The Presidential Scholars Program has honored some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors for over 30 years. Initiated by President Johnson in 1964, the Commission annually selects one male and female student from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Americans living abroad, and 15 at-large students on the basis of outstanding scholarship, service, leadership and creativity through a rigorous selection and review process administered through the U.S. Department of Education.
In 1979, President Carter expanded the program to honor up to 20 students selected by the Commission through an artistic competition. The artistic competition is conducted by the Arts Recognition and Talent Search program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.
Each Scholar is asked to nominate a teacher who most inspired and guided him or her, and these educators earn the designation by the U.S. Department of Education as a Distinguished Teacher. The teachers are recognized for their contributions to achieving excellence in education.
The Commission invites the Scholars to be honored for their accomplishments during the Presidential Scholars National Recognition Week, held in Washington, DC in June. The highlight of National Recognition Week is a ceremony sponsored by the White House during which the Scholars are awarded the Presidential Scholars Medallion to commemorate their achievement.
President Clinton has reaffirmed the importance of the program by charging the Commission with increasing public awareness of the program, expanding service opportunities for Alumni Scholars, and making National Recognition Week the chance of a lifetime for Scholars to exchange ideas on issues of importance, establish lifelong friendships, and to be inspired to a lifetime of leadership and creativity. The Presidential Scholars Program is the pinnacle of achievement in Goals 2000.
Today I think we should reflect upon the God-given potential of all of our young people in this country and the importance that the rest of us must attach to providing the greatest education we possibly can, not only to those of you who have been outstanding always and who have won this extraordinary recognition, but to all of the people in this society on whom the rest of us will depend to maintain America's leadership.--President Bill Clinton
July 1, 1994
1994 Presidential Scholar Awards Ceremony
Washington, DC