[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
[February 9, 1995]
[Pages 187-188]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on the Death of J. William Fulbright
February 9, 1995

    I am deeply saddened by the death of former Senator William 
Fulbright. Both Hillary and I send our condolences to his wife, Harriet, 
and to their daughters, Elizabeth, Roberta, Heidi, Evi, and Shelby. Our 
prayers are with them at this difficult time.
    I am also grateful today for the conviction Senator Fulbright 
imparted to me when I was a young man. He taught me that we could make 
peace in the world if we seek a better understanding, if we promote 
exchanges among people, and if we advance the cause of global education.
    Senator Fulbright's legacy was about heart as much as brains. He 
made us feel that we could amount to something in our lives, that 
education

[[Page 188]]

could lift us up and lift this country up. He made us believe that we 
had an obligation to develop our God-given abilities to their fullest 
and then use them to engage in the passions of our day. He believed in 
reason and that, in the end, democracy would only prevail if we had the 
courage to seek the truth.
    One of his greatest legacies, the Fulbright scholarships, will 
celebrate their 50th anniversary in 1996. So far, 70,000 Americans and 
more than 200,000 people worldwide have participated in this program in 
more than 150 countries. Senator Fulbright left his mark on the lives of 
all the people who have benefited from those scholarships--and on many, 
many more of us along the way. We are all in his debt.