>> up next on the presidency, we'll hear from former president ford and senator edward kennedy in a 2001 ceremony at the john f. kennedy presidential library. gerald ford received a profiles award. after his august 9, 1974 resignation. >> i'm honored to be here today with oh president ford, the winner of this year's profile in courage award and congressman john lewis, the recipient of the profile and courage lifetime achievement award. today we honor two outstanding leaders who withextraordinary the heat of controversy and persevered in their beliefs about what was in our country's best interest.

history has proved them right. this was the 12th year of this award and i'm proud it's been so recognized as a symbol of noble public service. it was inspired by the prize winning book by president kennedy. it was instituted to celebrate his life and his belief that political courage must be valued and honored. we hope that the profile and courage awards will encourage young men and women to enter public service and that it will inspire political leaders at the local, state, and national level to dare to take on even the most difficult issues and demonstrate their own devotion to high principle. in his book, president kennedy told the story of leadists who faced crucial decisions and made them under great pressure and

often at great risk to their own careers. i believe my brother would be especially pleased with our winners in their stories of courage would have made outstanding new chapters in his book. at a time of national turmoil america was fortunate that it was gerald ford who took the helm of the storm-tossed ship of state. unlike many of us at the time, president ford recognized that the nation had to move forward. could not do so if there was a continuing effort to prosecute former president nixon. so president ford made a courageous decision, one that historians now say cost him his office and he pardoned richard nixon. i was one of those who spoke out against his actions then. but time has a way of clarifying past events.

and now we see that president ford was right. his courage and dedication to our country made it possible for us to beg inthe process of healing and put the tragedy of watergate behind us. he deserves this award and we're proud of his achievement. it's now my privilege to introduce president kennedy's daughter caroline. she'll read the profile in courage citations for anna reese and present their awards. caroline is the graceful force behind these annual awards. and she is a joy to all of us who know and love her. every day she reflects the spirit and ideals of her parents and makes us proud of all of her accomplishments. we thank her for her wonderful leadership here at the library. caroline kennedy.

[ applause ] >> for more than a quarter center, gerald ford proved politics can be a noble profession. he made a decision of conscious to pardon president nixon and end the drama of watergate. in doing so, he placed his love of country ahead of his own political future. we're honored to present president ford with the john f. kennedy award for 2001.

[ applause ] >> thank you very, very much, caroline. carolyn, senator kennedy, distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen. it is a very high honor, a very rare privilege for me to be here on this occasion and i'm deeply grateful for you caroline, to the kennedy family for this award. history has been defined as argument without end. come to think of it, much the same could be said of the united states senate. no doubt arguments over the nixon pardon will continue for

as long as his torrians relive those very, very tumultuous days. but i would be less than candid indeed, less than human, if i didn't tell you how grateful, how profoundly grateful betty and i are for this recognition. indeed the award committee has displayed some of its own brand of courage. best, of course, around this place, courage is contagious. to know jack kennedy as i did was to understand the true meaning of the word. physical pain was inseparable as a part of his life. he never surrendered to it anymore than he yielded to the charge of freedom's enemies during the most dangerous

moments of the nuclear age. president kennedy understood that courage is not something to be gauged in a pole or located in a focus group. no advisor can spin it, no historian can back date it. for in the age-old contest between popularity and principle, only those willing to lose with their convictions are deserving of prosperity's approval. half a century ago, i entered politics because of a big idea idea -- rejecting the midwestern isolationism of my youth, i learned on a combat aircraft carrier in the pacific that leadership carries with it a very great price.

a price measured in the 20th century bye terrible vigilance against those who would put the soul itself into bondage. in the course of almost 88 years, i have seen more than my share of miracles. i have witnessed the defeat of nazi tyranny, the destruction of hateful walls that once divided free men from the enslaved here at home thanks to the bravery of men like john lewis, we are honoring the promise we made to one another at the founding of the republic. we have at least began to recognize women for their talents and revere them for

their contributions. my generation has celebrated the end of polio. cheered as men left their footprints on the moon. and scratched its head while trying to figure out the difference between a gig bite and a happy meal. none of this just happened. it happened because people of conscious refused to be passive in the face of injustice or indifferent to the demands of democracy. now, a new generation in a new century. someone to complete our unfinished work and to purge our politics of cynicism. today the challenge of political

courage looms larger than ever before. are so expensive, so mechanized and so dominated by professional politicians and public relations men that the idea and dreams of independent statesmanship is rudely awakened by the necessity of election and accomplishments. so said senator john kennedy in introducing profiles in courage. 45 years later, his concerns are more relevant than ever. if there is does trust out there, and unfortunately there is perhaps it is because there is so much partisan jockeying for advantage at the expense of public policy.

at time, it feels as if the american politics consists largely if candidates without ideals to stage campaigns without concern, increasingly the result is elections without voters. it doesn't have to be that way. wherever i go on my various travels around the country i sense a longing for community and a desire on the part of americans to be part of something bigger, finer, than themselves. this is especially true among young people. history tells us that it's only a matter of time before your

generation will be tested, just as ours is tested by the economic depression by the 1930s, foreign wars, and the hateful regime of jim crow. outwardly, your america may not look at new technologies through forms of communication, new breakthroughs, in science and medicine, all of these promise to expand the frontiers of life in ways unimaginable just a few short years ago. but amidst all of this that is new, may i respectfully suggest that you never lose the old faith faith, president kennedy's faith. in an america that is better,

fairer, and more humane with each passing generation. for all of our imperfections, and we have many, we remain a very much in process. i hope that all of you will reject those on both extremes who mistake the honest clash of ideas for a holy war. the bigger the issue, the greater the need for political courage. it was true when i entered the political arena in defiance of those who believed the united states was divinely placed between two oceans to avoid foreign confrontations.

proudly in my first political campaign and in congress in '98, i was one of the original compassionate conservatives. it was true when john f. kennedy rallied his countrymen to the long twilight struggle to ensure freedom's survival on the very narrow window ledge of nuclear vulnerability. it will be just as true for the 21st century americans. who pursue j.f.k.'s vision of purposeful way to make a life as well as a living. may god bless you and may god bless america. thank you, [ applause ] >> well done.

>> every sunday at 8:00 p.m. and midnight eastern you can learn from leading historians about presidents and first ladies, their policies and legacies, here on "the presidency," to watch any of our programs ohher check our schedule, visit c-span.org/history. you're watching american history tv, all weekend, every weekend on c-span 3. >> this year c-span is touring cities across the country exploring american history. next a look at our recent visit to boulder, colorado. you're watching american history tv on c-span 3. >> this was a building about to be demolished. it had been boarded up for over 20 years. and because the building was boarded up for more than 20

years, people knew about the building. and because it was so close to downtown. there are not buildings that are boarded up. that's an unusual situation in boulder. so we would tell people about the project and hannah barker, they would say, oh, that house. sort of a mystery behind what this house was. >> hannah barker was an amazing woman who play add very important role in boulder's history. she was born in 1844 in ireland. and you know there's a lot about her early years that we don't know. but we know that she was trained as a teacher, probably in iowa. and you can imagine as irish immigrant, probably poor, it was a steppingstone for her.