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 COMMEMORATION OF THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHTRemarks at the Diplomatic Academy ViennaU.S. Ambassador W.L. Lyons BrownApril 8, 2005Professor Höllinger,, Deputy Director Reiweger, Professor Dr. Stourzh, ladies and gentlemen and a special welcome to the new director of the Diplomatic Academy, Ambassador Jiri Grusa. The Fulbright program is one of the most remarkably successful international programs ever undertaken. Although it was signed into law two years before the Marshall Plan went into effect, in some ways, it has been as successful because of the scope of its vision and the lasting impact it has had on succeeding generations. The Fulbright program has broadened the horizons of hundreds of thousands of persons in the United States and 140 countries around the world. Many of those students and scholars have gone on to important, influential positions in their societies. Fulbright alumni have been awarded 35 Nobel prizes and more than 60 Pulitzer prizes. 21 have received the Macarthur Foundation "Genius" award --- and 14 have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Alumni include heads of state, prime ministers, ambassadors, political leaders, educators, scientists, artists, journalists, jurists, and heads of corporations. As so many of you know, all Fulbright alumni, whatever their achievements, have had their lives enriched by the experience, and through this experience, they help enhance the lives of others. Today we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of J. William Fulbright. He conceived the Fulbright scholarship program as a first-term United States Senator in 1946 and guided the necessary legislation through congress and onto the desk of President Harry Truman. Fulbright's idea was to use sales of surplus second world war military equipment to fund international educational and cultural exchanges for students and scholars. While the program has evolved and expanded over the past 58 years, Senator Fulbright saw a three-fold mission, which remains the basis of the program today. His founding principals were to promote mutual understanding through a free flow of ideas and people across national boundaries. Through this understanding, he wanted to expand the boundaries of human wisdom, empathy and perception. And finally, he believed that through cooperative and constructive activities among people of different nations, the program could enhance the possibilities of a true and lasting world peace. Austria signed its agreement with the United States in 1950 establishing a bilateral educational exchange commission under Fulbright auspices. It was the 18th country to do so. The first Fulbright students and scholars from Austria went to the U.S. in 1951. It was my great pleasure to have this group to our house in July 2002 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this first Austrian Fulbright scholar's return from the United States. It is fitting that Austria was one of the pioneer participants in the Fulbright program since, as a young man, William Fulbright spent six months in Vienna in 1929, following his Rhodes scholarship at Oxford from 1924-28. We like to think it was this liberating experience of living in Vienna that helped form some of the ideas that eventually took shape as the Fulbright program. Over the years Sen. Fulbright retained his special and close ties to Austria and we know he was proud that the University of Vienna awarded him the title of Ehrensenator in 1965. Today, 18 Austrian students are currently in postgraduate programs in the U.S., nine Austrians are serving as teaching assistants at U.S. colleges and universities and there are 5 Austrian scholars at U.S. universities. Nineteen American students are enrolled at Austrian universities and 12 U.S. scholars are teaching at Austrian institutions of higher learning. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, the Fulbright Commission helps place 120 U.S. foreign language teaching assistants at secondary schools throughout Austria. In recent years, the commission also has established 15 jointly sponsored grants with a variety of Austrian institutions. These include the Academy of Fine Arts, the University of Economics and Business Administration, the Sigmund Freud Society, the International Cultural Studies Research Center and here at the Diplomatic Academy. In his autobiography, Sen. Fulbright wrote about the program that bears his name. He said, "it is a modest program with an immodest aim the achievement in international affairs of a regime more civilized, rational and humane than the empty power of the past." And ladies and gentleman that's the beauty of this splendid undertaking. For a relatively small investment, Austrian and American taxpayers get an educational exchange program that does as much as anything I can think of to bring our peoples closer together. Ladies and gentlemen, I very much appreciate your attention, and your support of the goals and objectives of the Fulbright Scholarship program. Thank you so much. e-mail: embassy@usembassy.at |
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