing Arts is America's first and only national park 
dedicated to the performing arts and related educational programs. It is 
a truly national treasure that I think we should all be grateful for. I

[[Page 1765]]

wish we had more national parks that were for people to work in and 
learn in and live in. We owe her a lot, and today we recognize her for 
her signal gifts.

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

    Professor Wayne Thiebaud is not your average college art teacher. A 
professor at the University of California at Davis, he's also an 
internationally renowned artist whose painting are on display at the 
Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney 
Museum of Art in New York, the Chicago Art Institute, Harvard's Fogg Art 
Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Art.
    While his works hang on the walls of the most famous American 
museums, his teaching allows serious art students to learn and develop 
from his own artistic genius. I don't know about you, but one of the 
things that I'd like to say is we probably ought to recognize more 
teachers in this world. And when a teacher has this kind of gift and 
decides on his own initiative to keep on teaching, that in itself is a 
contribution worthy of this medal. Thank you.

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

    Richard Wilbur has been a poet, translator, teacher, Broadway 
lyricist, among others, for--I have to plug one of my favorites--for the 
work he did with Lillian Hellman and Leonard Bernstein on ``Candide.'' A 
critic and editor, an author of children's books, foremost among his 
literary achievements have been his poetry and his translations. He has 
won two Pulitizer Prizes, the National Book Award, was our second poet 
laureate. For his translation of French plays, he's won the Bolligen and 
PEN translation prizes. His translations from Moliere and Racine are the 
most celebrated American translations from the French theater. I think 
that all of us know that Richard Wilbur is, among all other things, one 
of the greatest poets of the 20th century, and we honor him today.

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

    We're giving an award to an organization now that is terribly 
important. In a time when many schools are having to scale back or 
eliminate their music, theater, or dance programs, Young Audiences 
Incorporated is helping to make the performing arts an essential part of 
young people's education. Last year Young Audiences' professional 
artists presented nearly 50,000 performances, reaching more than 6 
million public school students. Coordinating with schools and 
communities to establish partnerships on behalf of arts education, Young 
Audiences has been instrumental in bringing the enrichment of performing 
arts to millions of young people all across our country. That is a 
terrific achievement, and I am honored to present the medal to one of 
our most outstanding young musicians, Yo Yo Ma.

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

    I now present the winners of the 1994 Charles Frankel Prize for 
their work in the humanities. And I begin quite proudly with a man who 
has been a longtime personal friend of the First Lady and of mine, whose 
work in education will influence educators and therefore help students 
well into the next century. Ernest Boyer is a distinguished scholar, 
educator, and administrator who has demonstrated in his life an 
unparalleled commitment to educational excellence.
    As president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of 
Teaching at Princeton, he's helped lead the national education debate 
for more than 10 years now. He has consistently cited as one of our 
Nation's foremost advocates of educational reform. And I can tell you 
that, having worked with him myself for the better part of a decade, 
deep in his heart he does believe that all children can learn and that 
we can find a way to teach them. Mr. Ernest Boyer.

[The President congratulated Mr. Boyer, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the prize.]

    A professor of English at the University of Montana and an 
accomplished writer, William Kittredge is considered the leading scholar 
of the American West. His essays, memoirs, short stories, and film 
screenplays about the West have reached a national audience. Helping to 
establish Western regional studies as an academic field, he has taken 
Americans beyond the sentimentalized view of the Old West, providing us 
with a more complex and worthy history of the American West. Mr. William 
Kittredge.

[The President congratulated Mr. Kittredge, and Hillary Clinton 
presented the prize.]

[[Page 1766]]

    For the past 20 years, Peggy Whitman Prenshaw has been a champion of 
the humanities. A distinguished scholar of Southern literature at 
Louisiana State University, she has organized, conducted, or 
participated in dozens of public humanities forums in Mississippi and 
Louisiana. She has been a tireless advocate of the humanities in 
American civic life and has served on the Mississippi Humanities 
Council, the Federation of State Humanities Councils, and the Louisiana 
Endowment for the Humanities. She is my neighbor, and I know of her work 
and how much it has meant to so many of those ordinary citizens who 
might never have seen some of the things they saw but for her efforts. 
Thank you very much.

[The President congratulated Ms. Prenshaw, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the prize.]

    It is a great personal honor for me to have the opportunity to 
present the next award to our good friend Sharon Percy Rockefeller, the 
president and chief executive officer of WETA from 1989 to 1994. She has 
led TV 26 in becoming the third largest producer of national programs 
for the Public Broadcasting Service. During her tenure, the weekly 
viewership of WETA TV 26 grew to an unprecedented one million viewers 
and WETA became a forerunner in the production of outstanding 
programming in the arts and humanities. Most notable among the long list 
of excellent programs is WETA's co-production of Ken Burns' magnificent 
1990 documentary ``The Civil War,'' the highest rated program in the 
history of public television.

[The President congratulated Ms. Rockefeller, and Hillary Clinton 
presented the prize.]

    You know what she said when I gave it to her? She said, ``Don't 
forget `Baseball.''' And it was the only baseball we had this year. 
[Laughter]
    Today, Dorothy Porter Wesley is recognized for her role as a 
preeminent archivist of African-Americana. During her 43-year tenure as 
the principal compiler of the black studies collection housed at Howard 
University's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, she has set national 
standards for collecting, preserving, and making accessible thousands of 
books, pamphlets, manuscripts, portraits, and artifacts relating to 
blacks in America and in Africa. She was the visiting senior scholar at 
the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for Afro-American Research at Harvard 
University. She also is still in her heart a librarian. The first thing 
she asked me when I saw her today was whether I was using the White 
House Library. [Laughter] The second thing I did was get a reprimand for 
having four overdue books. [Laughter] Please welcome her here today.

[The President congratulated Ms. Wesley, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the prize.]

    The final presentation is of a Presidential Citizens Medal to an 
invaluable ally of the arts and humanities in Congress, the 
distinguished chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island. Senator Pell is one of the founding 
fathers of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National 
Endowment for the Humanities. He has tirelessly served this country 
through legislative leadership and unwavering advocacy of the arts and 
humanities. As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts 
and Humanities, he's been instrumental in providing opportunities for 
artists in funding arts programs and preservation projects and in 
bringing the experience and the appreciation of the arts to communities 
all across this country.
    Let us give him a warm round of applause. Senator Pell, 
congratulations. [Applause]

[The President congratulated Senator Pell, and Hillary Clinton presented 
the medal.]

    Now, let's end this program with a thanks to the good Lord for 
keeping the rain away and a good round of applause to all of our 
honorees. [Applause]
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 2:52 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House.