[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 27 (Monday, July 7, 1997)]
[Pages 1010-1011]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Behalf of the Public Service Campaign for Educational 
Excellence in Baltimore, Maryland

July 2, 1997

    Thank you very much. Thank you, Bud Selig, Peter Angelos, Jim 
Hunter. To Norm Augustine, the chairman of Lockheed Martin and our 
Educational Excellence Partnership and to Cal Ripken, who is the very 
embodiment of excellence.
    Ladies and gentlemen, excellence in baseball requires teamwork, hard 
work, and setting high standards of excellence. So does ex

[[Page 1011]]

cellence in education. The Educational Excellence Partnership, including 
all-star athletes, businesses, Governors, and teachers, are pitching in 
to help our children aim high. The young people here behind me from the 
Boys and Girls Clubs of America embody the kind of future we're trying 
to build for them.
    I want to thank all of you out there who have worked hard to set 
high standards, not only for your own children but for the other 
children in your community. I want to thank Cal and Kelly Ripken for the 
outstanding contribution they are making to literacy here in Baltimore. 
And I want to urge all of you to rededicate yourselves to the idea that 
every one of our children can learn, and we will not get into the 21st 
century with the future we want for them until we expect every one of 
them to learn and we give them the ability, the tools, and the support 
they need to learn.
    We are very fortunate that outstanding major league baseball 
players, along with business leaders like Norm Augustine, have supported 
this public service campaign for educational excellence. I want you to 
watch these ads now, and I hope you will heed them. I hope you will 
support my call for national standards of excellence in reading and math 
and go back home and think about what you can do to make sure that every 
one of our children is as devoted to excellence in education as the 
baseball players we'll enjoy watching today from the Phillies and the 
Orioles are to excellence in their sport.
    Thank you, and God bless you all.

Note. The President spoke at 3:01 p.m. at home plate at Oriole Park at 
Camden Yards. In his remarks, he referred to Bud Selig, acting 
commissioner of baseball; Peter Angelos, owner, Baltimore Orioles; Jim 
Hunter, WBAL Radio sportscaster; and Cal Ripken, Orioles third baseman. 
Following the President's remarks, those in attendance viewed the public 
service announcements on educational excellence, featuring prominent 
baseball players.