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1252510
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9/18/75 - Talking Points: Medal of Science Awards Ceremony
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1252510
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9/18/75 - Talking Points: Medal of Science Awards Ceremony
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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1975-09-18
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1975
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1975-09-18
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1975
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The original documents are located in Box 16, "9/18/75 - Talking Points: Medal of Science
Awards Ceremony" of the President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 16 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN....
TALKING POINTS - MEDAL OF SCIENCE AWARDS
CEREMONY
THURSDAY - SEPTEMBER 18, 1975
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
DR. STEVER
DISTINGUISHED AWARD RECIPIENTS
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
- 1 -
THE WORLD WAS LATE IN RECOGNIZING THAT THE MEN AND
WOMEN OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ARE THE TRUE MOVERS AND
SHAKERS OF HUMAN EVENTS.
OUR FOUND ING FATHERS DREW UP
A CONSTITUTION THAT GAVE THE CONGRESS THE POWER TO PROMOTE
THE "PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AND THE USEFUL ARTS."
- 2 -
ALTHOUGH A GREAT DEAL OF FEDERAL SUPPORT FLOWED FROM THAT
MANDATE, IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1959 THAT THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE
WAS CREATED TO HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES
IN THIS FIELD.
- 3 -
SINCE 1962, 89 DISTINGUISHED SCIENTISTS AND ENG INEERS
HAVE BEEN AWARDED THIS MEDAL.
IT IS OUR PROUD AND
HONORED PRIVILEGE TODAY TO HONOR 13 MORE OUTSTANDING MEN
OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WITH THIS DISTINGUISHED AWARD.
- 4 -
THESE AWARDS -- THE NATION'S HIGHEST HONOR TO ITS MEN
AND WOMEN OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING -- ARE OF PARTICULAR
SIGNIFICANCE AS WE APPROACH THE BICENTENNIAL YEAR.
AS WE
LOOK BACK OVER 200 YEARS OF THE NATION'S HISTORY WE SEE THE
PROFOUND INFLUENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HAVE HAD ON
- 5 -
OUR DEVELOPMENT.
WE OWE A GREAT DEBT TO SCIENCE AND TO ALL
THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE CARRIED ON THE SCIENTIFIC
ENTERPRISE OF THIS COUNTRY.
- 6 -
BEYOND THIS, THE WHOLE SPIRIT OF SCIENCE -- ONE
THAT URGES US TO INNOVATE, TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN,
TO ANSWER THE UNANSWERED -- IS THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA.
- 7 -
TODAY MORE THAN EVER WE NEED TO MAINTAIN AND NOURISH THAT
SPIRIT, AND TO DO IT IN EVERY FACET OF OUR NATIONAL LIFE.
THE 13 MEN WHOM WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO HONOR TODAY HAVE
CONTRIBUTED TO THE SPECTRUM OF SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES IN MANY WAYS.
-8-
THEIR WORK IN THE PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND IN
MATHEMATICS AND ENGINEERING HAS TOUCHED AND ENRICHED THE
LIVES OF ALL OF US.
WIDE-RANGING FEDERAL SUPPORT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
AND TECHNOLOGY BECAME A NATIONAL POLICY AFTER WORLD WAR TWO.
S
- 9 -
SINCE THEN, SUPPORT HAS GROWN, BOTH IN DOLLARS AND IN THE
PERCENTAGE OF THE NATION'S TOTAL EFFORT.
IN THE COMING YEAR,
THIS AMOUNT AND PERCENTAGE WILL ONCE AGAIN GROW: TOTAL FEDERAL
FUNDS FOR CIVILIAN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WILL RISE TO
7.3 BILLION DOLLARS -- AN INCREASE OF 12 PERCENT OVER 1975.
- 10 - -
THROUGHOUT ALL THE YEARS OF FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH,
THERE HAS BEEN CONTINUED DEBATE OVER THE ISSUE OF WHAT FIELDS OF
INQUIRY SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY.
AS THE NATION'S NEEDS HAVE
CHANGED, THE PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED -- WHICH IS AS IT SHOULD BE.
- 11 - -
IN RECENT YEARS, FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
SUPPORT HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY RESPONSIVE IN THE FIELDS OF ENERGY
AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.
FROM 1969 TO 1976, ENERGY
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT HAS GROWN AT AN AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF
MORE THAN 21 PERCENT.
- 12 -
ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT HAS GROWN AT A RATE OF 17 PERCENT.
NONETHELESS, THE NATION'S COMMITMENT TO THAT MOST
FUNDAMENTAL OF ALL INQUIRIES -- BASIC RESEARCH -- HAS NOT
DIMINISHED.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS SUCH RESEARCH THAT
FORMS THE BASE UPON WHICH ALL UNDERSTANDING AND ALL FIELDS OF
HUMAN INQUIRY MUST BUILD.
- 13 -
THAT IS WHY WE WILL INCREASE BASIC RESEARCH FUNDING IN 1976
BY 11 PERCENT.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MEASURE ACCURATELY THE BENEFITS OF
OUR RESEARCH EFFORTS TO THE NATION AND TO THE WORLD.
- 14 -
WE DO KNOW THAT OUR ACHIEVEMENTS WILL BE FAR-REACHING AND
PROFOUND.
WE CAN BE CERTAIN THAT NEW PRODUCTS AND
IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY WILL FLOW FROM THEM.
- 15 - -
OUR NATION'S FUTURE AND THAT OF THE WORLD DEPENDS
ON THE CREATIVITY AND GENIUS OF MEN AND WOMEN SUCH AS THESE
WE HONOR TODAY.
- - 16 -
FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS, GENTLEMEN -- FOR WHAT YOU
HAVE GIVEN TO YOUR COUNTRY, TO SCIENCE AND TO HUMANITY
WE THANK YOU.
WE ARE GRATEFUL AND PROUD TO HONOR YOU TODAY.
END OF TEXT
IT'S NOW MY PLEASURE TO CALL ON DR. GUY STEVER, DIRECTOR
OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, TO READ THE CITATIONS
FOR EACH AWARDEE.