For Immediate Release
Office of Lynne Cheney
June 8, 2004

Mrs. Cheney Talks to Students About President Ronald Reagan
National Endowment for the Humanities We the People Bookshelf
Arlington, Virginia

NEH Unveils New Book Titles for the 2004 We the People Bookshelf

ROSSLYN, VA - Lynne Cheney, author, scholar, and wife of the Vice President, today unveiled 15 books, focused on the theme of freedom, that were placed on the list of the 2004 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) We the People Bookshelf.

Mrs. Cheney, along with NEH Chairman Bruce Cole, discussed the topics of history and freedom with students from Francis Scott Key Elementary School, who also participate in the reading program Everybody Wins DC! - a metro-area program designed to pair adult reading mentors with public elementary school students in grades 1 through 6.

"You know - just one person who is brave can change the course of history," said Mrs. Cheney, who served as NEH Chairman from 1986-92.

Mrs. Cheney spoke to the students at Freedom Park, which advertises itself as being established "to symbolize victory over oppression and remind us that the struggle for liberty continues around the world." With pieces of the Berlin Wall as her backdrop, Mrs. Cheney reminisced with the students about the life of the late President Ronald Reagan and the significance of his contributions to maintaining our country's freedom.

"What Ronald Reagan was so good at, was knowing that some things are wrong - and saying so." Mrs. Cheney went on to explain, "He did some things that I think changed the course of history."

"One thing is that he stood in front of this wall...and he said 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.' And it was exactly the right thing to say, along with other things that Reagan did to really bring this wall down."

Mrs. Cheney provided each student with a signed copy of one of her children's books which concludes with a quote from President Reagan, "I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead." President Reagan appointed Mrs. Cheney as Chairman of the NEH in 1986.

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Additional information about NEH and its We the People initiative, including a list of the books on the 2004 We the People Bookshelf, can be found on the Internet at www.neh.gov.