    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [November 27, 2001]
    [Pages 1448-1449]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Honoring the United States Nobel Laureates
    November 27, 2001

        Ambassador, thank you very much.
    Welcome. Dr. Marburger, thanks for putting this on. We're so honored
    that so many great Americans have shown up today. Laura and I are
    thrilled to not only greet you but host a reception after this brief
    dialog.
        I want to welcome all the Nobel laureates, past and present. I want
    to thank Members of the Congress for being here. I want to thank members
    of my Cabinet for coming. And I am grateful that family and friends have
    joined such a distinguished crowd.
        As the Ambassador said, for a century now
    the Nobel Prize has recognized human striving and accomplishment. Since
    1901 more than 700 Nobel Prizes have been awarded, and a third of those
    to Americans.
        Standing
    with me are
    seven of
    those who
    have been selected this year. Among their achievements are pathbreaking
    discoveries in physics, helpful insights in the workings of the market
    economies, and a new treatment for Parkinson's disease. And all of
    America congratulates them.
        Each Nobel laureate here today belongs to a incredibly select group
    of people. It includes the names of Martin Luther King, Jr.; George C.
    Marshall; T.S. Eliot; Albert Einstein; Vice President Charles Dawes; and
    President Theodore Roosevelt, the first

    [[Page 1449]]

    American Nobel laureate, whose Peace Prize today occupies a place of
    honor in the West Wing of the White House.
        Tomorrow I'll meet with the newest recipient of that prize,
    Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Several other Nobel
    laureates have visited the White House this year: Nelson
    Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Shimon Peres.
        These folks come from different regions of the world, but the Nobel
    Foundation is never limited by region or culture. The standard is a
    universal one. It is awarded to men and women who have served the
    highest aspirations of humanity and have done so with success. Many
    awards recognize excellence; the Nobel Foundation recognizes greatness.
        So much of human progress depends on achievements in medicine,
    physics, chemistry, economics, literature, and peace. The annual
    selection of the laureates expresses a profound optimism about humanity
    and our prospects for improvement. This optimism was captured by William
    Faulkner, when accepting his Nobel Prize a half century ago. ``I
    believe,'' he said, ``that man will not merely endure; he will prevail.
    He is immortal, not because he alone amongst creatures has an
    inexhaustible voice but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of
    compassion, sacrifice, and endurance.''
        Each of you, in your own field of excellence, has carried forward
    that same belief in human progress. You've achieved greatness through
    service to others. You have been given great gifts, and you've used them
    to your fullest.
        Our Nation is proud of the work each of you have done. We're proud
    to count you as fellow citizens. We thank you for bringing credit to our
    country and great benefit to mankind.
        And now, Laura and I would like to invite you all into the foyer for
    a reception.
        God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:20 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Swedish Ambassador to the U.S. Jan
    Eliasson; John H. Marburger III, Director, Office of Science and
    Technology Policy; 2001 Nobel laureates Eric A. Cornell, Wolfgang
    Ketterle, and Carl E. Wieman (Physics), William S. Knowles (Chemistry),
    Leland H. Hartwell (Physiology or Medicine), George A. Akerlof, A.
    Michael Spence, and Joseph E. Stiglitz (Economic Sciences), and United
    Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan (Peace); former President Nelson
    Mandela of South Africa, 1993 Nobel Peace laureate; and Foreign Minister
    Shimon Peres of Israel, 1994 Nobel Peace laureate. The Office of the
    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these
    remarks.