Proclamation 2777—"I Am an American Day," 1948

Whereas the stature of our country has been augmented by the millions who have come here from other lands to realize their dreams of liberty and opportunity; and

Whereas the vigor of our national life is constantly renewed by the coming of age of our native-born youth, who add their strength to the cause of preserving the heritage which has been held in trust for them; and

Whereas loyalty to a great ideal has brought together people of every race, creed, and cultureall blended into a unity which has been the strength of our country and has enabled it to meet every crisis; and

Whereas the trying problems, both foreign and domestic, which face our nation today require unselfish devotion and united effort on the part of all our citizens:

Now, Therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Congress in a joint resolution approved May 3, 1940 (54 Stat. 178), do hereby designate Sunday, may 16, 1948, as I Am An American Day, and do set aside that day as an occasion for stressing the worth and meaning of American citizenship and rending special recognition to those who have been naturalized during the past year as well as to those of our youth who have reached their majority and are ready to assume the full responsibilities of citizenship.

I call upon Federal, State, and local officials, as well as patriotic, civic, and educational organizations, to conduct exercises on or about May 16 expressing thankfulness for the rights and privileges of American citizenship and solemn acceptance of our obligations as citizens, at home and abroad, to the end that peace and happiness may be attained by Americans and by other peoples everywhere.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this 30th day of March in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-second.

HARRY S. TRUMAN

By the President:

ROBERT A. LOVETT,

Acting Secretary of State.