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Remarks by Senator Byrd

January 08, 2004

"Learning the Lessons of History"

U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., delivered the following remarks after receiving the American Historical Association's (AHA) inaugural Theodore Roosevelt-Woodrow Wilson Award for Civil Service.  Association President James McPherson presented the award to Byrd.

The award is named for the two former AHA presidents who were also presidents of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt (AHA president in 1912) and Woodrow Wilson (AHA president in 1924).  The honorific award is intended to recognize individuals outside the academy such as civil servants and public officials who have made a significant contribution to history and will be presented at the discretion of the AHA Council.

According to the AHA, Senator Byrd was chosen to be the first recipient of the award because of his lifetime commitment to, and interest in, the discipline of history.

Senator Byrd's remarks accepting the award are below.

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It is indeed an honor to be recognized by such a distinguished association of scholars, and I am truly flattered.

I know that you, as historians, are familiar with the old historical truism that those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat it.

In a two-room schoolhouse in the coalfields of southern West Virginia (I was the first in my family ever to get beyond the second grade) we had a historical truism -- that those who do not remember the past will never graduate from high school.

History was stressed in that school.  And if we did not learn it, we did not graduate.  My teacher did not have a Ph.D. in history.  He had never written a book.  But he not only taught history, he also taught his students to love the study of history.

As a result, history has not only been my constant, close companion throughout my life, it has also been an inspiration and a guide throughout my career in public service.

As a young boy, I found strength and inspiration in the convictions and ideals of great Americans of the past.  In that two-room schoolhouse, I learned how men such as George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin spoke out in their passion for freedom, and how they risked their lives to ensure independence for our nation.  I learned how the legislative giants of American history, Senators like Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, and Thomas Hart Benton, helped to protect and promote our constitutional system of government.

As a United States Senator, I have always been mindful of Lord Byron's astute observation that, "History, with all her volumes vast, hath but one page."  I have always interpreted that statement as a warning, as well as a lesson, that history can and does repeat itself.

With this in mind, it was my understanding of both English and Roman history that inspired me in opposing the Reagan and both Bush Administrations' efforts to grasp more and more power at the expense of the legislative branch -- particularly with regard to the Congressional power to declare war and the Congressional power over the public purse.

It was my understanding of how the history of England was influenced by the struggles over the national purse strings that guided me in my efforts to oppose constitutional amendments to balance the budget.  In England, the power of the purse was sharpened, refined, and utilized as a potent weapon to force the king to redress grievances, to resist unreasonable demands by the king, and to promote specific policy objectives that were important to the people's representatives in Parliament.

In speech after speech opposing the line-item veto, I warned that it was when the Roman Senate relinquished control of the purse to Caesar and to the emperors who followed him that Rome ceased to be a republic.  As long as I am in the United States Senate, I am determined this mistake will never happen here.

Things have changed since I was a boy in the coalfields of West Virginia.  The teaching of history as a separate subject has carelessly been neglected.  Too many schools today lump history together with other subjects and package them as courses broadly titled "social studies."  This conglomeration does not provide the kind of focused study that history deserves and requires.  It shortchanges our young people of a grounding in the basic philosophies and values that served to form the constitutional foundation of America.

Our students score dismally when tested about our history, unable, in some instances, to even place the Civil War in the right century.

One of my favorite Roman statesman, Cicero, remarked, "To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to remain always a child."  There are too many Americans -- including many in public office -- who may be growing older in years, but remain immature in outlook and knowledge.  The Founding Fathers have been replaced in the imagination of too many Americans by sports figures, rock-and-roll singers, and movie stars.  Aspirations to serve our Nation have been displaced by a yearning for fleeting fame and big money.

Too many Americans today consider our Constitution to be nothing more than a relic of the past with little or no relevance to current problems.  As a result, fundamental protections, indeed, the very things that continue to protect the rights and freedoms of every citizen, are at risk.  One will not protect what one does not value.  And one cannot value what one does not understand.

As one who has devoted his life to public service, I became alarmed at the lack of appreciation and understanding of the wisdom and sacrifice required to carefully craft a new nation.  I became alarmed at the blatant ignorance among our youngsters concerning the events and people who hammered out the constitutional structure of this remarkable country.

It is because of the vital lessons that history offers, as well as its eloquence, that I, in more than a half century in the United States Congress, have advocated and stressed the teaching of history.

If any endeavor deserves more attention and support at the federal level, I believe it is the promotion of the study of our national heritage.  That is why I have sought to provide the funding to promote the teaching of history in our public schools.

I was pleased to establish by law the Teaching American History Grant Program to encourage more schools to develop, implement, and strengthen classes in American history.  By helping teachers to develop a better understanding and appreciation of American history as a separate subject matter within the core curriculum, this program seeks to improve instruction and raise student achievement within our nation's classrooms.

Tonight, I take great pleasure and even greater pride in thanking the members of the American Historical Association for recognizing and appreciating my efforts.

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