Remarks at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

Ladies and gentlemen:

I wish to express our very grateful appreciation to the Academy for this presentation that has been made, and it seems that it is most appropriate that the presentation to the President of the United States should be of the first Americans-watercolors by Mr. Whiteside.

As I have received with Mrs. Nixon the guests tonight, I have thought of the past as well as the future in terms of what this organization, this Academy, has contributed to this city, to America, and what it will contribute in the future.

And I am aware of the fact that this is very proudly known as the oldest academy of its kind in the United States and is also very proud of the tradition that it has represented through the years, the fact that this building was, on the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence--was dedicated, and, on that occasion, that those who were present were reminded of the fact that it was something new in the way of architecture, that it tended to keep all that was good in the past but to break new ground for the future.

As I stood in this building and as we received all of you who were so gracious to stand in line so long to give us the opportunity to meet you, it occurred to me that it would be appropriate on this occasion for us all to remind ourselves of our past, a past which this city very proudly represents in so many ways.

All of you are aware of the fact that Philadelphia in the year 1976 will be the major city for the celebration of the Bicentennial. All of you on that occasion, of course, in this building will be celebrating the 100th year of its existence, and on that occasion we will have an opportunity to think of America's past and of what we can do to build a greater future for America.

I would like to say to those assembled here that I realize-and I am going to do a little something not for your image but I hope for your contributions in the future by what I just now say--I realize that those who came through the line are often asked to make contributions to the endowment for the Academy. And I sometimes wonder if some of you, as you write out your checks, perhaps have doubts as to whether it is worthwhile. I can assure you that it is.

You are not only saving a heritage, saving a heritage which we see here tonight, but you are building for the future, for the generations to come, that great background that particularly our younger Americans need to see, to recognize that this Nation has something more than wealth and something more than power as it reaches the age of 200 years.

We in the White House are very grateful for the fact that you have made available on loan--and not gift, but on loan-the famous Dolley Madison portrait, one of the few items in the White House that dates before the fire of 1814. And we are very grateful, too, for other paintings that have been made available to us.

And so on this occasion, it gives me an opportunity to express appreciation for the way that this Academy has helped to make the White House, which belongs to all the people of America, where over one million and a half people walk through that house every year, it gives them a chance, through what you have done, to see some of the greatness of America's art and of America's past.

Now, to the point of my remarks with regard to this 200th anniversary that you will be celebrating so proudly in Philadelphia, and that other cities around the Nation will be celebrating with you. On that day, America will be, without question, the richest Nation in the world. On that day, America, if it decides it desires to do so, will still be the strongest Nation in the world.

The question on that day that all Americans, however, will want to answer is whether in addition to our strength and our power we have a heritage, a heritage to which we can point with very great pride, which is in the final analysis much more meaningful than wealth or great power.

This Academy is a demonstration of that heritage.

A few months ago, I saw in this great city another indication of it when I attended the Ormandy concert. And I realize that there was great competition as to which city would be selected for the Bicentennial city for the primary celebration. But I think that not only because as a historical fact the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 in Philadelphia in Independence Hall, but because this city and its dedicated citizens, citizens like yourselves, have through the years had so much feeling about the necessity for a nation not only to be strong, and not only to be powerful, but to have a cultural heritage, to preserve it, to save it, and to pass it on to the generations to come--the fact that you have represented that, that you represent it here, that you represent it in your support of your musical organizations, and in your support of what I understand are the other fine academies of art in the city of Philadelphia.

So I simply want to say to all of you here that, speaking as one representing all of the United States of America, that we are very proud, Mrs. Nixon and I, that we could be here with you for a few moments tonight to be reminded of the greatness of America's cultural past and reminded, too, of the fact that in this city and in many cities across this Nation there are people like yourselves who are willing to contribute their time, their effort, their dedication to preserving this great cultural heritage of America.

I congratulate the Academy for what you have done in this program which you are initiating tonight. I wish you well in the future.

And in the year 1976, I hope to be back in one capacity or another to see what you have done then.

Thank you.