[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 40 (Monday, October 9, 1995)]
[Pages 1765-1772]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Presenting the Arts and Humanities Awards

October 5, 1995

    The President. Thank you very much. It's an eerie feeling being 
introduced by your wife. [Laughter] You never know what's going to be 
said. [Laughter] You're steeling yourself for the discipline not to show 
any adverse reaction. [Laughter] We're having a good time today, Hillary 
and I are. We love this day; we look forward to it. And we thank all of 
you for coming. We thank especially Senator Pell and Senator Simpson. 
Thank you for coming. We're glad to see you.
    We thank the members of the administration who are here. I see 
Secretary Riley, and Deputy Secretary Kunin of Education; and Roger 
Johnson, the Director of the General Services Administration. There may 
be others here. I thank all of you for being here. I want to say a 
special word of thanks for the service of Jane Alexander and Sheldon 
Hackney for the great job that they have done. I thank my good friend 
John Brademas, the Chairman of the President's Committee on the Arts and 
Humanities, and Diane Frankel, the Director of the Institute for Museum 
Services. And I thank all the members of the Arts and the Humanities

[[Page 1766]]

Councils who are here for their willingness to serve.
    It's a great honor for me to be able to present today the National 
Medal of Arts and the Charles Frankel Prize in the Humanities to a 
distinguished group of Americans who have lived their lives as builders, 
bringing people enlightenment, bringing people enjoyment, advancing the 
cause of human knowledge and human understanding and the joy in life. 
Before I do that, I think I ought to say, we've had a couple of pieces 
of good news this morning at the White House, which at least are not 
inconsistent with what so many of these people have given their lives 
to.
    The President of Mexico called me this morning and told me that, 
after all the difficulties his country had faced in recent months, that 
he was making an early repayment of $700 million of the money they 
borrowed from the United States to keep their economy going. And I think 
that's a good thing.
    You know, when you loan money, you never know whether it's a good 
thing or not until it's too late to do anything about it. [Laughter] 
Some of you have been in that position. But they're our friends; they're 
our allies; they're our partners for the future. They're fighting for 
their democracy, and they're fighting for the quality of their country's 
economy. They hit a rough spot in the road, and they borrowed less money 
than we authorized them to, and they're paying it back more quickly. And 
we're going to have a brighter future as a result of it and a safer, 
more secure future, and a better partnership. And that's a good thing.
    And perhaps even more importantly, I learned early this morning that 
in 5 days from now, if we can just get a couple of things done, the 
parties in Bosnia have agreed to a complete cease-fire of all military 
hostilities. They have, furthermore, agreed to come for what are called 
``proximity peace talks''--I'll tell you about that in a minute; that's 
a Government language word--to the United States to actually talk about 
hammering out a final peace agreement in late October. So this is a good 
day for the cause of peace and prosperity in the world and in the United 
States.
    Proximity peace talks means that they'll all come to the same 
country, to the same town, to the same place, but they'll let us talk to 
them, and they won't talk to each other until--[laughter]--but that's 
better than it's been. [Laughter] And sooner or later, we'll all find 
out we have more in common than we do dividing us. And that's the lesson 
that we hope the American people keep in mind us we go through the next 
months and years as well.
    I think it's fair to say that no President has ever enjoyed these 
award ceremonies more than I have because every year I get a chance to 
recognize the lifetime achievements of people who have been heroes to me 
in various ways, men and women who, unbeknownst to them, have been my 
teachers, my role models, my inspiration, because, as President, I am no 
different than any other American who enjoys literature or music or art 
and architecture. And I have benefited, as so many of you have, from the 
work of the people we recognize today.
    These awards call attention to the lives of 17 individuals and one 
organization who have worked to enrich the lives of millions and 
millions of Americans, millions of people around the world, and have 
made this country a stronger, better, richer place. They are genuine 
examples of the American ideal and their work as a whole is a national 
treasure.
    The arts and humanities have energized the American dream in so many 
ways. The soul of our country has literally been shaped by the vision of 
our artists and the creativity of those whom we honor here today. And 
many others in the past have helped America to become and to remain the 
freest, most democratic nation in the world. Through the arts and 
humanities, we assert both our oneness and our diversity. And in 
celebrating this ideal, we move forward together.
    Human creativity is clearly the most powerful force on Earth. And 
these awardees have exercised that power to the fullest. They have woven 
for us a wonderful mosaic of music and dance, art, and literature to 
comfort and inspire a troubled world.
    The importance of this work is more important now, perhaps, than 
ever before as our country and our world go through a period of 
unprecedented change, changes that are

[[Page 1767]]

both bringing us together and ripping up the bonds that have united us 
in the past. In a nation as diverse as ours, our arts and our humanities 
are bridges to help us reach out to one another and understand one 
another better. Projects like the NEH's national conversation are truly 
helping us to accomplish this.
    In the face of those who would divide us, we must remain steadfast 
in supporting the arts and humanities as a way of coming together while 
we celebrate our diversity. Our support for them is not the preservation 
of some extravagant cultural elite, it is the preservation of our 
cultural tradition for all Americans and especially for those who, 
unlike me and so many of us, are not part of anybody's elite, and they 
need their country to make sure they have access to the great heritage 
of America as well.
    For the last 30 years, the National Endowment for the Arts and the 
National Endowment for the Humanities have made the arts and humanities 
accessible to millions of our fellow citizens from school children to 
people in our inner cities to citizens in our most isolated rural 
communities, many of whom would never have experienced these gifts had 
they not been offered so freely by our Nation's artists and scholars and 
by their Nation's Government.
    For a very small contribution, both the NEA and the NEH have made 
vital contributions to the life of this Nation. Each of the awardees we 
recognize here today has been a pioneer. Sometimes they've made us 
laugh. Sometimes they've helped us cry. Sometimes they've challenged us 
to see the error of our ways. Sometimes they've helped us to celebrate 
the strength of our goodness. But always they have lifted us to higher 
ground.
    I am honored to confer upon this wonderful group of Americans the 
National Medal of the Arts and the Charles Frankel Prize. First, the 
Medal of the Arts winners.
    Licia Albanese: the beginning of her career came as something of a 
surprise. When the lead soprano in a Milan production of Madame 
Butterfly fell ill during the performance, this young singer was called 
upon to finish the opera. Her performance that evening brought the house 
down. And a career that spanned more than 30 years was launched.
    She went on to leading roles in operas all around the world, always 
creating characters memorable not only for the arias they sang, but for 
their intense vitality. She had the rare ability to combine her great 
talent as a singer with equal talent as an actress. It was once said 
that Licia Albanese had the two qualities which all great artists have, 
simplicity and sincerity. Most recently, she and her late husband 
founded the Puccini Foundation, and she has worked tirelessly for the 
benefit of opera and its survival as an art form.
    Please welcome our first honoree, Licia Albanese.

[At this point, the President and the First Lady presented the medal and 
congratulated Ms. Albanese.]

    Gwendolyn Brooks began writing poetry when she was only 11. And at 
the age of 13, her first poem was published. More than 75 others 
followed, while she was still a teenager. For four decades, Gwendolyn 
Brooks has drawn on the black experience to create poetry that speaks to 
all of us in a frank and familiar way. She served as the poetry 
consultant to the Library of Congress, and today is the Poet Laureate of 
Illinois. In 1949, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. She 
has kept alive the culture of her roots through the cultivation of her 
words.
    Gwendolyn Brooks.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Ms. Brooks.]

    Each painter, performer or thinker here today has in one way or 
another served to create a legacy in the halls of American art. Their 
contributions shall be forever remembered in their fields and beyond. 
But their work might never have seen the light of day were it not for 
generous, committed, and visionary citizens like two of those whom we 
honor, Iris and Bernie Cantor.
    They have helped literally countless young artists to succeed. 
They've introduced countless young people to the joys of art. The grants 
and gifts bestowed by the Cantor family have built and filled the 
galleries and museums across our Nation. From the Rodin sculptures given 
to New York's Metropolitan

[[Page 1768]]

Museum of Art, to the grants for exhibitions at institutions such as our 
own Arkansas Art Center at home, to the sculpture exhibit here at the 
White House, the Cantors' love for art has known no bounds. They've done 
much to keep the arts alive in America, and we owe them our thanks. 
Bernie could not be with us here today. But Hillary and I are delighted 
that our good friend, Iris Cantor, is here to accept the award on behalf 
of both of them.
    Iris and Bernie Cantor.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mrs. Cantor.]

    It's a special honor for me today to honor another husband and wife 
team that has shown that a commitment to the issues facing the world 
around us can be just as important a part of their lives and our lives 
as a commitment to the art one creates. Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee met in 
1946, performing in a Broadway version of Jeb Turner. I want to say that 
again. They met in 1946, while performing in a Broadway version of Jeb 
Turner--[laughter]--a play in which she was violating the child labor 
laws at the time. [Laughter] They were married a year later. And they 
have performed individually and together now for almost 50 years.
    While the stage and screen have kept them busy with such projects as 
``A Raisin in the Sun,'' ``The Jackie Robinson Story,'' and ``Do The 
Right Thing,'' they have continued to fight for others' struggle for 
equality. Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee have helped groups such as the NAACP, 
the Urban League, the AIDS projects, like Housing Works. In 1986 they 
produced a PBS tribute entitled, ``Martin Luther King: The Dream and the 
Drum.'' Their vision and their talent shine as brightly today as they 
did on that first day when they met on Broadway so long ago, and our 
country is very much a better place because of their life and their 
work.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Ossie Davis and his wife, Ruby Dee.]

    Having written no fewer than 100 pieces of music by the time he 
graduated from high school, David Diamond was well on his way to 
becoming one of America's most accomplished and disciplined composers 
very early in his youth. His dedication and commitment throughout his 
distinguished career has made him a master at the craft of creating 
music.
    He's a proud adherent to the classical tradition, and has made 
outstanding contributions to the field for more than 60 years now. An 
inspiration both to those within his field as well as those who simply 
enjoy the music he creates, David Diamond truly exemplifies the spirit 
of American creativity.
    Mr. Diamond.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. Diamond.]

    Born in Germany, James Ingo Freed came to the United States as a 9-
year-old refugee in 1939. After earning his architectural degree in 
1953, he joined the offices of I.M. Pei and Partners. Widely published 
and respected within the world of architecture, he has been the 
recipient of many major awards, and most recently, he has been 
justifiably celebrated for his creation of the magnificent, for most of 
us, overwhelming United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, an 
extraordinary structure that houses many painful memories, but 
ultimately inspires its visitors to strive for a better future. We're 
honoring him today for that monumental achievement, but also for his 
lifelong dedication to his craft which continues in this city at this 
moment as the Federal Triangle Building comes up and moves toward 
completion. Let's give him a warm welcome.
    James Ingo Freed.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. Freed.]

    Our next awardee obviously needs no introduction. He was cited by 
the Guiness Book of Records as the most honored entertainer in the 
world. [Laughter] Maybe we ought not to do this. [Laughter] Bob Hope has 
more than 1,000 awards and citations for his humanitarian and 
professional success. He's been honored more than--I think, five times 
by the Motion Picture Academy, including receiving an honorary Oscar and 
the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. But I know something that some of 
you probably don't know. He would far rather go down in history as a 
great golfer. [Laughter] This

[[Page 1769]]

morning when I saw him Bob said, ``Well, how's your golf game?'' I said, 
``It's pretty good, but it's too rainy today. We can't play.'' He said, 
``That's too bad, I'll miss taking your money.'' [Laughter] 
Unfortunately, that's not as funny as you think it is. [Laughter] Known 
the world over for his wonderful wit and sense of humor, Bob Hope has 
brought laughter and pleasure and a happier outlook on life to 
generations of American citizens, and especially to our troops in 
uniform all around the world.
    He began entertaining American servicemen and women even before 
World War II, and he's done it in every conflict since. In 1971, Bob 
Hope took his commitment to the people of America one step further by 
applying for a visa to Laos to help negotiate the release of our 
prisoners there. When he wasn't performing across oceans, Bob Hope was 
making films and making people laugh here in America. I can honestly say 
that those films are still making all the members of my family laugh 
every time they're shown on the television here.
    But even with his busy career, Bob Hope never lost sight of the 
truly important things in life, helping people in need. He's helped 
raise more than $1 billion for hospitals, for the disabled, the Boy 
Scouts, and numerous other health and human service causes. His annual 
golf tournament every year, which he still plays in, directs, and 
manages, is an example of a man whose commitment to doing this kind of 
work truly is a lifetime endeavor.
    He is perhaps the finest example of a successful American 
entertainer whose greatest performance is in what he does off stage 
every day. I am so delighted that Bob Hope and his wonderful wife, 
Delores, are both here today. And I'd like to ask Bob now to come up and 
receive his award.
    Mr. Bob Hope.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. Hope.]

    Mr. Hope. I just want to say a couple of words. I appreciate this, 
Mr. President. [Laughter] But last year during our golf tournament, I 
called the President and I said, ``Do you think you could get out here 
and play with us during our tournament.'' And he said, ``I don't know.'' 
And I got a hold of Mr. Bush, George Bush, and I got a hold of President 
Ford. And the four of us played, and we raised $1,400,000 for the 
hospital out there.
    And I just wanted to thank him right now in person. That's it; 
that's it. [Laughter]
    The President. American art is not limited to portraits or 
landscapes or still lifes. The broad range of subjects reflects the 
diversity of American experience. Roy Lichtenstein is one of the 
pioneers who challenged convention and opened our eyes to new styles of 
expression. In the early sixties, he was one of just a small group to 
experiment with popular icons as subject material. I hope that doesn't 
make a comeback. [Laughter]
    His works are well known, and have appeared in numerous exhibitions 
all around this country. In addition, Roy was one of several artists 
commissioned to work on the New York State Pavilion for the 1964 World 
Fair. I hope that the pioneering spirit exemplified by Roy Lichtenstein 
will always, always live in the artists of America. It's been a real 
honor for Hillary and for me to get to know Roy and his wife and his 
work. And we're very grateful for it, and glad to honor him here today.
    Roy Lichtenstein.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. Lichtenstein.]

    For nearly four decades, Arthur Mitchell has been a pivotal figure 
in American dance. The protege of the great George Balanchine, he was 
the first African-American dancer to become a principal artist in the 
New York City Ballet. After leaving the company in 1966, he went on to a 
career on Broadway and as an artistic director. But always, always, 
there was the call of his home, Harlem.
    Following the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968, the next 
year Arthur Mitchell realized a dream by returning to Harlem as the 
founder of the Dance Theater of Harlem. It is now recognized as one of 
the world's premier dance troupes. His dedication to young people and to 
dance are truly legendary. We are honored by his presence here today, 
and by the lifetime of creativity, achievement he has demonstrated, and 
most of all, that he found a way to go back to his

[[Page 1770]]

roots and lift people up with their God-given talents.
    Mr. Arthur Mitchell.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. Mitchell.]

    Speaking of roots, this next awardee is one from mine. Bill Monroe 
is heralded as the Father of Bluegrass Music, a title that is a fitting 
tribute to his truly innovative and inventive style. Bluegrass is known 
for its free improvisation, and in its way, it embodies the essence of 
the American spirit. Bill's own roots stem from rural Kentucky. When he 
was just 10 years old, he began to play the guitar and the mandolin. 
Along with his two older brothers, Charlie and Birch, he made music on 
the front porch of their family home. Later, Bill Monroe and his Blue 
Grass Boys established themselves as more than just a string band by 
blending different vocal harmonies with instrumental solos. And over the 
years, the band continued to gain recognition for its novel combination 
of instruments.
    Bill Monroe was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970 
and joined the International Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Honor 
in 1991. For people who follow and love that music, Bill Monroe is truly 
an American legend. He's added so much through his lifetime career to 
the rich heritage of this great Nation's music.
    Mr. Bill Monroe.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. Monroe.]

    He said, ``I'm younger than Bob Hope, but I'd still like to say a 
thing or two.'' [Laughter]
    Mr. Monroe. Bob Hope is a great man. I'm glad that he's here. But 
what I wanted to tell you folks, I have played for the last four 
Presidents of the United States, President Carter, President Reagan, 
President Bush, President Clinton here. And they all tell me that the 
music I originated belongs to America. And I'm really proud of that. 
It's a great honor. Thank you.
    The President. Thank you. God bless you.
    Now, it is a great honor for me to present the award we give every 
year to an arts organization. As the largest and most comprehensive arts 
and education program in the entire Nation, Urban Gateways has been 
cited as a model by the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1994 alone, 
Urban Gateways reached over 1 million people in over 11,000 programs 
established in Chicago area schools. Armed with the belief that exposure 
to the arts is crucial to personal development, the program helps bridge 
the gap between Chicago's vast cultural wealth and the huge number of 
children from disadvantaged communities. At a time when so many of our 
children are being lost to the horrors of drugs and violence, Urban 
Gateways has assumed responsibility for our young people's youth. The 
organization gives them guidance and an important outlet for their 
creative energies.
    Here today to accept the award is Urban Gateways' Executive Director 
Sandra Furey. She has led Urban Gateways to the front lines in the 
campaign to keep the arts alive in the minds of our children, and in so 
doing, to keep our children alive and well and strong for the future of 
this great Nation. Let's give her a big hand.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Ms. Furey.]

    And now it is my honor to introduce the winners of the 1995 Charles 
Frankel Prize. The first winner, Bill Ferris, leads the sort of life I'd 
like to lead if I had another one to live. I mean, he lives in the deep 
South. He writes funny, wonderful books. And he's still trying to find 
out if Elvis is alive. He's probably done more than anyone else to bring 
national recognition and understanding to the field of Southern studies. 
As many of you know, he seriously was one of the organizers of the 
recent, highly successful ``Elvis'' conference at the University of 
Mississippi at Oxford. Since 1979, he has directed the Center for the 
Study of Southern Culture at Ole Miss, where he's built southern studies 
curriculum into the most extensive in the Nation. He was a consultant to 
the movie ``The Color Purple,'' and for nearly a decade until 1994, as 
the blues doctor, he hosted ``Highway 61,'' a weekly blues music program 
that airs on Mississippi public radio. His scholarship covers the fields 
of folklore, American literature, music and photography.

[[Page 1771]]

    I want to thank him for bringing the culture and music of my 
homeland to all Americans. A remarkable person.
    Mr. Bill Ferris.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. Ferris.]

    Too often, television overlooks the lives and poignant stories of 
ordinary Americans who may not show up on the evening news, but whose 
extraordinary lives keep our country going. Charles Kuralt recognized 
this problem nearly 30 years ago. In 1967, he asked his boss to let him 
wander around the country for 3 months, and the critically acclaimed 
show, ``On the Road,'' was born. Through his travels, Charles Kuralt 
brought hundreds of courageous Americans into the living rooms of our 
country. And in so doing, he helped raise issues of social concern, such 
as funding for education, the problems of poverty, the plight of small 
businesses. But understanding the needs of others comes naturally to 
Charles Kuralt. His father, Wallace, was a North Carolina social worker 
who worked all his life on programs that provided day care, substance 
abuse counseling, and planned parenthood services. That spirit is alive 
and well in his son today.
    The numerous awards and 13 Emmys Charles Kuralt holds are but a 
small reward for what he has given to all the rest of us. It's 
unfortunate that he was unable to attend today. We send him our wishes 
for a very speedy recovery from surgery that he had earlier this week, 
and we're glad that here to receive his award is his daughter, Lisa 
Kuralt White.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Ms. White.]

    David Macaulay has written several books detailing the insides of 
complicated machines. He can even explain ``the way things work.'' 
[Laughter] We could use him around here in the next couple of weeks. 
[Laughter] He has devoted his professional life to the investigation of 
architecture and mechanics. His books have helped children and adults 
alike to understand the world's rich history of construction and 
architecture. Using detailed illustrations, his books help to unfold the 
mysteries of both man and machine. David Macaulay's works serve as a 
bridge between humankind's earliest attempts at building and the most 
modern techniques of today. His painstaking efforts have made knowledge 
and investigation more accessible to the rest of us who could never have 
understood them on our own but whose lives were richer and more 
enlightened and whose citizenship more informed as a result of his work.
    Mr. David Macaulay.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. Macaulay.]

    All of us know that history well-written and well-learned can be a 
great teacher. It can demonstrate what we are capable of at our best and 
what we may do wrong at our worst. In his remarkable body of work, David 
McCullough has shown us the true character of many of our country's most 
heroic figures and many of its most important events and eras.
    From his wonderfully successful and enlightening biography on 
President Truman, to his look at the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, to 
his work as the voice of the highly regarded PBS series, ``The American 
Experience,'' David McCullough has given us a window into the lives of 
outstanding Americans and important events. His work emphasizes the 
value of history and our place in it. Along with his research, he spends 
many hours working for the preservation of historic sites, of public 
libraries, and of other institutions across America which enable us to 
preserve and learn about our roots. We should never forget what David 
McCullough has asked us to remember. And we should never forget his 
incredible contribution in helping us to preserve that memory.
    Mr. David McCullough.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Mr. McCullough.]

    Bernice Johnson Reagon is perhaps best known as the guiding spirit 
and resonant alto voice of Sweet Honey in the Rock, the famous a 
cappella quintet she founded in 1973. Singing an eclectic blend of 
gospel, jazz, folk and rhythm and blues, the group has carried its 
message of world peace, women's rights

[[Page 1772]]

and racial harmony on tour throughout our nation and throughout the 
world. If that were all she had done, Professor Reagon would be worthy 
of this award. But her creative energy is truly unlimited.
    For nearly 35 years, she's helped to preserve, celebrate and 
illuminate the rich heritage of African-American music as a civil rights 
activist, as a singer-composer, an author, an historian, a museum 
curator. Since 1993, she's been distinguished professor of history at 
American University here in Washington. Her latest contribution to 
public understanding of African-American music is the 26-part radio 
documentary, ``Wade in the Water: African-American Sacred Music 
Traditions,'' which aired beginning in 1994 on National Public Radio 
stations nationwide. She is a messenger of peace, and I am deeply 
honored that she is with us today.
    Sweet Honey in the Rock, for those of you who haven't heard it, is a 
truly inspiring experience, but the work of her life is even more 
inspiring.

[The President and the First Lady presented the medal and congratulated 
Ms. Johnson Reagon.]

    Let me thank again all the honorees and congratulate them. Thank all 
of you for coming. Let me thank all the distinguished saxophonists, who 
came here to be with us today, for their work. [Applause] Thank you all 
for your contributions and your devotion to the American way of life.
    God bless you all. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 1:15 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House.