Remarks to Delegates to the Conference of State Commissions on the Status of Women

Secretary Wirtz, very distinguished and attractive delegates:

We are very disappointed that you couldn't enjoy the heat and the beauty of the Rose Garden, but we ranchers do pray for rain. Occasionally, our prayers are answered.

Mrs. Johnson has gotten in the habit here lately--trying to get this grass to grow on the White House lawn--of asking for rain more often than she gets it. I hope you will understand and indulge us. If none of you have ever had to move in from the backyard on short notice, then you are entitled to criticize us.

I am quite pleased and delighted this afternoon to be able to come here to join you in celebrating the first long steps toward full and equal rights that we have taken in this country on behalf of the women of America.

Four and a half years ago, I believe it was in December 1961, Esther Peterson first came to my office in the Capitol in quest of money from the Congress. A good many people do that these days--but she came for a very unique and very unusual and very fine purpose. She was trying to finance the President's commission to study the status Of Women.

In the following February, many of you will remember that you met at my home with Mrs. Johnson at The Elms to pay our honor and our respect and tribute to the Commission's Chairman, that very great lady, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt.

So it seems to me that I have been close to your program for a good, long time now. I share all of your pride in the accomplishments and the achievements of this group.

Many of the recommendations of your first report to the President have already been implemented. Some of the old inequities and the barriers have already been swept away. We do now have an excellent Federal equal pay law.

Similar action has already been taken in 33 States of the Union and the District of Columbia. I know that you are intent on finishing that job.

Last winter, a Federal court made real the principle that women are "persons" under the Constitution. You may have heard about the longtime leader in the suffrage movement who used to say that when she died, she hoped her epitaph would be: "Born a woman, died a person." Well, that is what the court decision did.

Now, under an Executive order, women in Government enjoy equality in appointments and advancements. My problem--it seems I have always had that problem, too--is finding these women. I hope you will continue to help me in the talent search that we are conducting for women scientists, women judges, women ambassadors, women administrators, and for women to occupy leadership posts in our Federal Government.

Now, with the creation of 48 State Commissions on the Status of Women during the past 2 years, much of our future activity is going to be out in the States and in the communities. You are helping erase inequities before the law.

Two hundred and eighty-four State statutes passed last year were passed to improve the civil and political status of women. That is adequate testimony to your efforts and to the results that you have obtained.

State commissions have done much to stimulate continued education for women. Child care centers have been improved. Centers have been set up by many States to find outlets for talented volunteers.

All around this country mayors are now appointing civic beautification committees. In practically every instance they are looking to the women, as I do here in Washington, for leadership in that field.

Believe me--if you could overhear some bedroom conversations--I get leadership in that field.

Last year in the Head Start project, 200,000 women volunteered their services to help us with the Head Start centers. That is one of our most successful programs. One of the reasons it is successful is because women provide leadership to make it successful. There will be even more this summer.

I doubt that there are many causes in this country that are more rewarding than the Head Start cause.

Recently, some underprivileged children in a Head Start project in Massachusetts were given a vocabulary test. The teacher held up flash cards of various objects to see if they could identify them. One of these cards was the picture of a teddy bear. More than 60 percent of the children identified it as a rat. Their world, evidently, had more rats in it than teddy bears.

That is the kind of a world this administration is determined to change--and is changing. Now, it is everyone's job to do something about it, but I know who is going to do something about it first. I will let you in on that secret: It is going to be the women of this country.

For nearly two centuries now, the Bill of Rights--that we all will be talking about July 4--has been the foundation of all the freedom that we enjoy and that we hope other people can obtain throughout the world. Now, let's take the Bill of Rights and magnify these freedoms for all of our people in this Great Society in which we live.

Americans must have the right to live their lives without discrimination because of race, color, religion, or sex.

They must have the right to vote in every place in this land.

They must have the right to a decent job in every place in this land.

They must have the right to a fair wage in every State in this Union.

They must have the right to sufficient food.

They must have the right to a decent home.

They must have the right to good medical care.

I have had three conferences already this week on medical care and I have another one coming up tomorrow. It is a real big job to get 18 million people signed up. It is going to be a bigger job getting the administration smoothed out. But anything that is as important as this is worth doing. We are not a bunch of "can't do" people.

Our people must have a right to expect what I have this afternoon--beauty in their surroundings.

They must have the right to proper recreation for their children. That is why we are adding so much to our public domain and trying to get parks that are close to where our people live.

As beautiful as Wyoming is, I am still paying for Mrs. Johnson's last trip out there. I just wish that she could have gone down on the Potomac and enjoyed the same beauties.

The people who live in New York, Philadelphia and Washington cannot all go across the country with all their children. So we are trying to arrange for places like Assateague, which is close to the population centers.

They must have the right to an education. And this is the provision that Secretary Wirtz put in here.

I first heard him advocate on my ranch porch shortly after I became President that the most important thing we could do was to see in this country that every boy and girl born in this land had the right to get all the education they could take. As a result, we passed 24 education bills--the elementary education bill, the kindergarten (Head Start) bill, the secondary education bills, the vocational education bill, the higher education bill.

Any person that graduates from high school in this land today, that is unable to take care of his own expenses in college, can either go to college by getting a work project job, by getting a scholarship, or by getting a loan.

Now, I haven't been out of college too long, but none of those things existed when I was in college.

We are quickly coming to the promise that Secretary Wirtz first made--that every child born in this country has a right to get all the education he can take.

Women have been in the forefront of nearly every great social reform that we have had in America. I want to remind you women leaders here this afternoon that not all of these battles have yet been won. The timing is right--and it is right now--to win these battles.

So your work will be as effective, I think, as you want to make it.

I know that you have tremendous energy. I know that you are dedicated people. After all, those who have created life are most likely to breathe fresh life into the next generation. That is what I hope you will dedicate your efforts to--to that end.

I have delayed until now an announcement that is important and, I think, that will interest you. I thought it appropriate that you know it first--although these people out here who constantly recite the First Amendment to me think that I should not keep these things secret very long.

Today it is with real and genuine regret that I have accepted the resignation of Margaret Hickey as Chairman of the Citizens' Advisory Council on the Status of Women. She has given us her outstanding talents and has given great leadership to the Council since its creation.

All America is in her debt. Her President is particularly appreciative of what she has done. The Council's success is hers as much as it is anyone's in this country. We will miss Margaret Hickey in her old role, but I know that she will be active in public affairs, as she has always been.

I am glad to be able to announce, before we have any speculation on that subject, that my very dear friend, Senator Maurine Neuberger, has accepted the chairmanship. There are few women in this land who have provided better leadership than Senator Neuberger for a longer period of time.

Senator Neuberger has been active in the work of the Council for many years now. When she voluntarily retires from a distinguished career in the Congress at the end of this session, Maurine will bring to all women of this country and to the leaders of her Government the benefit of her compassion and her wisdom, her experience and her energy.

We are very sorry to have one remarkable woman leave your leadership, but we are very happy that another remarkable woman is willing to step up and take her place as your leader, to continue your objectives, to aid in achieving your goals, and to make the American woman the envy of all the world.

Thank you very much.