Association, to which he has been invited. Senator kennedy will participate in a formal questionandanswer period. The meeting is sponsored by the Kennedy JohnsonTexas Campaign committee and is being seen throughout texas on a special 22station network. The audience you are seeing is composed of clergymen of the houston area who have been invited by the association. The meeting is about to be called to order by the president , reverend george rank. May i call this special meeting of the association of ministers of greater houston to order . Lets stand for prayer. God be merciful unto us and allow his face to shine upon us, that not a may be known upon earth by saving health among all nations. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall praise him. With these words of the psalmists, we stand before the old god as our only sovereign lord. Us nine mercy. Let thy grace rest upon our nation and do not take thy light from us. Show us thine mercy. Show us always the truth that makes us free. In the name of our lord jesus christ, we pray. Amen. We are very happy that so many of you ministers are present at this meeting. The treasurer of our association has wondered to me if some of you would not like to pay your dues for this time, this year, which begins with september. I am sure that he will be in the lobby after the session ready to shake your hand. To see so manypy of you ministers present, and we want this to be a true meeting of the association. Your the policy of executive committee this year, guests forhave as regular and special meetings as many personalities of note and reputation as possible. The purpose, of course, is to provide not only a good program but to give knowledge and enlightenment to the spiritual leaders of our community. Similar invitation by our association was extended to mr. Nixon. Please understand that this is not a political rally. This is a meeting of the association of ministers, and we rely upon your sense of good order, proper respect for the nominee to the highest office of our land, and good, christian behavior generally. Has grown intoe a lion of big significance. This has not been our original intention, but things happen these ways. Nevertheless, may the atmosphere be informal here. And may such atmosphere be maintained. May i speak a welcome to all of you . I am the referent herbert meza, Vice President of the association and the reverend i am the reverend herbert meza, Vice President of the association. This program this evening does not constitute an endorsement of either the speaker or the party which he represents. The program has been motivated by the religious issues in this campaign, issues that are not modern. There are some who insist that nothing has changed within the Roman Catholic church, and there are others who insist that nothing should change. The problem is not to deny the religious issue over to brand as intolerant those who raise it. The problem is to place it in proper perspective and to determine where the candidate stands in relationship to that perspective. On both sides have candidates that dominate a debate. Contrary to common propaganda, the south is not a hotbed of religious or racial intolerance. There are many honest minds that are raising honest questions. Many catholics differ with us on many questions that are relevant to the welfare of our country. The fact that the senator is with us tonight is to concede that a religious issue does exist. It is because there are many serious minds decently raising questions that we have invited the speaker of the evening, and it is for that same reason we have allowed this meeting to be broadcast. To that end, im delighted to introduce at this time the senator from massachusetts and the democratic candidate for the president of the United States, senator john f. Kennedy. [applause] i am grateful for your generous invitation to state my views. While the socalled religious issue is necessarily and properly the chief topic here tonight i want to emphasize from , the outset that i believe that we have far more Critical Issues in the 1960 campaign. The spread of the communist influence, until it festers only 90 miles from the coast of florida, the humiliating treatment of our president and Vice President by those who no longer respect our power, the children who are hungry in west virginia. The families forced to give up their farms, and america with too many slums and too few schools and too late for the moon in outer space. These are the real issues which should decide this campaign and they are not religious issues. War, and hundred, and ignorance, war and hunger and ignorance know no religious barrier. But because i am a catholic and no catholic has ever been elected president , the real issues in this campaign have been obscured, perhaps deliberately in some quarters less responsible than this. So it is apparently necessary for me to state once again, not what kind of church and believe in, for that should be important only to me, but what kind of american i believe in. I believe in an america with a separation of church and state as absolute. Where no catholic powers will tell the president , should he be catholic, how to act, and a no president , should he be cash and no protestant minister will tell his parishioners for and no protestant minister should tell his parishioners how to vote. When no church or Church Schools is granted any public funds or political preference and where no man is denied Public Office merely because his religion differs from the president to might appoint them or the people who might elect him. I believe in an america that is officially neither catholic, protestant, nor jewish, were no public official, by the request either requests or accepts instructions on private policy from the pope, the National Council of churches, or any other ecclesiastical source. Where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts as whereits officials and religious liberty is so indivisible that enact against one church is treated as against all. While this year it might be a catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, another year it has been and may someday be again a jew, or quicker, or a a quaker or unitarian or a baptist. It was virginias harassment of baptist preachers that led to jeffersons statute of religious freedom. Today, i may be the victim, but tomorrow it may be you. Until the whole fabric of our Harmonious Society is ripped apart at a time of Great National peril. Finally, i believe in america where religious intolerance will someday end, where all men and all churches are treated as equals, for every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice. There is no catholic vote, no anti catholic vote, no mock voting of any kind, and where protestants, catholics, and choose, at both the lay and pastoral level, will join and refrain from attitudes of distain and division which have so often marred their work in the past and promote the ideal of brotherhood. That is the kind of america in which i believe and it represents the kind of presidency in which i believe. A great office that must be neither humble by making it the instrument of any religious group nor tarnished by arbitrarily withholding it, its its occupancy from the members of any one religious group. I believe in a president whose views on religion are his own private affair, neither imposed nor imposede nation by the nation upon him as a condition to hold in the office. I would not look with favor upon the president working to subvert the First Amendment guaranteeing the religious liberty, nor what norwood nor would our system of checks and balances permit him to do so. Neither do i look with favor upon those who would work to subvert article 6 of the constitution by requiring a religious test even by indirection. For if they disagree with that safeguard, they should be openly working to repeal it. I want a chief executive whose public acts are responsible to all and obligated to none, who can attend any ceremony, service, or dinner his office make appropriately require him to fulfill. And whose fulfillment of office is not limited or condition of any religious oath, ritual, or obligation. This is the kind of america i believe in and this is the kind of america i fought for in the South Pacific and the kind my brother died for in europe. No one suggested then that we might have a divided loyalty, that we did not believe in liberty, or that we belonged to that we group belonged to a disloyal group that threatened the freedom for which our forefathers died. In fact, this the kind of america for which our forefathers did die. Religious persecution that denied office to members of certain churches, when they fought for the constitution, the bill of rights, the virginia statute of religious freedom. And when they fought at the shrine i visited today, the alamo. Sidebyside with bowie and crockett. Knows whether they were catholic or not. Four there was no religious test. I ask you to judge me on the basis of 14 years in the congress, on my declared stance against an ambassador to the vatican. Against Financial Aid to parochial schools and against any boycott of the public schools, which i attended myself. Instead of doing this, to not judge me on the basis of these pamphlets of publications we have all seen that carefully select quotations out of context from the statements of Catholic Church leaders, usually in other countries, frequently in other centuries, and rarely redolent rarelyly relevant relevant to any situation here, and always omitting the statement of the American Bishops in 1948 which strongly endorsed church state separation. With more nearly reflect in the views of almost every american catholic. I do not consider these other quotations binding upon my public acts. Why should you . But let me say with respect to other countries that i am holy i am wholly opposed to the state being used by any religious group, catholic or protestant, to compel, prevent, or prosecute the free exercise of any religion and that goes for any persecution at any time by anyone in any country. And i hope that you and i condemn with equal fervor those nations which deny their presidency to protestants and those which you deny it to catholics and rather than cite the misdeeds of those who differ, i would cite the record of the Catholic Church in such nations as france and ireland and the independence of such statesmen as de gaulle. Let me stress again that these are my views, for contrary to common newspaper usage, i am not the catholic candidate for president. I am the democratic partys candidate for president who happens also to be catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me. Whatever issue may become before me as president if i should be elected on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling, or any other subject, i will make my decision in accordance with these views. In accordance with what my conscience tells me to be in the national interest. And without regard to outside religious pressure or dictators. Four dictates. Or dictates. And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise. But if the time should ever come and i do not concede any conflict to be remotely possible when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then i would resign the office and i hope any other conscientious Public Servant would do likewise. But i do not intend to apologize for these views to my critics of either catholic or protestant faith. Nor do i intend to disavow either my views or my church in order to win this election. If i should lose on the real issues, i shall return to my seat in the senate, satisfied that i tried my best and was fairly judged. But if this election is decided on the basis that 40 million americans lost their chance of being president on the day were the day they were baptized, then it is the whole nation that will be the loser in the eyes of catholics and non catholics around the world, in the eyes of history, and in the eyes of our own people. But if, on the other hand, i should win this election, then i shall devote every effort of mind and spirit to fulfilling the oath of the presidency, practically identical, i might add, to the oath ive taken for 14 years in the congress. Reservation,ithout i can, solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States and will to the preserve, ability protect, and defend the constitution, so help me god. [applause] gentlemen [applause] due to the press of time, we should begin immediately with a questionandanswer period. You know the ground rules. Are there any questions . [indiscernible] i think i speak for many of those that do not in any sense discount your loyalty to this nation. Can i bring it down to where we stand right here tonight as two men nearly equally facing each other . If this meeting tonight were being held in the sanctuary of my church, it is the policy of my city that has many very fine catholics in it, but it is the policy of catholic leadership to forbid them to attend a protestant service. If we were in the sanctuary of my church, would you or could you attend . Yes, i could. As i said in my statement, i any service that had connections with my Public Office, or in the case of a private ceremony weddings, funerals, and so on of course, i would participate and have participated. I think the question is whether i could participate as a believer, and remain within my church. That, it seems to me, comes within the private beliefs that a catholic might have. As far as whether i could attend this sort of function in your church, if i as senator or president , could attend a Service Connected to my position of office, i could and would attend. [indiscernible] in regard to the chapel of the chaplain, i believe that you have accepted the invitation to attend and then the press said that i believe cardinal doughty brought pressure on you and you refused. This seems to be a matter of great interest. I was invited in 1947 after my election to congress to attend a dinner to raise funds for an interfaith chapel. This was 14 years ago. I was delighted to accept. Because i thought it was a useful and worthwhile cause. A few days before i was due to accept, i learned through might through my Administrative Assistant who had friends in philadelphia two things that first, i was listed as a spokesperson for the catholic faith. Charles taft, senator tafts brother, was to be the spokesman for the protestant faith. Senator lehman was to be the spokesman for the jewish faith. The second thing i learned was the chapel, instead of as i thought it was, located in the interfaith chapel, was in the basement of another church and not in that sense an interfaith chapel. For the 14 years since it was built, theres never been a service because of the physical location. I informed them that i was glad to come as a citizen. Many catholics went to the dinner, but i did not feel that i have the credentials to be the spokesperson for the catholic faith to raise funds when the whole Catholic Church group did was neveripate and blessed to consecrate it. I want to make it clear that my grounds for going were not private. I have no credentials to speak for the catholic faith at a dinner for a chapel in which no Catholic Services ever been held. To this day, the service has no service has been held at the present time. If this were a public matter, im glad to go as an individual, but i could not go as a spokesperson. [indiscernible] platform with great interest and especially in the realm of freedom, and i note that in the educational section the right for education for each , person is guaranteed or offered for a guarantee. It also says that there will be equal opportunity for employment. In another section it says that there shall be equal rights to housing and recreation. All of these speak in a wonderful sense to the freedom which we want to keep in america. Yet, on the other hand, there is in another place in the platform. We will repeal the authorization for right to work laws. It seems to me in this aspect, and i feel these are more important than any religious issue, here you are abolishing an open shot. You are taking away the freedom of the individual worker, whether he wants to be part of the union or not. Isnt this sort of doubletalk . You guarantee freedom with one hand and then take it with the other. I dont agree with that. I think there is an economy here in the platform that provision has been in the platform since 1948. Im sure the difference im sure there is a difference of opinion between us on that matter and between Many Democrats on the matter. This is a decision that goes towards economic and political views and i do not think it involves a constitutional guarantee of freedom. Under the provisions of the task hartley law, the state was permitted to prohibit a public shop. Interstate commerce is valuable , and therefore, i hold with the view that is better to have uniform law and not a law that is in a state commerce which permits one condition in one state and another in another. This is not a new provision. [indiscernible] i am a member of the Houston Association of ministers. You association of ministers. You very clearly stated your positions tonight in regards to the propagation of doctrines by all religious groups. I appreciate that very much because we protestants are a missionary people. The question i have to ask is this if you are elected president , will you use your influence to get the Roman Catholic countries of south america and spain to stop persecuting protestant missionaries and to give equal rights to protestants to propagate their faith as the u. S. Gives to the Roman Catholics or any other group . I would use i influence as president of the United States to permit to encourage the development of freedom all over the world. One of the rights i consider to be important is the right of free speech, the right of assembly, the right of free religious practice, and i would hope the United States and the president would stand for those rights all around the globe without regard to geography or religious condition. [applause] thank you. This is eh westmoreland, pastor of the South Main Baptist Church here in houston. I received today a copy of a resolution passed by the pact as by the baptist pastors conference of st. Louis, and they are going to continue with this tomorrow night. I would like you to answer for the houston crowd before you get to st. Louis. This is the resolution. With deep sincerity and in christian grace, we plead with senator john f. Kennedy as the person presently concern in this matter to appeal to Cardinal Cushing, mr. Kennedys own hierarchical superior in boston to present a statement relative to the separation of church and state in the United States and religious freedom as represented in the constitution of the United States in order that the vatican may officially authorize such a belief for all Roman Catholics in the United States. [applause] may i just say that as i do not accept the right of any, as i said, ecclesiastical official to tell me what i shall do in the sphere of my public response ability as an elected official, i do not propose also to ask Cardinal Cushing to ask the vatican to take some action. There is no doubt in my mind that the viewpoint i have expressed there is no doubt in my mind that the viewpoint that i have expressed tonight publicly represents the overall majority of the american catholics. In my view, i have no doubt that what is my view is known to catholics around the world. I am stating is quite precisely and i believe i stated in the tradition of an american catholic. I hope that this will clarify it without my having to take a rather secured its route. This is the position, i think, of the american Catholic Church in the United States, with which i am associated. We appreciate your forthright statement. May i say, we have great as iation for you, but state, this is the position of your church, because there will be many catholics who are appointed if you are elected president , we would like to know that they, too, are free to make such statements as you have been so courageous to make. [applause] let me say that anyone that i would appoint to any office as a senator or as a president would, i hope, hold the same view of their living up to the letter of the constitution and also the spirit. If i may so, i am a catholic. I have stated my view very clearly. I do not find any difficulty in stating that view. In my judgment, it is the view of american catholics from one of the country to the other. As long as i can state it in a way that is, i hope, satisfactory to you, why you possibly doubt that i represent a viewpoint that is hostile to the Catholic Church in the u. S. . I believe i am stating the viewpoint that catholics in this country hold between church and state. Do you state it with the approval of the vatican . I do not have to have approval in that sense. [applause] i have not submitted my statement before i read it to the vatican. I did not submit it to Cardinal Cushing. But my judgment is that the cardinal, which is a cardinal from the diocese of which im a member, would approve of this statement in the same way that he approved of the 1948 statement of the bishop. In my judgment and i am not a student of theology i am stating what i believed to be the position of of my personal position and also the position of the great majority of catholics across the United States. You have been watching senator john kennedy appear before the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in an unrehearsed question and answer period. Today, i had telephone conversation with the doctor and received this telegram from him. I am sure you would like to clear this matter up. Let me read briefly from his telegram. The memorandum on religion as an election issue prepared by senator kennedys associates has a section of the polling incident. This section contains a series this series contains serious errors. I believe the senator would wish to correct the errors. The original draft of the program on the interfaith on december 15, 1947 identified mr. Kennedy, then congressman from massachusetts, as the hon. John f. Kennedy, congressman from massachusetts. Mr. Kennedy was never invited as an official representative of a religious organization nor as a spokesman of the catholic faith. Nobody was identified by his faith. Two days before his dinner occasion, mr. Kennedy canceled his engagement. He expressed his regret and grief, but stated that since his eminence, the cardinal, requested that he not come, he had no other alternative. Therefore, it was necessary to destroy this First Program and to reprint. Sen. Kennedy now, i will stay again the words that i used from the reverand polling pos book that first discuss this incident. Secondly, my memory of the incident is quite clear. In fact, its as good as reverend polins. Its only when the matter was first discussed, the reverend said it first place in 1950. Its only in the last two months that it came forward and that it to place in 1947 i never discussed hyper the matter with the cardinal. I first learned of it through my Administrative Assistant, who knew a mr. Doyle, who stated that there was a number of people concerned about the the location of each chapel and that no service would ever be held in it because it was in the basement of a church. It was an entirely front situation. There were three speakers. Kennedy was one of them. Taft was the second. Senator lehman was the third. One of them was supposed to speak for the catholic faith and one for the protestant faith and one for the jewish faith. All i can say to you, sir, is that i did not clearly indicate the invitation with anyone. It was only when i was informed that i was speaking and i was invited because i was a service man and i can make prominent catholic family i was informed that the chapel, as i have said, has never had a catholic service. It is not an interfaith chapel. And therefore, for me to speak for the catholic faith would have given an erroneous impression. Ive been here for 14 years. Was relatively inexperienced is this the best that can be done after 14 years . Is this the only incident to be shown . [applause] and this was a private dinner. This was not a public dinner. This was a private dinner. This did not involve my responsibilities as a public official. My judgment was bad only in accepting it without having all of the facts, which i wouldnt have done at a later date. But i do want to say that ive been there for 14 years, voted on hundreds, probably thousands of matters that involve all kinds of issues. Quite obviously, that record must be reasonably good or we wouldnt keep hearing about the polling incident. Senator kennedy sen. Kennedy in addition i dont mean to be disrespectful to the reverand. I have high regard for him and his son. But even looking back, it was imprudent of me to accept it without more information. But i dont really feel that it demonstrates a fitness to hold Public Office. Thehe reason for concern is fact that your church has stated that it has the right and responsibility to direct its members in various areas of life, including the public realm. And we raised the question because we would like to know if you are elected president , and your church elects to use that privilege and obligation, whats what your response will be under those circumstances. Sen. Kennedy if my church intended to influence me in a way that was improper or which affected adversely by my responsibilities as a Public Servant, sworn to uphold the constitution, then i would reply to them that this was an improper action on their part, it was one that i could not subscribe to, that i was opposed to it, and it would be an unfortunate breach and interference with the american political system. I am confident that there would be no such interference. Weve had two chief justices in the Supreme Court that are catholic. Ive already mentioned mr. Dolle and mr. Wagner. My judgment is that an american would a catholic, that he be extremely diligent in his protection of his constitution al separation. We would be most happy to have that statement from the vatican. [applause] because of the briefness of the time, lets cut out the applause. Senator kennedy, first of all, i would like to pull some quotations from catholic sources and then propose questions. A false statement knowingly made would not be a lie catholic encyclopedia volume 10, page 696. However, we are also under an obligation to keep secrets faithfully, and sometimes the easiest way of fulfilling that duty is to say what is false or tell a lie. Catholic encyclopedia, volume 10, page 195. When mental reservation is permissible, it is lawful to corporate ones utterances by both oath. Catholic and psycho video, catholic encyclopedia, page 696. The truth reclaim under a it is relative and not absolute the truth we proclaim under oath is relative and not absolute. Catholic encyclopedia. Klang quoting from may 19, 1960 im quoting that from may 19, 1960 we have the right and responsibility to intervene in the politically guarding its flock. It has been made clear that a woman catholic layman everywhere deplored the great confusion of ideas between catholic doctrine and political and social activities and the hierarchy and the faithful in the civil field. Pope john 23rd recently gave this statement quoted in the st. Louis review in 1958, december 12. And the catholic hierarchy has the right and duty of guiding them. Question, sir do you subscribe to the doctrine of mental reservation that i have proven from the catholic authorities . Do you submit to the authority of the present pope, which i have quoted from in these quotations . Sen. Kennedy well, let me say in the first place, i have not read the catholic encyclopedia and i dont know all of the quotations that youre giving me. I dont agree with the statement. Our final difficulty in saying so. But i think i could make it better, and if i have the interrogation before me. If it is meant to imply that when you take an oath that you dont mean that or that it is proper for you to take oaths and then break them, that its proper for you to lie, if thats what the states and i dont know what it states unless i have read it all in context then i do not agree with it. Secondly, i read the statement of last december, which was directed to a situation in sicily where some of the catholics were after the communist party, not familiar of the one in may of 1960 that you mentioned. In any case, there is no standing as far as i need me. As far as binding me. Thirdly, the quotation of pope john in 1958, i didnt catch all of that. If youll read all of that again, ill tell you how i feel about that. Pope john the 23rd recently stated in the st. Louis review dated december 12, 1958. Catholics must unite their strength toward the common aid and the catholic hierarchy has the right and duty of guiding them. Do you subscribe to that . Sen. Kennedy well, i couldnt subscribe guiding them in what area . If youre talking about the area of faith and morals and the instructions of the church, i would think that any minister or congregational minister has the right and duty to try to guide his flock. If you mean by that statement that the pope or anyone else could find me in the fulfilment of my public duty by his statement, then i say no. If that statement is intended to mean and its difficult to comment on a sentence that is taken out of an article that i have not read it but that is intended to imply that the hierarchy has an obligation to attempt to guide the members of the Catholic Church, then that may be proper. But it all depends on the previous language of what you mean by guide. And if you mean direct or instruct, as far as the details of the faith, then of course, they have that obligation. If you mean that by that, under that, he could guide or direct me in fulfilling my public duty, then i do not agree. Thank you, sir. Then you do not agree with the pope on that statement. Sen. Kennedy see, thats why i want to be careful because of that statement, it seems to me, is taken out of context. I could not tell you what people unless ihe pope meant read the entire article. I am glad to say that no one can direct me in my duties as a public official. I am directed to do it for the people of the United States. Now, that is my flat statement. I would not want to go into details on a sentence that you read to me that i may not understand completely. Gentlemen, we have time for one more question. Senator kennedy, i am from the Presbyterian Church here in houston. Youve been quite clear on this matter of separation of church and state and have answered very graciously the many questions that come up around it. There is one that seems to me quite relevant. This relates to your statement that if you found, by some remote possibility, a real conflict between your oath of office as president if he would resign that office if it were in a real conflict with your church. Sen. Kennedy i said my conscience. Your conscience. , althoughf errors from a different century, it is still binding. There are three very specific things that are denounced, including the separation of state and church. The freedom of religions and other bank profits to propagate themselves and the freedom of conscience. Your oath ofhold office above the allegiance of the pope . Sen. Kennedy lets go through the issues because i dont think theres a conflict on these issues. The first issue, as i understood it, was on the relationship between the catholic and other states, is that correct . In the separation of strict of church and state, he specifically sen. Kennedy i support that. Support the judgment and they are not in error in that regard. Secondly, the right of religions other than Roman Catholic to propagate themselves. Sen. Kennedy i think that they should be permitted to propagate themselves any faith without any limitation by the power of the state, or encouragement by the power of the state. Once the third one what is the third one . The third one is freedom of conscience. It extends to the freedom of the mind in the realms of science, i believe. Sen. Kennedy i believe in the freedom of conscience. Let me state finally that i am delighted to come here today. I dont want anyone to think because they interrogate me on this very important question that i regard them as unfair questions, or unreasonable, or that someone is concerned about the matter and is bigoted or prejudice. I think this is basic in the establishment of the american system. And therefore, any candidate for the office should submit himself to the questions of any reasonable man. [applause] my only limit to that would be that if somebody said regardless of senator kennedys position, regardless of how much evidence hes given that what he says he means, i still wouldnt vote for him because he is a member of the church. I would consider that unreasonable. What i would consider to be reasonable as an exercise of free will and free choice and ask the candidates to state his views as broadly as possible and investigate his record to see whether what he states he believes, and then to make an independent and rational judgment as to whether he could entrustedted be with this highly important position. Im sure that i;ve made no converts to my church. [laughter] but i do hope that at least my view, which i believe to be the view of my fellow catholics that hold office i hope it will be be of some value and at least assisting you in making your own judgment. Thank you. [applause] gentlemen, shall we remain standing . You have been watching senator john kennedy appearing before the Ministerial Association and a question and answer period. The telecast of this meeting was sponsored by the Kennedy JohnsonTexas Campaign committee on behalf of senator kennedys candidacy for president of the United States. This has been a special Texas State Network program. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] 1964, ronaldl of reagan entered the National Political stage with his a time for choosing speech in supporting perry goldwater. Foran and won his Campaign California governor. Ronald reagans critique of Lyndon Johnsons policies in this speech called, the myth of the great society. This film was donated to the Ronald Reagan president ial library. The exact date of the remarks are unknown, but the library believes it was in new york in 19 626. In 1966. [applause]