Lyndon B. Johnson photo

Remarks Upon Presenting the National Teacher of the Year Award to David E. Graf

April 30, 1968

Commissioner Howe, Senator Percy, Congresswoman Reid, Doctor Fuller, friends and families ot David Graf:

I am glad that you could come here and be with us today at the White House.

I am sorry that we are running a little late. But we have had some reports this morning that delayed us and delayed the press.

It does give me an opportunity to honor a very dedicated man, as well as a very dedicated profession. I have been participating in these presentations now for some years.

It gives me an opportunity to study, as well, at close hand the Teacher of the Year. That interests me, because teachers exercise a great influence for good throughout the world and particularly in democratic societies.

The man whom we honor today is not only an outstanding teacher, but he is a very outstanding citizen.

In World War II, he earned an array of decorations--including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

He founded a sheltered workshop for the mentally retarded, with this hopeful name: The Open Door.

He is a gifted amateur architect; and like most architects, he combines dreams with hard, practical common sense.

His career is building a future for young Americans--and he is going to do this by teaching them job skills and by introducing them to the world of work.

Mr. Graf is the 18th Teacher of the Year-and he is the first teacher of vocational education to earn this honor.

I think that it is fitting and timely--for this is a time of progress and change in vocational education.

For too many years, vocational education was the stepchild in our educational system. It was last in line for our funds; it was last in line for our attention--and the vocational classroom was far too removed from the actual world of commerce and industry.

I remember taking a course in vocational education in my college days. I remember on the final examination I got an F. The question was: "What does the Constitution say about education?"

I wrote about six or eight pages. When I got my theme back telling them what the Constitution said about education, the professor gave me an F and wrote on it, "nothing." So if any of you think that the Constitution charters you to do a lot in the field of education, you will have to read between the lines instead of the lines.

But since that time we have made a great deal of progress in all of our adventures into education in behalf of the Federal Government and particularly in the field of vocational education.

We are trying very hard to breathe new life and new funds into this particular field, particularly our vocational education field.

When I became President in 1964, the States, communities, and the Federal Government all together were spending about $300 million a year for vocational education. In all of our States--$300 million a year. One dollar out of six of that was a Federal dollar.

So we were spending about $50 million a year.

Today, the Nation as a whole is spending three times as much--nearly $1 billion a year--on these programs. The Federal share has grown to not one out of every six but one out of every four. The number of students enrolled in these courses has grown to more than 7 million--a 50 percent increase since 1964.

That is a bigger increase than we have had even in our cost of living.

But real achievement depends on something besides just a lot of enrollment figures and how many dollars you are spending on something. It depends on the men--and we have met here in the Cabinet Room to pay honor to one of these dedicated men, David Graf, for his originality and his persistence.

Mr. Graf, you do us great honor by coming here. This plaque and this gold clasp symbolizing this honor we do not intend at all as gifts to you. Rather, they are recognition of your gift to the Nation and to those of us who want to see the teaching profession occupy the high place to which it is entitled.

If you will come forward now, I would like to present this to you.

Note: The President spoke at 1:10 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White House. In his opening words he also referred to Harold Howe II, Commissioner of Education, Charles H. Percy, Senator from Illinois, Charlotte T. Reid, Representative from Illinois, and Dr. Edgar Fuller, Executive Secretary of the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Mr. Graf, a vocational education and industrial arts teacher in Sandwich, Ill., was selected for his "skill in hand-crafting future careers for his teenage students and for his superior ability to impart knowledge and inspire students with a love of learning."

The "Teacher of the Year" is chosen from a group of finalists selected by a screening committee of national educational leaders. The award is sponsored by Look magazine in cooperation with the Council of Chief State School Officers, an organization of State superintendents and commissioners of education.

Lyndon B. Johnson, Remarks Upon Presenting the National Teacher of the Year Award to David E. Graf Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/237652

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