>> up next on american history tv, we hear from former president ford and said we're -- senator edward kennedy. gerald ford received a profiles in courage award at the ceremony for his local courage in pardoning former president next and after his august 9 1974 resignation. >> i am honored to be here today with president ford, the winner of this year's profile in courage award, and covers and

john lewis, the recipient of the profile encourage lifetime achievement award. today we honor to outstanding readers -- leaders who was to the heat of controversy and persevered in their beliefs about what was in our countries best interest. history has proved them right. this is the 12th year of this annual award, and i am proud that it has become so recognized as a symbol of noble public service. it was inspired by the pulitzer prize-winning book by president kennedy. to celebrateuted his life, and his belief that biblical courage must be valued and honored. we hope that the profile encouragement award will encourage young men and women to enter public service, and will

inspire political leaders at the local, state, national level to dare to take on even the most difficult issues and demonstrate your own devotion to high principle. in his book, president kennedy told the stories of courageous residential leaders 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 this year. he would feel that their stories of courage wouldn't 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. time, many of us of the president ford recognized that the nation had to move forward.

if there wasdo so a continuing effort to prosecute former president next and. president ford made a courageous decision. one that historians now say cost him his office, when 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 the president ford was right. his courage and dedication to our country made it possible for us to begin the process of healing and put the tragedy of watergate behind us. award, and wethis are proud of his achievement. [applause] it is my privilege to introduce president kennedy's daughter caroline. she will read the profile. and present their award.

caroline is the graceful force behind it these annual awards. 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 competence. we thank her for her wonderful leadership here at the library. caroline kennedy. [applause] >> for more than one quarter century, gerald ford proved the people of michigan, the congress, and our nation, that politics can be a noble profession. as president, he made a controversial decision of conscience to pardon president

nixon, and and the national trauma watergate. in doing so, he placed his love of country and head of his own political future. we are honored to prevent -- present you with this award. [applause] >> thank you much caroline. senator kennedy. distinguish guests, ladies endowment. honor and privilege for

me to be here on this occasion. i am deeply grateful to you caroline and the kennedy family for this award. history has been defined as arguments without end. upe to think of it, ted come much the same could be said of the united states senate. [laughter] no doubt, arguments over the next and pardon will continue for as long as historians relive those very to mulch was days. i will be less than candid, indeed, less than human if i ,idn'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. around this place, courage is contagious.

did wasack kennedy as i to understand it the true meaning of the word. inseparable asas a part of his life. he never surrendered to it. to the than he yielded charge of freedom's enemies during the most dangerous moments of the nuclear age. president kennedy understood that courage was not something to be gained at a poll, or located in a focus group. no advisor can spin it. no historian can backdate it. for in the age-old contest between popularity and principle, only those willing to are with their convictions

deserving of posterity's approval. , i enteredury ago politics because of a big 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 by eternal vigilance against those who would put the soul itself in bondage. years course of almost 88 , i've seen more than my share of miracles. ofave witnessed the defeat nazi tyranny, the destruction of hateful walls that once divided freemen from the enslaved.

at home, thanks to the tremendous bravery of men like , we are belatedly honoring the promise we made it to one another at the founding of the republic. we had at last begun to recognize women for their talents, and revere them for their contributions. celebrated theas end of polio. men left their footprints on the moon. whileratched its head trying to figure out the difference between a gigabyte and a happy meal. [applause] [laughter] >> none of this just happened, it happened because pieces -- able of conscience refused to be

passive in the face of injustice or indifference to the demands of democracy. generation in a new century is summoned to complete our unfinished work. and to purge our politics of cynicism. today, the challenge of political courage looms larger than ever before. political life is becoming so expensive, so mechanized, and so dominated by professional politicians and public relations men that the idealist who dreams of independence statement ship is rudely awakened of the necessity of elections and a congressman's. kennedy inator john introducing profiles encourage.

45 years later, his concerns are more relevant than ever. there,e is distrust out and unfortunately, there is, perhaps it is because there is so much partisan jockeying forward vantage at the expense of public policy. at times it feels as if the american politics consists largely of candidates without ideals, hiring consultants without convictions to stage campaigns without concern. increasingly, the results is elections without voters. it doesn't have to be that way. wherever i go 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 the end people. that it is only a matter of time before your generation will be tested. tested by theas economic depression of the 1930's, foreign wars, and the hateful regime of jim crow. outwardly, you are american in outlook the same as mine. new technologies, new forms of trina kaisha and -- communication. new breakthroughs in science and medicine. all of these promise to expand

the frontiers of life in ways a few years ago. amidst all of this that is new, may i respectfully suggest that you never lose the old faith. president kennedy's faith. that is better, fairer, and more humane with each passing generation. imperfections, andwe have many, we remain very much were in the 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. probably, in my first political 1948, i for congress in was one of the original compassionate conservatives. [laughter] >> it was true when john f. kennedy rallied his countrymen for the long twilight struggle to ensure freedom survived on the very narrow window ledge of nuclear vulnerability. just as true for the 21st century americans who pursue jfk's vision of public

service as the most purposeful way to make a life as well as a living. may god bless you, and may god bless america. thank you. [applause] >> this week and on the c-span networks, tonight at 8:00 eastern, a townhall meeting on the media's coverage of events in ferguson, missouri, at a state university in st. louis. evening at 8:00 on q&a, historian richard norton smith on his recent biography of nelson rockefeller. tonight at 10:00 on book tv's after words, jake helprin and the questioner -- quest doubled

fractious is of the collection industry. southern festival of books. tonight at 8:00 on american history tv on c-span3, the life and legacy of booker t. washington, and sunday afternoon at 4:00, on real america, from 1964, a joint armed forces readiness operation between the u.s. and iran, when the two countries were allies. find our television schedule at www.c-span.org, and let us know what you think about the programs you are watching. us, or send us a tweet. join the c-span conversation. like us on facebook, follow us on twitter. >> all weekend long, american history today is featuring green bay wisconsin, the home of the green bay packers. founded