May 24, 1952
I am very happy, indeed, to be here today. I have had a chance to meet all of you, and to renew my acquaintance with your great Academy. It has always been my custom, when I take a review, to check on the marching ability of the different companies, and end up with number one, number two, and number three. As I told your brigade commander, they were all so good, I couldn't pick a number one. They were all number one.
Many years ago, more years than I like to think about, in fact just 50 years ago, I was offered an appointment to this Academy and I couldn't pass the physical examination. I had a flat eyeball and couldn't see. We used to play neighborhood pigtail baseball, and they always made me the umpire on that account.
However, since I couldn't follow this career in the Navy, I had to go into other lines of work--among other things I went into politics, and you see where I ended up.
The President, you know, has to function in four or five different capacities. He is the Chief Executive of the Nation and the head of state--he makes the foreign policy of the country; and he is the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces; he is the head of his party; and he is the social head of state--he has to meet all the visiting firemen that come to pay official visits to the United States, and it is a most interesting procedure.
Well now, I am going to function in two of my capacities today. I shall exercise the authority of the President, as the head of the Government of the United States, to grant a reprieve to those midshipmen who unfortunately may now be required to perform extra duty, or suffer punishments as a result of having made some demerits. [Prolonged applause] The order is not finished yet--you had better hear the rest of it. As Commander in Chief of the Armed forces of the United States, I direct Admiral Hill to carry out the President's order.
Now that is a prerogative--I don't think any other President has ever done that here at Annapolis, but they have crowned heads and royalty, when they come; they have been doing it; and they haven't got any authority to do it.
The only man in the United States who can pardon anybody for anything but impeachment-and the reason he can't do that is because that would be himself--is the President of the United States. The Constitution gives him absolute pardon power. So I am exercising it today. And I exercised it the other day at West Point.
And I have to exercise that power right along. You would be surprised how many pardons and paroles and commutations of sentences go over the President's desk every day. They are part of the things that contribute to the fact that the President signs his name 600 times a day. So I ought to know pretty well how to write.
This 6th of June will be graduation day here. All of you will be promoted that day, and I know you are looking forward to it. However, the 6th of June has a deeper significance. This year is the 10th anniversary of our great naval victory at Midway. That battle occurred on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of June. The Battle of Midway was the decisive turning point of the Pacific war. Our forces were able to inflict death blows on Japan's four best aircraft carriers. The Japanese were never again able to regain the offensive. Admirals Fletcher and Spruance handled our naval forces at the Midway battle with great skill, but the final blows were struck by the young men whose courage and ability must be remembered as an inspiration here and throughout the Navy.
Your graduation is also the 55th anniversary of the Class of 1897. Among those distinguished graduates was Admiral of the fleet William D. Leahy. He was Chief of Naval Operations, he was Governor of Puerto Rico, he was Ambassador to France, and he was Chief of Staff to President Roosevelt and to me in World War II. That is a magnificent record. I wish he was here so he could hear what I have to say about it. I am sorry he isn't.
Here today at lunch are fathers in the Class of 1922, to celebrate their 30th anniversary with their midshipmen sons.
The tradition and the understanding that you derive from the lessons of history are among the most important things you take with you when you graduate. I am happy to see you young men have accepted service to your country as a career. There is no higher calling.
I have been in the service of my country 30 years. I was elected to my first office in November 1922, and when January first comes, I will have been in elective public office for 30 years. Now, whether I rendered any service or not, you will have to wait and see what the results of this last office will turn out to be.
You will find your reward in your country's appreciation, and in your personal satisfaction for work well done.
The purpose of our great academies--here and at West Point--is to develop leadership. In order to be a successful leader you must learn about people, and about how to work in harmony and cooperation with others.
Do you know what makes a leader? It's the man or woman who can persuade people to do what they ought to do--and which they sometimes don't do--without being persuaded. They also must have the ability to persuade people to do what they do not want to do and like it. That, in my opinion, is the best definition of leadership.
If you young men will develop the ability, on the basis of the education you have had here, you can all be leaders. And I want to say to you that there is always a dearth of leaders. Don't let anybody tell you that the positions at the top in any organization, be it military or civilian--that all the good places are gone and they can't be filled. They are always hunting for good men. The higher up you get the harder it is to find a man to fill them.
So, put yourselves in the position so that when your turn comes you will be in a position to do the job which is ahead of you, and do it successfully. Then you will have had a successful career in the one you have picked out.
Our great academies have proved successfully that they can train the kind of leaders our country needs. And if I had the time I could name you some of them--you probably know who they are, anyway. There have been an immense number of great leaders who have come out of these two great schools.
I sincerely appreciate the honor you paid the President this morning by your splendid review. I have also enjoyed a chance to talk with some of you at lunch today. I will enjoy seeing the baseball game--in spite of the fact that I will have to be neutral--and the track meet this afternoon. I know that whichever team wins, these events will be examples of friendly rivalry and the mutual spirit of respect and friendship between our two great service academies.
I want to thank you again for a most pleasant day, and I appreciated the fact that I had a chance to have lunch with the midshipmen. I appreciate that fact, because I am anxious to know just what these young men are doing, and what they are thinking about. And I think I have found out. [Laughter] That is one of the things they are interested in, of course; but they are interested in being of service to their country, and that is why they are here.
I congratulate this wonderful body of men, and I know that the future of the country is safe when I see such wonderful young men who are willing to pursue a career for the Government of the United States.
Thank you very much.
NOTE: The President spoke at 12:35 p.m. in Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. During his remarks he referred to Vice Adm. Harry W. Hill, Superintendent of the Academy, Adm. Frank J. Fletcher, Adm. Raymond A. Spruance, and Admiral of the fleet William D. Leahy.
I am very happy, indeed, to be here today. I have had a chance to meet all of you, and to renew my acquaintance with your great Academy. It has always been my custom, when I take a review, to check on the marching ability of the different companies, and end up with number one, number two, and number three. As I told your brigade commander, they were all so good, I couldn't pick a number one. They were all number one.
Many years ago, more years than I like to think about, in fact just 50 years ago, I was offered an appointment to this Academy and I couldn't pass the physical examination. I had a flat eyeball and couldn't see. We used to play neighborhood pigtail baseball, and they always made me the umpire on that account.
However, since I couldn't follow this career in the Navy, I had to go into other lines of work--among other things I went into politics, and you see where I ended up.
The President, you know, has to function in four or five different capacities. He is the Chief Executive of the Nation and the head of state--he makes the foreign policy of the country; and he is the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces; he is the head of his party; and he is the social head of state--he has to meet all the visiting firemen that come to pay official visits to the United States, and it is a most interesting procedure.
Well now, I am going to function in two of my capacities today. I shall exercise the authority of the President, as the head of the Government of the United States, to grant a reprieve to those midshipmen who unfortunately may now be required to perform extra duty, or suffer punishments as a result of having made some demerits. [Prolonged applause] The order is not finished yet--you had better hear the rest of it. As Commander in Chief of the Armed forces of the United States, I direct Admiral Hill to carry out the President's order.
Now that is a prerogative--I don't think any other President has ever done that here at Annapolis, but they have crowned heads and royalty, when they come; they have been doing it; and they haven't got any authority to do it.
The only man in the United States who can pardon anybody for anything but impeachment-and the reason he can't do that is because that would be himself--is the President of the United States. The Constitution gives him absolute pardon power. So I am exercising it today. And I exercised it the other day at West Point.
And I have to exercise that power right along. You would be surprised how many pardons and paroles and commutations of sentences go over the President's desk every day. They are part of the things that contribute to the fact that the President signs his name 600 times a day. So I ought to know pretty well how to write.
This 6th of June will be graduation day here. All of you will be promoted that day, and I know you are looking forward to it. However, the 6th of June has a deeper significance. This year is the 10th anniversary of our great naval victory at Midway. That battle occurred on the 4th, 5th, and 6th of June. The Battle of Midway was the decisive turning point of the Pacific war. Our forces were able to inflict death blows on Japan's four best aircraft carriers. The Japanese were never again able to regain the offensive. Admirals Fletcher and Spruance handled our naval forces at the Midway battle with great skill, but the final blows were struck by the young men whose courage and ability must be remembered as an inspiration here and throughout the Navy.
Your graduation is also the 55th anniversary of the Class of 1897. Among those distinguished graduates was Admiral of the fleet William D. Leahy. He was Chief of Naval Operations, he was Governor of Puerto Rico, he was Ambassador to France, and he was Chief of Staff to President Roosevelt and to me in World War II. That is a magnificent record. I wish he was here so he could hear what I have to say about it. I am sorry he isn't.
Here today at lunch are fathers in the Class of 1922, to celebrate their 30th anniversary with their midshipmen sons.
The tradition and the understanding that you derive from the lessons of history are among the most important things you take with you when you graduate. I am happy to see you young men have accepted service to your country as a career. There is no higher calling.
I have been in the service of my country 30 years. I was elected to my first office in November 1922, and when January first comes, I will have been in elective public office for 30 years. Now, whether I rendered any service or not, you will have to wait and see what the results of this last office will turn out to be.
You will find your reward in your country's appreciation, and in your personal satisfaction for work well done.
The purpose of our great academies--here and at West Point--is to develop leadership. In order to be a successful leader you must learn about people, and about how to work in harmony and cooperation with others.
Do you know what makes a leader? It's the man or woman who can persuade people to do what they ought to do--and which they sometimes don't do--without being persuaded. They also must have the ability to persuade people to do what they do not want to do and like it. That, in my opinion, is the best definition of leadership.
If you young men will develop the ability, on the basis of the education you have had here, you can all be leaders. And I want to say to you that there is always a dearth of leaders. Don't let anybody tell you that the positions at the top in any organization, be it military or civilian--that all the good places are gone and they can't be filled. They are always hunting for good men. The higher up you get the harder it is to find a man to fill them.
So, put yourselves in the position so that when your turn comes you will be in a position to do the job which is ahead of you, and do it successfully. Then you will have had a successful career in the one you have picked out.
Our great academies have proved successfully that they can train the kind of leaders our country needs. And if I had the time I could name you some of them--you probably know who they are, anyway. There have been an immense number of great leaders who have come out of these two great schools.
I sincerely appreciate the honor you paid the President this morning by your splendid review. I have also enjoyed a chance to talk with some of you at lunch today. I will enjoy seeing the baseball game--in spite of the fact that I will have to be neutral--and the track meet this afternoon. I know that whichever team wins, these events will be examples of friendly rivalry and the mutual spirit of respect and friendship between our two great service academies.
I want to thank you again for a most pleasant day, and I appreciated the fact that I had a chance to have lunch with the midshipmen. I appreciate that fact, because I am anxious to know just what these young men are doing, and what they are thinking about. And I think I have found out. [Laughter] That is one of the things they are interested in, of course; but they are interested in being of service to their country, and that is why they are here.
I congratulate this wonderful body of men, and I know that the future of the country is safe when I see such wonderful young men who are willing to pursue a career for the Government of the United States.
Thank you very much.
NOTE: The President spoke at 12:35 p.m. in Bancroft Hall at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. During his remarks he referred to Vice Adm. Harry W. Hill, Superintendent of the Academy, Adm. Frank J. Fletcher, Adm. Raymond A. Spruance, and Admiral of the fleet William D. Leahy.