    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 22, 2002]
    [Pages 648-651]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Presenting the Arts and Humanities Awards
    April 22, 2002

        The President. Please be seated. We meet this evening to recognize
    some of our Nation's finest artists and scholars and authors. We honor
    their lifelong pursuit of excellence, and we hold up their achievements
    to future generations.
        I want to welcome you all. I want to thank Dr. Bruce Cole, who is the Chairman of the National Endowment for the
    Humanities, and Eileen Mason, Acting Chairman
    for the National Endowment for the Arts. I want to recognize Mrs. Lynne
    Cheney; Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife, Alma; Tom
    Ridge, who is the Director of the Homeland
    Security Office.
        Tonight we've got members of the Supreme Court with us: Antonin
    Scalia and his wife, Maureen; Stephen Breyer and his
    wife, Joanna. We've got a special
    entertainment tonight provided by my National Security Adviser,
    Condoleezza Rice. [Laughter]
        I want to thank the Members of the United States Congress who are
    here: from the United States Senate, Pete Domenici and Joe Lieberman, and
    from the House of Representatives, Norman Dicks, Mike McNulty, Tom
    Petri, Silvestre Reyes, and Louise Slaughter.
        I also want to thank Adair Margo, who is the
    Chairman of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. I
    want to thank the members of that committee, as well as the members of
    the National Council on the Arts and National Council on the Humanities.
        I also want to pay tribute to the memory of Michael Hammond, who
    passed away in January after serving for only one week as the Chairman
    of the National Endowment for the Arts. A classically educated scholar,
    Mike Hammond was also a composer and an educator and an expert on the
    neurology of the brain. All of us who

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    were privileged to know Mike will miss him deeply.
        The men and women who are about to receive the National Medal of
    Arts and the National Humanities Medal are singers and dancers and
    painters and producers and actors and writers and scholars. Yet, for all
    their differences, they have one thing in common: They're all teachers.
    They teach us about a ``Boy Named Sue''--[laughter]--about an ``Odd
    Couple.'' They teach us about a ``Last Lion'' or a ``Ragman's Son.''
    They help us to see more clearly and to think more deeply. They connect
    our past to our present and point the way to our future. And of course,
    they all have ``The Right Stuff.'' [Laughter]
        Honoring our leading artists and writers comes naturally to us. Yet,
    art and literature are often the first targets of tyranny, because
    they're the most prominent features of a free, creative, and open
    society. This creativity, this openness, and this freedom are what
    America defends today.
        This evening, as we celebrate the achievements of these remarkably
    talented women and men, let us also take just a moment to celebrate the
    Nation that esteems their craft, their hard work, and their sacrifice.
    America is proud to stand for creativity and freedom and civilization,
    and we honor these men and women who embody these values for America and
    for the world.
        It is now my privilege to present the 2001 National Humanities Medal
    winners.
        First, Jose Cisneros: Jose is well-known
    and well-loved for his historically accurate depictions of the Old
    Southwest. Major, please read the
    citation.

    [At this point, Maj. James M. McAllister, USA, Army Aide to the President, read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Robert Coles is a scholar,
    teacher, psychiatrist, best known for his sensitive observation of the
    inner lives of our children. Major,
    please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Sharon Darling, a former
    schoolteacher, is president of the National Center for Family Literacy,
    an organization that spans the Nation and reaches thousands of families
    every single year. Major, please read
    the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. William Manchester is
    a gifted historian and biographer who makes the past come alive for
    millions of the readers. Major, please
    read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Richard Peck has written
    more than 25 novels for younger readers which stress the importance of
    taking responsibility for one's actions. Major, please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Eileen Jackson Southern, who could not join us tonight, is a pioneering
    musicologist who has helped us understand the power of African American
    music. Major, please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation.]

        The President. Tom Wolfe is a chronicler of
    our times who has told us more about ourselves than many shelves of
    sociology books. Major, please read the
    citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. The National Trust for Historic Preservation,
    established by Congress in 1949, has worked more than 50 years to put
    historic preservation on the national agenda. Major, please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

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        The President. It is now my privilege to present the 2001 National
    Medals of Arts winners.
        Rudolfo Anaya, called the Godfather of
    Chicano Literature, has written many works about the myths and folklore
    of the Southwest. Major, please read the
    citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Johnny Cash: The Man in
    Black, country legend, an American beloved by millions.
    Major, please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Kirk Douglas is a
    distinguished actor, director, writer, and producer who has brought us
    more memorable performances on stage and screen than nearly anybody else
    for the past 60 years. Major, please
    read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Helen Frankenthaler
    is an abstract expressionist painter whose works combine thoughtfulness
    with spontaneity. And I'm proud to say that Laura and I have one of her
    early works, ``Painted on the 21st Street,'' which hangs in the private
    residence at the White House. Major,
    please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Judith Jamison: She's a
    master dancer, teacher, choreographer, and arts administrator who has
    been a creative force in the dance world for nearly four decades.
    Major, please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Yo-Yo Ma: World-renowned cellist
    who represents the very best in classical music. I tipped my hand a
    little earlier, but later on this great American figure will be
    performing with another world-renowned figure. [Laughter]
    Major, please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Mike Nichols: The endlessly
    inventive comedian, producer, and director of stage and screen.
    Major, please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. The Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, begun by master
    dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey in 1958, today ranks as one of
    America's most prestigious dance companies. Major, please read the citation.

    [Major McAllister read the citation, and
    the President presented the medal.]

        The President. Yes. Alvin Ailey. Congratulations.
        And now it is my great pleasure to introduce my wife--[laughter]--
    the First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush.

    [The First Lady congratulated the honorees and
    introduced Yo-Yo Ma and Condoleezza Rice, who performed a duet on cello and piano.]

        The President. Well, thank you all for coming tonight. It's been a
    fantastic evening. Again, I want to congratulate our honorees. And may
    God bless them, and may God continue to bless America.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:30 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall. The
    transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included
    the remarks of the First Lady.

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