Wright Brothers Day, 2013

Vol. 78

Thursday,

No. 244

December 19, 2013

Part III

The President

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Proclamation 9071--Wright Brothers Day, 2013

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 9071 of December 16, 2013

Wright Brothers Day, 2013

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On December 17, 1903, decades of dreaming,
experimenting, and careful engineering culminated in 12
seconds of flight. Wilbur and Orville Wright's airplane
soared above the wind-blown banks of Kitty Hawk, North
Carolina, pushing the boundaries of human imagination
and paving the way for over a century of innovation. On
Wright Brothers Day, our Nation commemorates this once
unthinkable achievement. We celebrate our scientists,
engineers, inventors, and all Americans who set their
sights on the impossible.

America has always been a Nation of strivers and
creators. As our next generation carries forward this
proud tradition, we must give them the tools to
translate energy and creativity into concrete results.
That is why my Administration is dedicated to improving
education in the vital fields of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We are working to
broaden participation among underrepresented groups,
and through Race to the Top, we are raising standards
and making STEM education a priority. Last year, we
announced plans to create a national STEM Master
Teacher Corps--a group of the best STEM teachers in the
country, who will receive resources to mentor fellow
educators, inspire students, and champion STEM
education in their communities.

As we remember the Wright brothers, let us not forget
another Wright who took up the mission of powered
flight. Orville and Wilbur's sister, Katharine, used
her teacher's salary to support the family and ran the
Wrights' bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, while her
brothers worked in Kitty Hawk. She went on to manage
press, conduct business with foreign dignitaries and
heads of state, and wrangle support for the burgeoning
aviation enterprise. Today, let all of us draw
inspiration from a family who taught us that when bold
ideas meet scientific thinking and tireless
experimentation, the sky is no limit.

The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December
17, 1963, as amended (77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143), has
designated December 17 of each year as ``Wright
Brothers Day'' and has authorized and requested the
President to issue annually a proclamation inviting the
people of the United States to observe that day with
appropriate ceremonies and activities.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim December
17, 2013, as Wright Brothers Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord two
thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.