[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 41 (Monday, October 13, 2003)]
[Pages 1328-1329]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7715--German-American Day, 2003

 October 3, 2003

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    German-American Day celebrates more than 300 years of German 
immigration to our shores, beginning with the arrival of 13 Mennonite 
families from Krefeld on October 6, 1683. Seeking a new life of freedom 
and opportunity, these immigrants settled in Pennsylvania and founded 
Germantown near the city of Philadelphia. On this day, we recognize the 
contributions of those German pioneers, and millions of other German-
American immigrants and their descendants, to the life and culture of 
our great Nation.
    As one of the largest ethnic groups in the United States, German 
Americans have greatly influenced our country in the fields of business, 
government, law, science, athletics, the arts, and many others. Henry 
Engelhard Steinway and his sons founded Steinway & Sons in 1853. The 
300,000th Steinway piano, the ``golden grand,'' was presented to 
President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938, and is still on display at the 
White House. John Augustus Roebling and his son pioneered the 
development of suspension bridges and wire cable. Their construction of 
the Brooklyn Bridge is a lasting landmark to their skill, determination, 
and innovation. And entrepreneurs such as John Davison Rockefeller, John 
Wanamaker, and Milton Snavely Hershey helped to strengthen the American 
economy and inspire others to reach for the American Dream.

[[Page 1329]]

    In addition to their many professional achievements, German 
Americans have influenced American culture. From Christmas trees to 
kindergartens, the United States has adopted many German traditions and 
institutions. By celebrating and sharing their customs and traditions, 
German Americans help to preserve their rich heritage and enhance the 
cultural diversity of our Nation.
    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and 
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 6, 2003, as 
German-American Day. I encourage all Americans to recognize the 
contributions to the liberty and prosperity of the United States of our 
citizens of German descent.
    In Witness Whereof,  I have hereunto set my hand this third day of 
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
eighth.
                                                George W. Bush

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 7, 
2003]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 
8. This item was not received in time for publication in the appropriate 
issue.