[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 30 (Monday, July 30, 2007)]
[Pages 1021-1023]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Presenting the National Medals of Science and Technology

July 27, 2007

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Thank you. Good afternoon. Welcome 
to the White House. It's an honor to welcome some of our country's most 
gifted and accomplished citizens. I appreciate your work on behalf of 
our

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Nation. I congratulate you on this achievement, and I look forward to 
presenting you the National Medals of Science and Technology.
    I welcome your families, and I welcome your friends. I also welcome 
the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. Madam Secretary, thank you for 
joining us today. Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez, Mr. 
Secretary--Dr. Jack Marburger, who is the Director of Office of Science 
and Technology Policy, Dr. Marburger--Dr. Arden Bement, Director of the 
National Science Foundation--Arden, thank you for coming. I welcome the 
representatives from the National Science Foundation who have joined us, 
members of the Board from the National Science and Technology Medals 
Foundation. Our awardees have got to be thanking you as well. [Laughter] 
I thank Dr. Zerhouni, Director of the National Institute of Health. 
Thanks for coming, Doc--Dr. Bill Jeffrey, Director of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology.
    Appreciate all the previous recipients of the National Medals of 
Science and Technology who have joined us. I thank the students from 
Benjamin Banneker Academic High School here in Washington, DC, for being 
with us. I thank my friends the Barretts, who are strong supporters of 
basic research and good science, for bringing future scientists and 
engineers to the White House in the hopes that this ceremony will 
inspire them and others to contribute to our country like our award 
winners have today.
    From the earliest days, we have been a nation of innovators, people 
who look at challenges and find creative ways to adapt and improve. 
There's been some interesting examples of that attitude right here in 
the East Room. For example, Abigail Adams needed a place to hang her 
clothes, so she innovated and converted the East Room into a White House 
laundry room. [Laughter] Or Theodore Roosevelt used the East Room as a 
roller skating rink for his children. [Laughter] Gerald Ford's daughter, 
Susan, used this very room as the site of her high school prom, which 
was well attended, I might add. [Laughter]
    This afternoon, the East Room is home to innovators of a different 
kind, some of our finest science and technology leaders. The men and 
women we salute have been recognized with countless honors, including 
the Nobel Prize. They have served as leaders of major research 
foundations, university presidents, Directors of Government agencies, 
and heads of academic departments. And now they add to their deep and 
remarkable resumes the highest award a President can confer in their 
fields, the National Medals of Science and Technology. And I 
congratulate you.
    The intellectual achievements of these men and women are momentous. 
In a single room, we have thinkers who helped formulate and refine the 
Big Bang theory of the universe, the bootstrap resampling technique of 
statistics, the algebraic K-theory of mathematics. I'm going to play 
like I understand what all that means. [Laughter] We have experts in 
fields like organometallic chemistry, atomic physics, and neurobiology. 
We have researchers who have drilled into glaciers, isolated the DNA of 
mobile genes, and pioneered the distributed feedback laser. [Laughter] 
In other words, we've got some smart people here. [Laughter] And we're 
glad you're Americans.
    Each of our laureates has deepened our understanding of the world, 
and many have directly changed our lives. Their discoveries have led to 
hopeful treatments for HIV/AIDS, new vaccines to prevent childhood 
illnesses, safer drinking water around the world. Innovations are 
responsible for the CD players in our homes, the guardrails on our 
highways, the Stealth fighters in our Air Force. Their breakthroughs 
have helped make it possible for burn victims to heal with fewer scars 
and older people to hear more clearly, businesses to e-mail documents 
around the world and doctors to administer medicine without needles. 
That's a much welcome change for a lot of us.
    Whatever their chosen field, the National Laureates in Sciences and 
Technology have brought great credit to themselves and to this country. 
And you have the gratitude of the American people. And that's what we're 
here to tell you today.
    The work of these laureates demonstrates that innovation is vital to 
a better future for our country and the world. In America, the

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primary engine of innovation is the private sector. But government can 
help by encouraging the basic research that gives rise to promising new 
thought and products. And so that's why I've worked with some in this 
room and around our country to develop and propose the American 
Competitiveness Initiative. Over 10 years, this initiative will double 
the Federal Government's commitment to the most critical, basic research 
programs in physical sciences. Last year, the Congress provided more 
than $10 billion, and that's just a start. And I call on leaders of both 
political parties to fully fund this initiative for the good of the 
country.
    Maintaining our global leadership also requires a first-class 
education system. There are many things that American schools are doing 
right, including insisting on accountability for every single child. 
There are also some areas where we need to improve. And so as Members 
work to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act, one of their top 
priorities has got to be to strengthen math and science education.
    One way to do that is to create an adjunct teachers corps of math 
and science professionals, all aiming to bring their expertise into 
American classrooms where--it's not really what the aim is. The aim is 
to make it clear to young Americans that being in science and 
engineering is okay; it's cool; it's a smart thing to do. And so for 
those of you who are involved with inspiring youngsters, thank you for 
what you're doing. I appreciate you encouraging the next generation to 
follow in your footsteps. And I ask that Congress fully fund the adjunct 
teacher corps, so you can have some help as you go out to inspire.
    One of the many reasons that I am an optimistic fellow, and I am, is 
because I understand that this country is a nation of discovery and 
enterprise. And that spirit is really strong in America today. I found 
it interesting that one of today's laureates, Dr. Leslie Geddes, is 86 
years old and continues to teach and conduct research at Purdue 
University. Even more interesting is what he had to say. He said, ``I 
wouldn't know what else to do. I'm not done yet.'' [Laughter]
    He's right. He's not done yet because the promise of science and 
technology never runs out. With the imagination and determinations of 
Americans like our awardees today, our Nation will continue to discover 
new possibilities and to develop new innovations and build a better life 
for generations to come. And that's what we're here to celebrate.
    And so I thank you for the many contributions to our Nation, 
congratulate you on your fine achievements. And now I ask the military 
aide to read the citations.

[At this point, Lt. Col. Samuel Floyd, USA, Army Aide to the President, 
read the citations, and the President presented the medals.]

Note: The President spoke at 1:44 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House.