Administration of William J. Clinton, 1993 / Oct. 7 Nomination for Director of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency October 6, 1993 The President announced today that he in- of no finer and more dedicated person to lead tends to nominate John D. Holum to be the ACDA than John Holum, whom I have known Director of the United States Arms Control and for 20 years and who has close working relation- Disarmament Agency. ships with many senior officials at the State and ``My administration has placed the highest im- Defense Departments, the NSC, and throughout portance on arms control and combating the my administration. John will be a strong voice proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,'' for arms control and nonproliferation policies said the President. ``A revitalized Arms Control within the councils of Government.'' and Disarmament Agency will play an important role in achieving new arms control agreements NOTE: A biography of the nominee was made and fighting weapons proliferation. I can think available by the Office of the Press Secretary. Nomination for a Special Counsel at the Department of Justice October 6, 1993 The President announced today that he has sively enforce the laws governing them,'' said nominated Gerald Stern, an experienced cor- the President. ``Gerald Stern has the business porate attorney and former Justice Department experience and prosecutorial skill to make sure civil rights attorney, to be the Special Counsel that we do just that.'' for Financial Institutions Fraud at the Depart- ment of Justice. ``To preserve our people's trust in their finan- NOTE: A biography of the nominee was made cial institutions, it is imperative that we aggres- available by the Office of the Press Secretary. Remarks on Presenting Arts and Humanities Awards October 7, 1993 Thank you very much. To our distinguished how funny he was. [Laughter] And I have a honorees and all of you in the audience; I want wife who swept the television ratings last week to say a special word of thanks to Jane Alexander talking about the arcana of health care with a and to Dr. Sheldon Hackney for their leadership passion and an eloquence. As if that weren't of our administration's efforts in the arts and bad enough, USA Today had the bad grace to humanities. go out and poll the American people, and 40 As a person who at various times in his life percent of them said she was smarter than I has been a frustrated writer and a frustrated am. [Laughter] To which I reply, ``Of course, musician, this is an extremely humbling event what kind of dummy do you think I am? How for me today. [Laughter] But I've been getting else would I have gotten elected President?'' a lot of training in humility lately. I have a And just to drive this humility homeÐthis Vice President who humbles me all the time is the actual true part of this wonderful storyÐ by all the things he teaches me about things I went to southern California last week, or the great and insignificant and who unlike me actu- first of this week, and I was looking forward ally got to go on David Letterman to prove to staying in the Beverly Hilton. It seemed like 1699 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 08:07 Oct 23, 2000 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00403 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\93PAP2\PAP_TEXT txed01 PsN: txed01 Oct. 7 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1993 an exotic sort of place. And I showed up, and with the Hudson River school of painting and Merv Griffin, who owns it, shook hands with the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry me and took me up to the floor where I was David Thoreau, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The staying. There is only one person who is a per- first half of this century gave us universal suf- manent resident of the floor where I stayed frage and the empowerment of American work- in the Beverly Hilton, Rodney Dangerfield, who ers, as well as Charlie Chaplin, Frank Lloyd said they had put me there because we seem Wright, William Faulkner, Marian Anderson, to belong togetherÐ[laughter]Ðand gave me 12 and Duke Ellington. The same unbridled energy roses with ``a little respect'' on a gift card. and potent imagination that took Americans to I am delighted to be here to honor this year's the moon inspired rock and roll, Motown, mod- winners of the National Medal of the Arts and ern dance, and a new emphasis on civil and the Charles Frankel Prize, men and women human rights. whose achievements represent the enduring Those of you gathered with us today are re- power of the arts and humanities and, in a larger minders that the human imagination is still the sense, of the creative spirit in all of our lives. most powerful tool we have in moving forward Throughout history, the arts and humanities as a civilization. You provoke our minds, you have been the cultural signature of this great enliven our senses, endow our souls, help us Nation. They have enabled Americans of all to give our lives meaning. That's why public backgrounds and walks of life to gain a deeper support for the arts and humanities remains es- appreciation of who they are as individuals and sential today and for the generations to come. who we all are as a society, stirring our minds Today, we are indeed fortunate to have inspir- and our senses, stimulating learning and collec- ing new leaders working in Government to ex- tive discourse, the arts and humanities teach pand our artistic and humanistic endeavors, to us in ways that nothing else can about the vast- carry on our heritage to future generations. I'm ness and the depth of human experience. They very proud of the work and the life that Sheldon are our great equalizers. We inherit them, and Hackney and that Jane Alexander have lived be- we can all participate in them. fore they came to this work. I thank them for Whether or not one plays an instrument, their work here. And I tell you that we welcome reads poetry, learns to pirouette, or spends all of you to give us your ideas, your suggestions, hours alone in a local art gallery, we all have and your energy as we try to move forward the capacity to be moved by a song, a poem, together. Now it is a privilege to call forward a story, a dance, a painting. We can feel our the following recipients of the National Medal spirits soar when we see an intriguing film or of Arts. the sudden illumination of a new idea or an First, the contributions of Walter and Leonore old idea put in a new way. Annenberg to American culture can literally not At a time when our society faces new and be overstated. The Annenbergs have enriched profound challenges, at a time when we are our appreciation of the arts through public serv- losing so many of our children, at a time when ice, publishing, and as board members of major so many of our people feel insecure in the face arts institutions. They have given generously of of change, the arts and humanities must remain their time and their money. And they provided a vital part of our lives as individuals and as among other things the magnificent portrait of a Nation. Benjamin Franklin, which hangs in the Green For 200 years, the freedom of our artistic Room at the White House, one of the most and intellectual imagination has contributed to prized possessions of this, your American home. the quality of our civic life. It has helped to shape American ideas of democracy, of plu- [At this point, the President congratulated Mr. ralism, of tolerance. Three decades ago, Presi- and Mrs. Annenberg, and Hillary Clinton pre- dent Kennedy said this: There's a connection, sented the medal.] hard to explain logically but easy to feel, be- The legendary vocalist and bandleader, Cab tween achievement in public life and progress Calloway, has had indeed a remarkable career, in the arts. The Jeffersonian era gave birth not one of the originators of American jazz. An en- only to the Declaration of Independence but during figure in popular music, Cab Calloway also to beautiful Monticello. The age of Lincoln added ``Hi-dee-ho'' and the scat sound to our produced the Emancipation Proclamation, along musical vocabulary. And for those of us who 1700 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 08:07 Oct 23, 2000 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00404 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 C:\93PAP2\PAP_TEXT txed01 PsN: txed01 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1993 / Oct. 7 have lived a while, we can enjoy seeing the He makes the ordinary become extraordinary, brightness of his smile in our memories going the everyday become timeless and significant. back for decades. He is an American original, He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and I am deeply honored that he's here with in 1959, and his works grace us still. us today. Welcome, Stanley Kunitz. [The President congratulated Mr. Calloway, and [The President congratulated Mr. Kunitz, and Hillary Clinton presented the medal.] Hillary Clinton presented the medal.] Literally for decades, Ray Charles has been Robert Merrill has been acclaimed by critics one of America's favorite singers. From his roots as one of the great natural baritones of the in Georgia, he became one of the first great century. He's appeared in 787 performances at truly American singers, one of the first to com- the Metropolitan Opera over a 31-year operatic bine the dynamic energy of gospel music with career.