Independence Day Ceremonies
From Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia
Each year, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation hosts a naturalization ceremony on the West Lawn and features a distinguished speaker in celebration of the nation's birthday. Speakers have included the following:
| Year | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | 32nd President of the United States |
| 1947 | Harry S. Truman | 33rd President of the United States |
| 1971 | Mills E. Godwin, Jr. | Former Governor of Virginia |
| 1972 | Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. | United States Senator from Virginia |
| 1973 | Justice Albertis S. Harrison, Jr. | Former Governor of Virginia |
| 1974 | Louis B. Wright | Author |
| 1975 | Dumas Malone | Jefferson biographer |
| 1976 | Gerald R. Ford | 38th President of the United States |
| 1977 | Caryl Parker Haskins | Scientist |
| 1979 | Clifton Waller Barrett | Author, businessman and book collector |
| 1980 | Charles F. Baldwin | Diplomat |
| 1981 | Merrill D. Peterson | Jefferson biographer |
| 1982 | Charles S. Robb | Governor of Virginia |
| 1992 | Carl Sagan | Astronomer |
| 1993 | John T. Casteen III | President of the University of Virginia |
| 1994 | David McCullough | Biographer and Historian |
| 1995 | Roberto C. Goizueta | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Coca-Cola Company |
| 1996 | Richard Moe | President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation |
| 1997 | Colin L. Powell | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| 1998 | Andrew Young | Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations |
| 1999 | James S. Gilmore III | Governor of Virginia |
| 2000 | Madeleine K. Albright | Secretary of State |
| 2001 | Vartan Gregorian | President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York |
| 2002 | Frank McCourt | Author and educator |
Further Sources
- The Great Birthday of Our Republic: Celebrating Independence Day at Monticello. Charlottesville, Va.: Thomas Jefferson Foundation, 2003.
- Search for Independence Day addresses at the Jefferson Library
