Remarks at the Dedication of the Restored Mantelpiece in the State Dining Room of the White House.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Longworth:

I want to welcome all of you on this occasion when I think one of the most notable improvements in the White House is being made through the generosity of some of those who are descended from the firm which originally built this marble piece and also the marble industry of the State of New York who have also participated in this very generous gift to the White House.

It is very appropriate, I think, that we have Mrs. Longworth here, who--though she is somewhat reluctant to admit it--was present during the 1902 renovation, as a very small girl, and who shared her father's great interest in restoring the White House to--in the phrase he used--"its original simplicity and in maintaining its original purpose."

Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson were both men of extraordinary versatility and combined a great many talents. In fact, I would suppose that they covered a wider range than any of the Presidents of our history and, with the exception of a few extraordinary Americans such as Benjamin Franklin, more than any other Americans of our history. And it is interesting that Theodore Roosevelt--whose vitality, whose vigor, were such pronounced qualities and such obvious qualities in his administration-was also, with Thomas Jefferson, the President of the United States most concerned with restoring the White House, with the architecture of the White House, with maintaining the spirit of the White House.

This distinguished mantel which bears the prayer is a work with which he had a good deal to do. And most particularly, of course, and most noticeable are the two buffalo heads, which were originally lions, but he felt they should be bison because they were, of course, a distinguished product of our soils.

The original mantelpiece was yellowed and tarnished by age and, therefore, when the White House was restored a plain mantelpiece was put here. I think this is much more beautiful, much more appropriate. It reminds us of a distinguished President and also contributes materially to the restoration of the White House to its original spirit.

So I want to express my thanks to the successors of the firm of McKim, Mead & White who participated m this originally, which is now Steinmann, Cain & White, and also the Marble Industry Board of New York for their participation, and also the men who carve marble which is not very easy. I wonder if they are here. We would like to have them step forward because that is an extraordinarily creative piece of work. Won't you gentlemen come forward? You both did it--Mr. Ratti and Mr. Salvioli.

Somebody told me that you are about the only two men around who can do this work, so we want to take good care of you. In any case, we are delighted to have you participate.