    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [April 17, 1996]
    [Pages 593-594]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting the Report of the
    National Endowment for the Humanities
    April 17, 1996

    To the Congress of the United States:
        I am pleased to present to you the 1995 Annual Report of the
    National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). For 30 years, this Federal
    agency has given Americans great opportunities to explore and share with
    each other our country's vibrant and diverse cultural heritage. Its work
    supports an impressive array of humanities projects.
        These projects have mined every corner of our tradition, unearthing
    all the distinct and different voices, emotions, and ideas that together
    make up what is a uniquely American culture. In 1995, they ranged from
    an award-winning television documentary on President Franklin Delano
    Roosevelt, the radio production Wade in the Water, to preservation
    projects that will rescue 750,000 important books from obscurity and
    archive small community newspapers from every State in the Union.
    Pandora's Box, a traveling museum exhibit of women and myth in classical
    Greece, drew thousands of people.
        The humanities have long helped Americans bridge differences, learn
    to appreciate one another, shore up the foundations of our democracy,
    and build strong and vital institutions across our country. At a time
    when our society faces new and profound challenges, when so many
    Americans feel insecure in the face of change, the presence and
    accessibility of the humanities in all our lives can be a powerful

    [[Page 594]]

    source of our renewal and our unity as we move forward into the 21st
    century.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    April 17, 1996.