Remarks Upon Presenting the Collier Trophy to the First U.S. Astronauts

Mr. Vice President, gentlemen:

I want to express a very warm welcome back to the White House where all these gentlemen have come on other occasions. And I am particularly glad that the decision has been made to award the trophy this year to them. I think it honors an extraordinary page in American history, as well as in the history of flight. And I hope that this award, which in a sense closes out this particular phase of the space program, will be a stimulus to them and to other astronauts who will carry our flag to the moon and perhaps even someday beyond.

I want to express my appreciation to the Armed Forces of the United States who have supported this effort, who provided these young men; Mr. Webb, who directed the space program; and to the officers, some of whom are here, of this immediate project, who were responsible for its ultimate success. Most of all, I want to express our appreciation to the astronauts, who have become part of the American story in a very real way, and to their wives, who are also here.

I imagine that some day we will be welcoming them back, one or two or three of them anyway, who have gone a good deal further than they have now gone. And I hope we will all be here to participate in that. I wonder if Mr. Webb might say a word about this award, more especially about the significance of this great effort in space.

[At this point James E. Webb, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space ministration, stated that as one who had served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the National Aeronautic Association in the thirties when an effort was being made to build air power, and because "we are today engaged in building real space power for the United States," he was delighted to be "in that long recollection of an effort that has made us preeminent in aeronautics .... This is one of the great awards in aeronautics and space," he continued, "and the National Aeronautic Association has awarded it over many years only to the most outstanding examples of courage, capacity. These men are the best of those qualified to receive it." Maj. Donald K. Slayton, on behalf of the astronauts, accepted the award. The President then resumed speaking. ]

I just want to say one more word, while we have an audience, and that is about this space program. When the plane was first invented, I am sure there were a good many who wondered what possible use it could be. When the first Sputnik satellite went up, I am sure it was regarded as an extraordinary feat, but not perhaps of great international significance. I can assure you that it has had a most extraordinary influence on our lives, been useful beyond measure to the United States, and I feel that way about what we are trying to do now. Some may only dimly perceive where we are going and what is going to happen. They may not feel that this is of the greatest priority to our country.

I am confident that when this job is done-of giving the United States the kind of position in this area which it must have--that it will then become as obvious to us, its significance as obvious to us, its uses as obvious to us, its benefit as obvious to us as a country as the Sputnik satellite is to us, as the airplane is to us. And I think in the course of that we will have particular appreciation to the Americans who are here today, who led this effort. So it is a great pleasure for me to present to them this celebrated award.