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Unveiling of the President's Bust 6/27/91 [OA 8325]
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323153409
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Unveiling of the President's Bust 6/27/91 [OA 8325]
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13761-015
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Records of the White House Office of Speechwriting (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Speech Backup Chronological Files
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Backup Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13761
Folder ID Number:
13761-015
Folder Title:
Unveiling of the President's Bust 6/27/91 [OA 8325]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
26
21
4
7
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14
9 D
OFFICE OF
PRESIDENTIAL ADVANCE
COVER PAGE
TO:
Carolyn
FROM:
Suzenne
TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES: 5 (five)
(including cover page)
DATE:
41501 June 25
TIME:
4:50
MESSAGE:
If you have any questions or problems with the transmission, please call
TELEPHONE NUMBER: 202-456-7565
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OF
ARCHITEC
THE
THE
CAPITO/
*
1793
#
Washington, DC 20515
Vice Presidential Bust of George Bush
Senate Wing, United States Capitol
The marble portrait bust of George Herbert Walker Bush by Walker Hancock will be
formally unveiled on June 27, 1991. Pursuant to the Senate Resolution of May 14, 1886, as
amended on January 6, 1898, and March 28, 1947, busts of those who have been Vice
President of the United States are placed in the Capitol after approval by the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration. Busts of the earliest Vice Presidents are on
display in the gallery of the Senate Chamber. The Bush bust will be located in the corridor
south of the chamber near other recent additions to the collection.
George Herbert Walker Bush served as the nation's forty-third Vice President from January
20, 1981, to January 20, 1989, when he was sworn in as President. He is the first chief
executive in office to attend the unveiling of his Vice Presidential bust. The busts of Calvin
Coolidge and Harry Truman were placed without ceremony while they were in office; the
bust of Lyndon Johnson was purchased in 1966 but not placed until 1979. The Bush bust
is the forty-second to enter the collection.
Walker Hancock, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a renowned classical sculptor. He was
born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1901. He served as the head of the Department of Sculpture
at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1929 to 1968. Mr. Hancock has
received numerous important awards and commissions for portraits and monuments during
his long career. Among his many achievements are the Vice Presidential busts of Hubert
Humphrey and Gerald Ford, the bust of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren
Burger, and the seated statue of James Madison in the Library of Congress.
Mr. Hancock, a long-standing friend of the Bush family, was recommended for the present
commission by Architect of the Capitol George M. White. The President sat for the
sculptor at the White House and at Camp David in 1989. After the plaster model received
approval from the President and the Architect of the Capitol, the bust was carved in fine-
grained white Carrara marble from Pietrasanta, Italy. The bust is life sized, and measures
24½ inches in height. It was completed in December 1990 at a cost of $40,000. The
pedestal is of Tennessee pink marble.
Office of the Curator, June 1991
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SUNTECT
OF
THE
required
THE
CAPITOL
4
7793
#
Washington, DC 20515
STATUES AND BUSTS IN THE ROTUNDA
United States Capitol
BUSTS
Marquis de Lafayette, 1830
by David d'Angers (1789-1856)
Marble
A marble bust of Layfayette (1757-1834) was presented by the sculptor to the United
States through President John Quincy Adams in 1829, with the hope that it could be
placed close to that of Washington to represent their affection and common goals. That
original bust was destroyed in the 1851 fire in the Library of Congress in the Capitol.
An identical bust had been commissioned in 1830 by a citizen of North Carolina. The
bust was purchased in 1904 from his estate for $2,000 by the Joint Committee on the
Library.
George Washington, 1905
by David d'Angers (1789-1856)
Bronze
The bust of Washington (1732-1799) was presented by the Republic of France through
its ambassador on Washington's birthday in 1905. It replaced the marble one made about
1828 destroyed by the fire in the Library of Congress in 1851. Fortunately, the original
clay model for the marble bust had been preserved and was used to cast this bronze one.
It was accepted by the Joint Committee on the Library.
Martin Lather King, Jr., 1986
by John Wilson (1922-)
Bronze
This bust of Dr. King (1929-1968), the renowned civil rights leader, was authorized by
concurrent resolution of the House and Senate and approved by the Joint Committee on
the Library. Federal funds of $25,000 were matched by the National Endowment for the
Arts. Mr. Wilson was selected from a group of 180 professional sculptors in a nationwide
competition for the $50,000 commission. The bust was unveiled in January 1986 and
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high dome of fireproof cast iron to bring the center portion of the Capitol into
harmony with the large wings.
Walter's 1859 drawing showed a fresco in the canopy over the eye of the inner dome
and a sculpted frieze at the base of the dome. Constantino Brumidi painted The
Apotheosis of George Washington in true fresco on the canopy in 1865. George
Washington rises to the heavens in glory, flanked by female figures representing
Liberty and Victory/Fame. Thirteen maidens symbolizing the original states encircle
these three central figures. The six groups around the perimeter depict War, with
Armed Freedom and the eagle defeating Tyranny and Kingly Power; the Arts and
Sciences, with Minerva teaching Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, and Samuel F.B.
Morse; Marine, with Neptune holding his trident and Venus holding the transatlantic
cable which was being laid at the time the fresco was painted; Commerce, with
Mercury handing a bag of money to Robert Morris, financier of the American
Revolution; Mechanics, with Vulcan at the anvil and forge, producing a cannon and
a steam engine; and Agriculture, with Ceres seated on the McCormick Reaper,
accompanied by America in a red liberty cap and Flora picking flowers. The figures,
up to fifteen feet tall, were painted to be impressive from close up as well as from
180 feet below.
The frescoed frieze in the belt just below the dome was painted to give the illusion
of a sculpted relief. The scenes, designed by Brumidi, trace America's history from
its discovery by Columbus to the discovery of gold in California, with emphasis on
the Spanish explorers and the Revolutionary War. Brumidi created a sketch for the
frieze in 1859, but he was not authorized to begin work until 1877. Following
Brumidi's death in 1880, Filippo Costaggini was commissioned to complete the
remaining eight scenes using Brumidi's sketches. However, when the frieze was
finished in 1889, a gap of over 31 feet remained. The frieze was finally completed
by Allyn Cox in 1953 with scenes of the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and
the Birth of Aviation.
The statues and busts in the Rotunda are primarily of presidents, including a bust of
George Washington by P.J. David d'Angers and a statue of him by Antoine Houdon.
The marble statue of Abraham Lincoln was created by Vinnie Ream, for whom
Lincoln had sat. She was the first woman artist to receive a government commission.
The most recent addition to the sculpture in the Rotunda is the bust of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., by John Wilson, The Magna Carta display, which features a solid
gold replica of the original document, was a gift from the British government in 1976
for the bicentennial.
Office of the Curator, 1991
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later placed on the first floor. It was moved to the Rotunda in July 1988.
STATUES
General Ulysses S. Grant, 1890
by Franklin Simmons (1839-1913)
Marble
The statue of Grant (1822-1885), was a gift from the Grand Army of the Republic to the
nation "in honor of their fallen comrade." The reported cost was $10,000. It was
unveiled on May 19, 1900, in the Rotunda, where it has stood ever since. Grant was
President from 1869 to 1877.
Alexander Hamilton, 1866-68
by Horatio Stone (1808-1873)
Marble
This statue was purchased by the Joint Committee on the Library for $10,000. It was
placed in the Rotunda on its arrival in 1868. Hamilton (1759-1804) holds the Federalist
papers in his right hand and points toward the Constitution on which his left hand is
resting. On the base is inclsed a scene showing the adoption of the Constitution, which
Hamilton considered the great accomplishment of the Revolution. Washington is shown
taking the oath of office.
Thomas Jefferson, 1834
by David d'Angers (1789-1856)
Bronze
The statue of Jefferson (1743-1826) was the gift of Uriah P. Levy, USN, to the people of
the United States in 1833. In 1834 it was placed in the Rotunda for about a year by
congressional resolution, then moved to the north grounds of the White House until 1874,
when it was formally accepted into the Capitol by Congress. The letters on the scroll
were made by pressing printing type into the clay model and then casting.
Abrahem Lincoln, 1870
by Vinnie Ream [Hoxie]
Marble
Vinnie Ream was the first woman to receive a government commission for art. She had
been a young girl of 18 when President Lincoln (1809-1865) sat for her. She finished the
bust the day he was shot, and later she was allowed to make the full length statue.
Lincoln is shown in the coat which he wore to Ford's Theater. The statue was carved in
Italy. Although there was criticism at the time about & woman sculpting such an
important figure, the statue has been acclaimed.
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ARCHITECT
OTHER
OF
THE
THE
CAPITO/
*
1793
*
Washington, DC 20515
TELEFAX COVER SHEET
TO:
Dan Jahn
FIRM
:
Office of Research
LOCATION
White House
:
PHONE NUMBER :
FAX NUMBER
:
456-6218
FROM
:
Curator's Office
FIRM
:
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
LOCATION
:
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515
PHONE NUMBER :
225-2700
FAX NUMBER
:
(202) 225-3167
TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES (INCLUDING COVER SHEET):
6
PERSON SENDING INFORMATION: Pam Violante
DATE:
June 25. 1991
TIME:
MESSAGE:
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ARCHITECT
OF
THE
THE
CAPITO/
*
7793
*
Washington, DC 20515
THE ROTUNDA OF THE U.S. CAPITOL
The symbolic and physical heart of the United States Capitol is the Rotunda, an
imposing circular room 96 feet in diameter and 180 feet in height. Conceived in the
age of neoclassicism, the Rotunda was intended to closely recall the Pantheon, the
ancient Roman temple. It is the principal circulation space in the Capitol,
connecting the House and Senate sides, and is visited by thousands of people each
day. The Rotunda is used for important ceremonial events as authorized by
concurrent resolution, such as the lying in state of eminent citizens and the
dedication of works of art.
As it appears today, the Rotunda is the result of two distinct building campaigns.
William Thornton, who won the competition for the design of the Capitol in 1793,
conceived of the central low dome. However, due to a shortage of funds and
materials, and because of the fire set by the British to the wings in 1814, construction
of the Rotunda, was not begun until 1818. The Rotunda was completed under the
direction of Charles Bulfinch by the time of the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette in
1824.
Bulfinch created in the Rotunda an ambitious orchestration of architecture, sculpture,
and painting. The curved sandstone walls are divided by fluted Doric pilasters with
wreaths of olive branches carved in the frieze above. Eight framed niches hold large
historical paintings. The four revolutionary period scenes were commissioned by
Congress from John Trumbull in 1817: Declaration of Independence in Congress,
Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown,
and General George Washington Resigning his Commission to Congress as Commander
in Chief of the Army. Between 1840 and 1855 four scenes of early exploration were
added: Landing of Columbus by John Vanderlyn, Discovery of the Mississippi by De
Soto by William Powell; Baptism of Pocahontas by John Chapman, and Embarkation
of the Pilgrims by Robert Weir,
The wreath panels above the paintings hold portrait busts of the early explorers John
Cabot, Christopher Columbus, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Sieur de La Salle. The relief
panels above the four entrances are scenes from American colonial history: Conflict
of Daniel Boone and the Indians and Landing of the Pilgrims by Enrico Causici,
Preservation of Captain Smith by Pocahontas by Antonio Capellano, and William
Penn's Treaty with the Indians by Nicholas Gevelot.
The sandstone walls of the Rotunda rise 48 feet above the floor. Everything above
this line was added between 1855 and 1866 by Thomas U. Walter, who had designed
the extended north and south wings of the Capitol. Congress authorized the new
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high dome of fireproof cast iron to bring the center portion of the Capitol into
harmony with the large wings.
Walter's 1859 drawing showed a fresco in the canopy over the eye of the inner dome
and a sculpted frieze at the base of the dome. Constantino Brumidi painted The
Apotheosis of George Washington in true fresco on the canopy in 1865. George
Washington rises to the heavens in glory, flanked by female figures representing
Liberty and Victory/Fame. Thirteen maidens symbolizing the original states encircle
these three central figures. The six groups around the perimeter depict War, with
Armed Freedom and the eagle defeating Tyranny and Kingly Power; the Arts and
Sciences, with Minerva teaching Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton, and Samuel F.B.
Morse; Marine, with Neptune holding his trident and Venus holding the transatlantic
cable which was being laid at the time the fresco was painted; Commerce, with
Mercury handing a bag of money to Robert Morris, financier of the American
Revolution; Mechanics, with Vulcan at the anvil and forge, producing a cannon and
a steam engine; and Agriculture, with Ceres seated on the McCormick Reaper,
accompanied by America in a red liberty cap and Flora picking flowers. The figures,
up to fifteen feet tall, were painted to be impressive from close up as well as from
180 feet below.
The frescoed frieze in the belt just below the dome was painted to give the illusion
of a sculpted relief. The scenes, designed by Brumidi, trace America's history from
its discovery by Columbus to the discovery of gold in California, with emphasis on
the Spanish explorers and the Revolutionary War. Brumidi created a sketch for the
frieze in 1859, but he was not authorized to begin work until 1877. Following
Brumidi's death in 1880, Filippo Costaggini was commissioned to complete the
remaining eight scenes using Brumidi's sketches. However, when the frieze was
finished in 1889, a gap of over 31 feet remained. The frieze was finally completed
by Allyn Cox in 1953 with scenes of the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and
the Birth of Aviation.
The statues and busts in the Rotunda are primarily of presidents, including a bust of
George Washington by P.J. David d'Angers and a statue of him by Antoine Houdon.
The marble statue of Abraham Lincoln was created by Vinnie Ream, for whom
Lincoln had sat. She was the first woman artist to receive a government commission.
The most recent addition to the sculpture in the Rotunda is the bust of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., by John Wilson. The Magna Carta display, which features a solid
gold replica of the original document, was a gift from the British government in 1976
for the bicentennial.
Office of the Curator, 1991
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ARCHITECT
OF
THE CAPITO
THE
*
1793
#
Washington, DC 20515
STATUES AND BUSTS IN THE ROTUNDA
United States Capitol
BUSTS
Marquis de Lafayette, 1830
by David d'Angers (1789-1856)
Marble
A marble bust of Layfayette (1757-1834) was presented by the sculptor to the United
States through President John Quincy Adams in 1829, with the hope that it could be
placed close to that of Washington to represent their affection and common goals. That
original bust was destroyed in the 1851 fire in the Library of Congress in the Capitol.
An identical bust had been commissioned in 1830 by a citizen of North Carolina. The
Library. bust was purchased in 1904 from his estate for $2,000 by the Joint Committee on the
George Washington, 1905
by David d'Angers (1789-1856)
Bronze
The bust of Washington (1732-1799) was presented by the Republic of France through
its ambassador on Washington's birthday in 1905. It replaced the marble one made about
1828 destroyed by the fire in the Library of Congress in 1851. Fortunately, the original
clay model for the marble bust had been preserved and was used to cast this bronze one.
It was accepted by the Joint Committee on the Library.
Martin Luther King, Jr., 1986
by John Wilson (1922-)
Bronze
This bust of Dr. King (1929-1968), the renowned civil rights leader, was authorized by
concurrent resolution of the House and Senate and approved by the Joint Committee on
the Library. Federal funds of $25,000 were matched by the National Endowment for the
Arts. Mr. Wilson was selected from a group of 180 professional sculptors in a nationwide
competition for the $50,000 commission. The bust was unveiled in January 1986 and
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later placed on the first floor. It was moved to the Rotunda in July 1988.
STATUES
General Ulysses S. Grant, 1890
by Franklin Simmons (1839-1913)
Marble
The statue of Grant (1822-1885), was a gift from the Grand Army of the Republic to the
nation "in honor of their fallen comrade." The reported cost was $10,000. It was
unveiled on May 19, 1900, in the Rotunda, where it has stood ever since. Grant was
President from 1869 to 1877.
Alexander Hamilton, 1866-68
by Horatio Stone (1808-1873)
Marble
This statue was purchased by the Joint Committee on the Library for $10,000. It was
placed in the Rotunda on its arrival in 1868. Hamilton (1759-1804) holds the Federalist
papers in his right hand and points toward the Constitution on which his left hand is
resting. On the base is incised a scene showing the adoption of the Constitution, which
Hamilton considered the great accomplishment of the Revolution. Washington is shown
taking the oath of office.
Thomas Jefferson, 1834
by David d'Angers (1789-1856)
Bronze
The statue of Jefferson (1743-1826) was. the gift of Uriah P. Levy, USN, to the people of
the United States in 1833. In 1834 it was placed in the Rotunda for about a year by
congressional resolution, then moved to the north grounds of the White House until 1874,
when it was formally accepted into the Capitol by Congress. The letters on the scroll
were made by pressing printing type into the clay model and then casting.
Abraham Lincoln, 1870
by Vinnie Ream [Hoxie]
Marble
Vinnie Ream was the first woman to receive a government commission for art. She had
been a young girl of 18 when President Lincoln (1809-1865) sat for her. She finished the
bust the day he was shot, and later she was allowed to make the full length statue.
Lincoln is shown in the coat which he wore to Ford's Theater. The statue was carved in
Italy. Although there was criticism at the time about a woman sculpting such an
important figure, the statue has been acclaimed.
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Andrew Jackson, 1927
by Belle Kinney [Sholz] (1890-1959)
Bronze
The statue of Jackson (1767-1845), the seventh President, was Tennessee's first
contribution to Statuary Hall in 1924. It was moved to the Rotunda in 1934 when it was
determined that all presidents should be placed in this room.
George Washington, 1909
by Antoine Houdon (1741-1828)
Bronze
This bronze statue was cast from the original 1788 marble carved by the French artist,
Houdon which was placed in the Statehouse in Richmond in 1796. Although this bronze
was placed in the Rotunda in 1909, it was not formally accepted by Congress until 1934.
A plow supports the fasces, or bundle of laws. A sword hangs on them to symbolize
Washington was living an agricultural life and had hung up his sword. In his right hand
is a cane symbolizing civil authority in time of peace. This state was Virginia's
contribution to Statuary Hall.
Roger Williams, 1870
by Franklin Simmons (1839-1913)
Marble
Rhode Island contributed the statue of Roger Williams (1603-1682/3) to the Statuary
Hall Collection in 1872 as its second statue. Williams was an early religious leader who
was among the first to proclaim religious freedom in the colonies. His knowledge of the
Indian language enabled him to work with them and lead them in peace with the settlers.
His statue was moved to the Rotunda in 1979 during a relocation of statues to other parts
of the Capitol. The statue was carved in Rome.
James A. Garfield, 1884-5
by Charles H. Niehaus (1855-1935)
Marble
The statue of Garfield (1831-1881) was Ohio's contribution to Statuary Hall in 1886. It
was moved from Statuary Hall to the Rotunda in 1934. Garfield, the twentieth President,
died in September 1881 from an assassin's bullet only six months after he took office.
Curator's Office
April 1989
I'll be in MK's office or in 122.
After your phone call, can
you come drun & let me know
what's going on and then
go up to Room 239 to get some
papers from Claire Sechler.
Thanks!
Abraham vi
that Members should think twice about opposing the budget
agreement, because President Bush might very well single them out
during their re-election campaign. There were hoots and groans
at Sununu's threat, a threat which seemed to convert no one." In
his profile, Mudd mentioned that is "was Pursell who was the
first at Monday's GOP caucus, to stand up and push back at John
Sununu's threat." Pursell: "He was very demanding, very
threatening, and I just resented that
When President Reagan
was here, Jim Baker was a very skillful negotiator on behalf of
the president rather than running it through and trying to
ram it down our throats." One of Pursell's complaints is that
the budget has "too much Darman, too much Sununu" in it: "You've
got non-elected people in power positions making policy decisions
in this country, and I object to that as a policy maker and as an
elected official." Even "that old tax-hater" Ronald Reagan was
described as "lukewarm": "Seems worthy of support" (NBC).
SELL, SELL, SELL: "It's come down to a battle of the
president and his new best friends, the congressional Democratic
leaders, versus the president's new worst enemies, conservative
Republicans and the business community" (Bob Schieffer). ABC's
coverage opened with VP Dan Quayle hitting the Hill to rally
"reluctant Republicans" behind the budget plan. ABC's Jim Wooten
said House GOP Whip Gingrich's opposition "seemed to overshadow"
such defenders of the budget as Sen. Dole. NBC's John Cochran,
with a clip of Bush playing tennis late yesterday, quoted Bush as
saying, "I'm glad to get off that damn telephone." Bush, on
giving cover to Members: "Blame me -- I know what's best for the
country." But NBC's Andrea Mitchell warned, "Leaders drafting
- Press Officer
Pre
THE white HOUSE
WASHINGTON
BarbaraWolanin
224-3121
-
8
X 7565
A
Rotunda
Suzanne Fallkher)
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PAGE
1
LEVEL 1 - - 2 OF 13 STORIES
Copyright (c) 1991 Levitt Communications, Inc.
Roll Call
May 13, 1991
LENGTH: 626 words
HEADLINE: Hancock's Bust of Bush, 43rd Vice President, Will Join Senate
Collection in Capitol Soon
BYLINE: By Timothy J. Burger
BODY:
President Bush has finally been busted - that is, a bust of Bush, who was the
nation's 43rd vice president and president of the Senate, will soon be unveiled
in the Capitol corridor just outside the chamber.
All former vice presidents are captured in sculptures scattered about the
Senate floor and surrounding corridors. Bush's image is expected to be unveiled
soon, in a ceremony the President will likely attend.
(c) 1991 Roll Call, May 13, 1991
But for now, the bust, which was finished more than six months ago, remains
hidden away.
The Bush bust is "life-sized exactly," said Walker Hancock, the 89-year-old
Gloucester, Mass., sculptor who completed the work last October.
Hancock has also produced likenesses of former Vice Presidents Hubert
Humphrey and Gerald Ford, as well as former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren
Burger. Those sculptures are also found on and around the Senate floor.
Hancock is now working on "a memorial for fallen airmen at West Point," said
Architect of the Capitol George White, calling him "one of the finest classical
portrait sculptors alive today."
White said his office had recommended Hancock to do the portrait and that
Hancock turned out to be a friend of the family of Bush's mother, Dorothy, and
was readily approved by the President.
"Sometimes, the family will have a sculptor they want to use," White said, as
in the case of Nelson Rockefeller, who was well known for his involvement in the
arts, and Walter Mondale, who is also a former Democratic Senator from
Minnesota.
LEXIS'NEXIS'LEXIS'NEXIS
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PAGE
2
(c) 1991 Roll Call, May 13, 1991
The Architect, whose office oversees the process of selecting the sculptor
and approving the completed work, said the Bush piece "is made of white Carrara
marble-the same kind of marble that Michelangelo used."
Hancock said he spent two weeks in Pietrasanta, Italy, just south of Carrara,
supervising the carving of the marble version itself, which is based on precise
measurements taken of a plaster bust which Hancock himself prepared.
The artist based his work on sittings with Bush, totaling "five or six hours
at different intervals," including time at Camp David and the White House.
Hancock said he "took 125 different photographs, and I made I don't know how
many measurements of his head and shoulders."
In the course of his work, Hancock said, "I spent two nights in the White
House and (had) dinner twice with them (President and Barbara Bush) alone."
During the tedious process of taking the measurements and photos, "We laughed
and talked the whole time. That's the whole point.- The result, of course, is
very much more lively and convincing."
White said the face depicted in the Bush sculpture has "a pleasant look but a
firm look.- - You can't have a smiling thing - it looks ridiculous after
(c) 1991 Roll Call, May 13, 1991
awhile."
Produced at a cost of about $50,000, the sculpture is being stored by the
Architect until a pedestal made of Tennessee pink marble is completed. The
pedestal will cost a little more than $9,000.
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LEVEL 1 - - 1 OF 1 DOCUMENT
Public Papers of the Presidents
Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the National Medal
of the Arts
25 Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 1770
November 17, 1989
LENGTH: 2134 words
The President. Excuse the delay. We've been out there trying to calm the
national turkey, which has all worked out very well. [Laughter] No double
entendres around here about that, either. [Laughter]
Thank you -- all of you for being here today for the fifth annual
presentation of the National Medal of the Arts. It is a great pleasure and an
honor for Barbara and me to welcome you to the White House. I just want to
thank the National Council on the Arts; the Committee on the Arts and
Humanities; as well as John Frohnmayer, our new and distinguished Chairman of
the NEA; and of course, Hugh Southern for the support and encouragement of
America's cultural life.
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Dante once wrote that "Art imitates nature as well as it can, as a pupil
follows his master; and thus it is a sort of grandchild of God." Well, as this,
"grandchild of God," art embraces our values in history, gives meaning to our
existence, and illuminates the basic human truths which give us purpose. In a
way, art defines our civilization. But in another more personal way, art opens
entire new worlds for each of us, letting us see and hear and even feel life
through the mind of someone else, from new perspectives. And instead of seeing
a single world, we can see as many worlds as there are artists and writers,
dancers and musicians.
The diversity of art in this nation is truly a product of the diversity of
our democracy. The American arts, like a many-faceted mirror, have been a
colorful reflection of this nation's history. The music of the frontier led to
the blues of the bayou, and the swing bands of the cities. The primitivism of
the early painters gave way to the romanticism of the Hudson River school and,
later, American impressionism and abstract expressionism. In architecture,
Americans see everything from the Federal style to postmodernism. Modern
photography and filmmaking have their roots in the tintypes of the Civil War
era. And from our earliest writings to this week's best seller list, we've seen
American poetry, novels, short stories earn a unique place in the literature of
the entire world. Cities like New York and Los Angeles have become art capitals
of international importance; and regional orchestras, museums, dance troupes,
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and opera companies have enjoyed spectacular successes.
We need to make this great diversity of art more a part of the lives of all
Americans. And we need to begin this effort in our schools so that our young
people will have a sense of their heritage and the creativity of the present.
We need to make special efforts to reach out to those who do not regularly
participate. The work of the National Endowment is especially important in
these areas.
Today, we honor a group of men and women whose creative ideas, talent, and
passion have added 50 much to the rich tapestry that is our nation's cultural
heritage. Their work is not just of the mind but of the heart and of the soul.
And some have challenged us; some have amazed us; and some have brought
remarkable beauty of sight and sound to us. But all have helped us to think and
to dream and to understand ourselves and our world a little better.
Today, we honor Alfred Eisenstaedt for his photography, Dizzy Gillespie for
his jazz innovations, John Updike for his prose, Katherine Dunham for her dance
and choreography, Walker Hancock for his sculpture, Czeslaw Milosz for his
poetry, Robert Motherwell for his paintings, and Leopold Adler for his historic
preservation. And we honor someone whose great talent and energy will live on,
long after the sounds of his music has faded, and that is the late Vladimir
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Horowitz.
And we honor the patrons of the arts, those who understand that without the
artistic creativity of its people no nation can be whole, and those whose
dedication, energy and commitment have sustained that creativity over the years.
We honor Martin Friedman of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Leigh Gerdine
of Webster University in St. Louis, and the Dayton Hudson Corporation.
And now I will ask John Frohnmayer if he will read the citations for the
National Medal of the Arts to our recipients. John, all yours.
Mr. Frohnmayer. Thank you, Mr. President.
Leopold Adler II is a nationally recognized expert in historic preservation,
one who has changed the face of his hometown, Savannah, Georgia. He was the
driving force behind two remarkable revitalization experiments. One refurbished
the historic section of Savannah, and the other renovated low-income housing in
the Victorian didstrict. Mr. Adler has also served as a trustee for almost a
decade for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The citation reads:
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"To Leopold Adler for his civic leadership in preserving for all time the
beauty of Savannah, Georgia, and for making that city a model of the art of
historic preservation."
Katherine Dunham is an outstanding dancer and choreographer. The Dunham
Company, the first black professional dance company in America, performed
throughout the world from 1938 through 1963, presenting the dance, music, and
folklore of Third World countries and the United States. For over 30 years, Ms.
Dunham has maintained the only permanently self-subsidized dance troupe in
America. She also founded the Dunham School of Arts and Research in New York
City.
The citation reads:
"To Katherine Dunham for her pioneering explorations of Caribbean and African
dance, which have enriched and transformed the art of dance in America."
Alfred Eisenstaedt is the quintessential photojournalist who pioneered the
introduction of the candid camera technique into news reporting. After
emigrating from West Prussia in 1935, he joined the original photography staff
of the new magazine, Life. Mr. Eistnstaedt's most famous photo is that of a
sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square at the end of World War II. As a
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photographer, he has won almost every major national professional award.
The award is received by his long-time friend and photo editor, Bobbie Baker
Burrows.
The citation reads:
"To Alfred Eisenstaedt for the extraordinary photographs that document the
tragedies and triumphs he has witnessed over a lifetime."
John Berks "Dizzy" Gillespie is a virtuoso musician, pioneer, composer, and
bandleader who has been a pivotal figure in 20th century American music. The
founder of the jazz bebop movement, he developed a radical new approach to
improvisation that was to change the course of modern music-making. For more
than 40 years he has explored the varies music of different cultures. Mr.
Gillespie has performed before countless world leaders and has won numerous
awards. Dizzy Gillespie.
The citation:
"To John Berks "Dizzy" Gillespie for his trailblazing work as a musician who
helped elevate jazz to an art form of the first rank and for sharing his gift
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with listeners around the world."
Wealker Kirtland Hancock is a renowned sculptor whose work spans a period of
70 years. He began by sculpting the bust of an orphan and was awarded a Prix de
Rome while still an apprentice. He has spent a lifetime sculpting over 268
pieces, many of them portraits, busts, monuments, and medals in the heroic
Renaissance style of Florence. Mr. Hancock has sculpted busts of American
heroes and Presidents. He has said that just as the ancient Greeks did in their
sculpture, celebrating heroes is still one of the worthy functions of sculpture
today. Walker Hancock.
The citation:
"To Walker Hancock for his extraordinary contribution to the art of
sculpture and for demonstrating the enduring beauty of the classical tradition.'
Vladimir Horowitz was a consummate pianist and a genius who was known for the
controlled thunder and the electricity of his performances. Appropriately, Mr.
Horowitz's first home was on Music Street in Kiev. He left the Soviet Union as
a musical sensation in 1925 to play in Berlin, Paris, and ultimately in America
at Carnegie Hall. He returned to Carnegie Hall 25 years later at the height of
his popularity and returned to play in the Soviet Union in 1986. Vladimir
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Horowitz's music had a colorful blazing quality and technical excellence.
Truly, he was a man with no equals.
The award will be delivered to Madame Horowitz upon her return from Italy.
And the citation reads:
"To Vladimir Horowitz for his extraordinary achievements and distinctive
style as a pianist whose concerts brought pleasure to audiences everywhere and
whose contributions to music made him a citizen of the world."
Czeslaw Milosz for glorious poetry and prose that celebrates the
freedom-loving spirit not only of his native Poland but that of his adopted
country, the United States."
Robert Motherwell is an artist of global stature, renowned as one of the
founders of the American abstract expressionism school, the first American art
movement to receive recognition internationally as being on the leading edge of
world art. He is best known for a series of monumental paintings on the
"Spanish Eulogy" theme, for abstract paintings in the open series, and as a
master of collage. He has received a multitude of honors in five decades of a
very distinguished career. Robert Motherwell.
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The citation:
"To Robert Motherwell for reflecting in his art the very essence of American
Freedom with paintings that have found a distinguished place in collections
everywhere."
John Updike is the author of over 30 books of poetry, novels, short stories,
and essays. Mr. Updike 15 one of the best chroniclers of American small town
life in literature. He began as a writer for the New Yorker magazine and then
authored the novels "The Poorhouse Fair," "Rabbit, Run," and among many others,
"The Centuar" and "The Witches of Eastwick." Among many other awards, in 1982
Mr. Updike received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for "Rabbit is Rich." John
Updike.
The citation reads:
"To John Updike, for novels and stories that, over a 40-year career, have
given us a wryly affectionate, yet penetrating analysis of the complexity of
life in today's America."
Martin Friedman is one of our nation's most innovative and scholarly museum
directors. Mr. Friedman has served as director of the Walker Arts Center in
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Minneapolis since 1961, making it into one of the premiere small museums in this
country, in exhibitions as well as in the performing arts. In addition to his
activism in the arts community, he has written extensively on contemporary art
and recently helped create the new Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.
The citation:
"To Martin Friedman for opening the doors of his museum to the best of all of
the arts in our time -- from painting and sculpture to film, video, and
performance -- and for opening our eyes to the vital connections between these
forms of expression."
Leigh Gerdine is an outstanding civic leader who has paved the way for
development of every major cultural institution in St. Louis. Mr. Gerdine is a
40-year resident of that city, and for 18 years has been president of Webster
University. He has been deeply involved in the St. Louis Symphony, the St.
Louis Repertory Company and was founding chairman of the St. Louis Opera
Theater, now one of the most widely acclaimed companies in the country. Mr.
Gerdine.
The citation:
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"To Leigh Gerdine for his distinguished career as a musician and educator,
and for the enlightened patronage which has earned him the title of spiritual
father of the arts in St. Louis."
Dayton Hudson Corporation has been a leader in corporate giving for 43 years.
Since 1980 the corporation has contributed nearly $70 million to arts programs
in the United States. Dayton Hudson has targeted support to programs that, on a
long-term basis, make a community a more vital place in which to live. During
1988 alone, Dayton Hudson generously awarded $7.4 million to 580 arts programs
in 37 States and the District of Columbia. Accepting is Mr. Kenneth Macke, CEO
of Dayton Hudson Corporation.
The citation:
"To Dayton Hudson Corporation for helping to forge a vital partnership
between the corporate sector and the arts community and for demonstrating how
both can benefit in the process."
The President. Well, let me just say in conclusion first, thank you, John
Frohnmayer, and all of you recipients, congratulations for your achievements,
for the passion you bring to the arts. You have honored this country. Your
nation is grateful to you. And congratulations to all of you. Barbara and I
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are just thrilled that you're here at the White House. And now I'd like all of
our medal winners to join us up here for just a minute, if we could, for one
quick -- what they call in the trade a photo op. [Laughter] Please.
Note: The President spoke at 12:12 p.m. in the East Room at the White House.
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is
location
May be Moved
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This afternoon
the decision
will be Made.
Grant
Draft two
A:Bust
June 24, 1991
BRIEF REMARKS: UNVEILING OF THE OFFICIAL BUST OF THE PRESIDENT
U.S. CAPITOL
THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1991
2:30 P.M.
Thank you all so much for joining us today. [On our way
here, I was remembering when I entered politics nearly 25 years
ago. I once said to Barbara that if I wasn't careful, the
Democrats would have my head on a platter. /// [LOOK AT BUST]
She said no, George, I think someday you'll really get ahead
in politics. /// Well, today I guess she's right. ]
[When my schedule read that it was time to motorcade to the
Capitol for this unveiling, I started to worry. I can just see
the headlines in tomorrow's tabloids: "Bush Goes For Bust."
OR: "Bush Gets Busted. "]
Surrounded by so many of my predecessors as President of the
Senate, I am reminded of the time someone asked George Washington
50mg
why in all the busts made of him, did he always have a curious
smile on his face? He explained that it all began when the
sculptor Joseph Wright was first doing a life mask of him, oiling
his face and applying plaster. Just as the plaster was setting,
Martha Washington walked into the room. Surprised to see the
President this way, she let out a shriek. The President smiled -
- and the rest is history. Washington was immortalized with that
wry smile.
2
This time, I was lucky -- Barbara and I both kept our
composure while our good friend Walker Hancock did his work. And
I think that given his subject, Walker did a formidable job. The
Bushes have been admirers of his masterpieces for a long time --
I first met him as a friend of the family. [Personal recollection
to come]. Then, later, in 1989, it was my privilege to award him
the National Medal of the Arts. He won that medal for his
dedication to the enduring beauty of the classical tradition in
sculpture ((and, of course, his eye for capturing politicians
with their mouths closed. ))
Walker, thank you for your hard work on this sculpture, and
to all of you gathered here today, thank you for this wonderful
ceremony. It was my distinct honor to have served as President
of this esteemed body, the United States Senate. Once again,
thank you. God bless the United States of America.
# # #
SPEAKER'S TREASURY
OF POLITICAL STORIES,
ANECDOTES, AND HUMOR
Gerald Tomlinson
PRENTICE HALL
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632
166
OUTCOME
Barry Goldwater (1909-
)
Nations do not arm for war. They arm to keep themselves from war.
Eric Sevareid (1912-
)
The difference between the men and the boys in politics is, and always has
been, that the boys want to be something, while the men want to do some-
thing.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)
I want to be the white man's brother, not his brother-in-law.
OUTCOME
"And if he does come back?"
King Philip of Spain had a jester who entered in a notebook the names of
those who committed foolish acts.
One day the King gave one of his Moors a large sum of money to take to Arabia
to buy horses. The jester, surprised at the King's naivete, wrote the King's name in
his notebook.
Some time later the King was looking at the notebook and noticed his name.
He asked for an explanation.
"Sire," the jester replied, "it was foolish to give so much money to the Moor.
You will never see it again."
"And if he does come back?"
The jester smiled. "I will cross out your name and replace it with his."
Joseph Wright was doing a life mask.
In some of the busts made of George Washington, his lips seem tightly
compressed. Washington explained why.
Joseph Wright was doing a life mask of the first President. First he oiled
Washington's face. Then he began applying plaster. While this was going on,
Martha came into the room. Apparently surprised to see her husband looking the
way he did, she let out a sudden cry.
Washington began to smile, which, he said, "gave a slight twist of compress-
ion to the lips that is now observable in the busts which Mr. Wright afterwards
made."
D2 TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1991
THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON WAYS
The Unveiling of the Finely Chiseled George Bush
By Donnie Radcliffe
said he never met Humphrey and that he
Hancock said he showed George and
self-described "character actor in the
"Nancy does a lot of hissing and refuting
Washington Post Staff Writer
did the bust of him posthumously, from
Barbara Bush the plaster model at Camp
tradition of Helen Hayes" whose
Kelley's book, but I also give her a sense
news photographs and portraits. He met
merica's 41st president will be
David a year ago. "I asked for suggestions
impersonation of Nancy Reagan has kept
of humor so that people leave actually
A
and photographed Ford at the former
looking on Thursday when the
and Mrs. Bush said not to change anything.
theatergoers coming back for more in
liking her," Sweeney claims.
president's home in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
marble bust of America's 43rd vice
But I made slight changes in the forehead
New York and Chicago the past couple of
Those busts, like that of Bush, were
Though he's never met Nancy Reagan,
and chin."
president is dedicated at the U.S. Senate.
commissioned by the Office of the Architect
years.
he met her son when they were walking
Only 14 vice presidents ever became
Of the 43 former vice presidents, only
of the Capitol and paid for by the Senate,
Ever since he portrayed the then-First
toward each other the night Ron Reagan
president, but George Bush will be the
one has yet to make it into the hallowed
over which the vice president presides.
Lady on "Saturday Night Live," Sweeney
chambers of the Senate: Spiro Agnew, No.
hosted "Saturday Night Live." Sweeney
first to witness his own unveiling.
Hancock, whose awards include the Prix
Sculptor Walker Kirtland Hancock, who
39, who resigned in October 1973 over a
has been finding new meaning in Nancy
was dressed up as Nancy to play Ron
de Rome and the National Medal of Arts,
turns 90 on Friday, spent two years on the
presented by Bush at the White House in
scandal about kickbacks and systematic
Reagan. He says Washingtonians may
Reagan's mother in a spoof of "Risky
Business," and, according to him, Reagan
bust and traveled to a quarry near
1989, will come from his home in
payoffs while he was governor of Maryland.
have known all about her but other people
Massachusetts to attend the invitation-only
The reason Agnew isn't part of the Capitol
didn't. He got a helping hand in 1989 from
entered into the spirit of the evening with
Carrara, Italy, to finish it. Yesterday he
described Bush as "a wonderful subject,
dedication. He said he sculpted Bush's bust
exhibit is that "nobody's ever brought it up,"
Nancy Reagan's own book, "My Turn,"
a convivial "Hi, Mom!"
with a very fine head, very strong and
according to one official.
and the publication this spring of Kitty
by working from 125 photographs that he
Washington audiences will have to wait
sculptural. It made it easier than some
took during his first visit to the White House
"Usually the family does it," said
Kelley's "Nancy Reagan."
to discover Sweeney's act. (From New
heads I had done."
two years ago.
Barbara Wolanin, curator for the
Sweeney dresses in drag, a convincing if
York, where he opens at the Ballroom
Some of those heads belonged to Gen.
"He was such a friendly and patient sitter,
architect of the Capitol, "but no one has
modest-priced copy of Nancy's trademark
tonight for a three-week run, he goes on
Douglas MacArthur, Chief Justice Earl
though he wasn't exactly sitting all the
pushed, and nobody in Congress has felt
Adolfos-"after the S&Ls, who can afford
to Boston's Club Cabaret.) He hasn't been
Warren, poet Robert Frost and two other
time," Hancock said. "I told him, "This is
they wanted to do anything about it."
them?"-to spend more than an hour in
booked here yet, but that's okay.
vice presidents, Hubert Humphrey and
saving you the trouble and discomfort of
front of the footlights singing, telling
Sweeney's laugh meter has convinced him
Gerald Ford, whose busts are also installed
having a life mask made,' and he said 'Oh,
Satire works a lot better if an audience
anecdotes and "dishing the dirt about
that Nancy Reagan isn't leaving the public
in the Senate wing of the Capitol. Hancock
go right ahead and do it. But I didn't."
is informed, says Terry Sweeney, a
Patti, Barbara, Raisa and Mikhail.
eye anytime soon.
224-3121
Photocopy-Preservation