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Congressional Gold Medal.com |
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Congressional Gold Medal Recipient
Charles M. Schulz
CHARLES M. SCHULZ HONORED
WITH CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL Schulz family members to accept award on behalf of famed PEANUTS comic strip writer June 7, 2001 Washington, DC Family members of Charles M. Schulz today accepted a
Congressional Gold Medal presented by Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert for Schulzs lasting artistic contributions. Since 1776, just over 300 notable individuals have been accorded this distinction for accomplishments in a variety of fields, including
George Washington,
Pope John Paul II,
Rosa Parks and
Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Last year, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sponsored legislation in the House and Senate to honor the creator of the PEANUTS comic strip.
Monte Schulz, son of Charles Schulz, accepts the Congressional Gold Medal on his father's behalf.
Charles Schulz gave more to society than just his comic strip. He was a leader in his field and in his community and will always be remembered for his contributions to our nation and to the world, Representative Thompson said. Our country owes Charles Schulz a great deal. His comic art has changed American culture and brightened the lives of millions of
Americans, Senator Feinstein said. This ceremony today offers one tangible way for our country to express thanks to a truly great American. For 50 years, Schulz inspired the world with his PEANUTS comic strip, boasting an indelible cast of characters and celebrating universal themes and expressions that have become the fabric of American culture. Appearing in over 2,600 newspapers around the world and reaching 335 million readers in 20 different languages, the PEANUTS characters have been featured in over 63 award winning television specials, 1400 books, four feature films, and a Broadway musical. During his career, Schulz proved himself to be a leader in the field of comic illustration and beyond. In 1997, he led a fundraising effort to build a ten-acre D-Day Memorial, which opened yesterday in Bedford, Virginia. President Bush attended the ceremony and gave the dedication address. A World War II veteran himself, Schulz personally made a sizable donation to the effort, believing D-Day was the most significant day for mankind in modern history. I am so very honored and grateful to the members of Congress who have awarded Sparky with such an esteemed tribute, said Schulzs wife, Jean. He would have felt an amazingly strong sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that he had been recognized for his important impact on American society. My father would have been proud to receive such a unique recognition, said Monte Schulz, the eldest son and namesake of the famed comic strip writer. It would have been extraordinarily gratifying to receive an award for something that he did every day and that he loved so much. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1922, Charles M. Schulz began his fascination with comic strips early, reading the Sunday comics from four different newspapers with his father each week. With encouragement from his parents, Schulz enrolled in a correspondence course in cartooning. PEANUTS debuted in syndication on October 2, 1950. Charles M. Schulz died in Santa Rosa, California on February 12, 2000 due to complications from colon cancer, only hours before his last original PEANUTS strip appeared in Sunday papers. Mrs. Jean Schulz accepted the award on behalf of her husband. Three of Schulzs children, Monte, Jill, Amy, his stepson Brooke, and several of his grandchildren also attended todays ceremony. Edwin Anderson, longtime friend and attorney of Schulz gave remarks.
On June 7, 2001 Washington lawmakers along with Schulz family members and friends gathered in the Capitol Rotunda for the posthumous presentation to Charles M. Schulz of one of the nation's highest civilian honors, the Congressional Gold Medal.
Jeannie Schulz Since 1776, Congress has bestowed the Gold Medal on about 300 extraordinary people, among them:
George Washington,
John Paul Jones,
Andrew Jackson, the
Wright Brothers,
Robert Frost,
Jonas Salk,
Walt Disney,
George and Ira Gershwin,
Winston Churchill,
Bob Hope,
Rosa Parks and
Mother Teresa. Longtime friend and attorney, Edwin C. Anderson was one of the speakers at the ceremony honoring Schulz. Following is a transcript of his speech.
President John F. Kennedy said that a nation reveals itself by those it honors, those it pays tribute to, and those it remembers. Today, America, the most powerful nation in the world, confers its highest and most distinguished civilian award upon a man who: never sought power, never coveted wealth, never courted fame. To the contrary, Charles Schulz was humble, unpretentious, generous to friends and his community, devoted to his family and always truthful to himself. Interviewers often asked him if he was a philosopher, humorist, writer, artist. His answer was always the same: "I am a cartoonist" and "if you want to know me, read my strip for everything I am is there". Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Gang were in Sparky's heart and mind long before they became famous. They were with him when he was ice skating on the frozen ponds of Minnesota; and they were with him when he was playing sandlot baseball. They suffered with him on Valentine's Day and marched off with him when he was drafted into the army in 1943. They were with him in the late afternoons when he hurried to his father's barbershop to be there before it closed so that he could walk home with his dad. Virtually every experience Sparky had in life, from raising his family, to playing hockey, golf and tennis, would be reflected in his strip. In 1750,
Benjamin Franklin recommended that drawing be taught in the academies and colleges because it is a kind of universal language understood by the people of all nations - ideas are better expressed, he said, when accompanied by a drawing. Two hundred years later, the young cartoonist from St. Paul, Minnesota would prove Franklin right. For the last half of the 20th century, Charles Schulz was one of America's foremost goodwill ambassadors. The peanuts strip, reflecting American humor and American philosophy, was read and enjoyed each day by hundreds of millions of people in seventy-five countries making us realize that our fears, our frustrations, our hopes and our dreams are common to all. Honored as he would have been by this prestigious award, it would have been his recognition as a cartoonist that would please Sparky most. He not only enjoyed a close friendship with many cartoonists but as they know, he took much pride in their shared profession. In one of Sparky's strips, a dejected Charlie Brown was walking off the baseball field when Lucy said to him: "Don't feel bad, Charlie Brown, win some, lose some" - His face lit up as he responded: "Gee, wouldn't that be great". Today, Charles Schulz - as a cartoonist and an American - wins a big one - And finally Charlie Brown gets it right - It is great. The poet Sophocles wrote: "One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been". Privileged to call him friend - honored that he walked among us - the life of Charles M. Schulz has indeed been splendid. Edwin C. Anderson June 7, 2001
Charles M. Schulz Congressional Gold Medal
Obverse
Reverse
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