nancy for coming up with the celebration. i cannot think of a better parent to come up with this. thank you for your wonderful leadership. [applause] today is not only a great celebration for our bridge but also a time to do some reflection on what it has meant to us. as janet said earlier, we talk about today, what i've tried to do, making sure we aren't the innovation capital of the world, but in 1937, this bridge was the national symbol of innovation. a great effort behind this bridge. joseph strauss, charles ellis' fantastic design and leadership. of course, i have been tried to remember the mayor at that time -- andrew rossi -- his leadership as well. when we completed this bridge,

it was not without cost, so we have to take a moment for the fantastic efforts. we did lose a few lives in constructing this bridge, so i want to make sure that we honor that fantastic effort during that time. it was that symbol of prosperity, the beauty of our city that was being designed, and it has become and continues to be the symbol for our international world-class reputation for progress, grove, and continued innovation. i see this bridge has a symbol that is stronger than ever, being a bridge for everybody in the world, the gateway to the far east, as well as from them to the rest of our country. we are still the finest city in the world. international capital of the world. i want to continue that and will

come thousands of visitors each year who come here to celebrate and think of this bridge as our image, as our welcoming sign. not only celebrating the bridge on memorial day, when we remember our veterans, but we will also continue the symbol for generations to come as we invite them -- whether it is a bicycle race or the u.s. open, or later on this year and the america's cup -- that we continue to allow our iconic views from this bridge to symbolize that we continue to be a bridge for everybody. back in 1937, when joseph strauss said, on the completion of this bridge, he said i present to you a bridge that will last forever. here we are, 75 years later, celebrating not only the iconic symbol that it has, but that our

continued symbol throughout america, our city, and our region, continues to be the hope for everyone. i want to join with all of you and to challenge you to continue the next 75 years of continuing the innovative capital, the place where dreams are actually completed, and so much of our hope, our city, our country, we help celebrate a fantastic birthday of the golden gate bridge, and as a symbol of that, i want to present to our directors the golden gate bridge anniversary day in san francisco. come on up, larry, nancy. >> thank you. [applause]

>> thank you, mayor lee. the golden gate bridge is not only a symbol of san francisco, but a symbol of the state of california. the feel of the state of california shote -- seal of the state of california shows the state before the bridge was built. today, i do not think there are too many people that have difficulty finding our bridge. now we understand the many ways in which this harbor has represented the promise of california since the gold rush times. indeed, it is my honor to welcome to the podium, a man whose family name is synonymous with the state of california, whose father served on the golden gate bridge port of directors a few years ago, and who himself has many ties to our beautiful golden gate bridge. ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the great governor of the great state of california, gov. jerry brown.

[applause] >> thank you. it is really an exciting day. i am glad you reminded me that my father was on the golden gate bridge authority. growing up as kids, we had a free pass. every time we went across the bridge, we never had to pay the toll. i thought that was a little unreasonable. that is when i got my first notion of political reform. [applause] -- [laughter] in those days, if you were on the bridge authority, you got a free pass to cross the bridge. we have lost a few of those good perks that stimulated a lot of good work. by the way, my sister cynthia, she walked across the bridge the

first day. [applause] there she is. my father has a picture of that. i was not born yet. it was the next year. [laughter] by the way, 1937, there was higher unemployment than aren't we do then there is today. and most people were a lot for them there are today. when people say we cannot afford it, you have to question that. when we could not afford it, we greet -- built great monuments, great expressions of courage. that is what this bridge represents. [applause] now we want to distinguish between foolishness and boldness. but if we are never bowled, we never get anything done. yes, we have a lot of problems

and we need some fiscal discipline, that is true, but still have to invest. weather is the city hall in san francisco for this bridge or our airports, high-speed rail, completing the california water plant. we have to build, invest, and we have to do that together, as a people. that is what this bridge represents. i am glad that we are thinking about stuff that happened 75 years ago. to not tell me about how much it will cost this year. how much will it give us over the next 100 years? i have to make my point about the high speed rail. you cannot build it they say. they said you could not build this. they said you could not build the panama canal. they said you could not build the suez canal. all of the small minds always shrink in the face of great challenges. but that is not what it means to be a californian. my own great-grandfather came

out here in 1852. that took courage. it was not easy to get here by stagecoach. he came and he went back across panama, got a wife in germany, and came back, all the way around in south america. ok, that was tough. do not shrink because you have a few budget cuts or some taxes. suck it in. we have to build, we have to do it right. this bridge really expresses that sense. people in the middle ages were poor, too, and we have inequality and all sorts of problems, but when they build those cathedrals, they had a vision. when people were putting those bricks one on top of another,

they were not going to see the final outcome. it took 125 years. this bridge only took a few years. high speed rail may take 10 years. but we have to get off of -- if it does not happen tomorrow, i will not do it. we are connected to those who came before us and those who come after us. a bridge connects one side to another and we are connected today to our past and future. what a great day. it is golden gate bridge day, not just in san francisco, but in california. [applause] >> i am going to ask dennis mulligan about those free passes across the bridge for directors. governor brown, thank you for those aspirational, inspirational words, and for all

of you have done for the great state of california. thank you very much. [applause] now i would like to recognize our other organizing partners for this anniversary celebration. first, our neighbor and great friend, the superintendent of the golden gate national parks, please give a warm welcome to mr. frank dean. [applause] >> thank you, janet. thank you, governor, for your remarks about public works and public-service. as superintendent of the golden gate national parks, there can be no more but the place and the namesake of our park, the golden gate. today, we are standing at the very center of a vast urban national park that is connected by the spectacular bridge. i might add, this national park is celebrating its 40th

anniversary celebration this year. just as this national park resulted from a surprising vision, so, too, did the bridge. here we have the perfect blend of human achievement and natural splendor or. when the golden gate bridge was proposed, many people questioned whether it could live up to the beauty of the golden gate straight, the natural break that connected san francisco bay to the ocean. we can see today that the natural beauty was not only matched, but enhanced. as stewards of the national park lands that greed and support this bridge, we are honored to be partners in this celebration of its every fifth anniversary. congratulations and we look for too long partnership had. thank you, janet. [applause] >> thank you so much, frank,

thank you so much for what you do for our parks every day. it is very much appreciated. as many of you know, the golden gate bridge district is a special district. in its time, it was an innovation in bringing together a unique and different public agency to fund and manage and construct this bridge. so in that spirit, it is my pleasure to recognize another innovative public agency, the presidio trust. like the bridge district, the presidio trust is charged with preserving a national treasure, and doing so with a sustainable, financial model. i know the governor and mayor appreciate that very much in these difficult times. so it is now my pleasure to welcome to the podium the executive director of the presidio trust, mr. craig middleton. [applause] >> thank you, janet.

while come. it is a great pleasure for me to add my welcome to this extraordinary day and this extraordinary place. -- welcome. this bridge and the presidio have stood sentinel around the bay, and many people journey through the spot, whether they come through the new presidio parkway -- thank you, caltrans and everyone involved in that. it will be beautiful. or through the trail that will be developed, or through the bike ways that will be developed. thank you to all the people that are working on behalf of making connections to this bridge, with a bye bye, car, bus, trail. whatever where you want to get here. we want to come. our pledge on the 75th anniversary is to work with

others. it is all about partnerships. to make connections and to integrate this great national park with this great national icon. so thank you very much. thank you, janet. [applause] >> think is so much and congratulations on all you have done in the presidio. that, too, is a great gift to san francisco and california. there is one partner who has been absolutely central to bridging assault, and that is the golden gate national parks conservancy. just over a year ago, -- think about this -- the bridge district, national park service, and conservancy formed a partnership to better serve the millions of visitors who come to this bridge every single year. 10 million people visit our bridge every year. we have made great progress in those 12 months, as signified by

the anniversary gifts we are giving to the brick today. they are founded and built by the park conservancy. we express our gratitude to the conservancy, and to the board of trustees, and chaired by mr. mark buehl. please identify yourself. [applause] it is absolutely my honor to welcome to the podium the conservancy president and ceo, mr. greg moore. [applause] >> good morning, everyone. i am a pretty happy guy today. we beat that 20% forecast of rain. look at how that international or deluxe against a blue sky and clouds. glorious. when you think of a bridge, a bridge really has one purpose. it connects things.

it connects us from where we are leaving to where we are going. it connects us from where we are to where we want to be. bridges, all bridges, connect people to places and people to one another. but this bridge is not like all the other bridges. it is more than a connection across san francisco bay, from one side to another. this bridge is connected to our past. this bridge is connected to our culture. this bridge is connected to our community. the parks conservancy has been incredibly honor to help connect this bridge to our community and beyond. we have been gratified to link this bridge to our national park land and to the millions of visitors that come to see it each year. please have been privileged to spearhead the improvements we are seeing today. and we are so thankful for all the help that we have gone along the way, the public agencies, the nonprofit organizations,

the corporations, volunteers, contributors, and the elected officials who jumped in to support this anniversary with their good will and all their support. for 75 years, this bridge has represented our highest hopes and aspirations. it has shown how the impossible can become possible with the visionary leaders. there is a leader here today who, just like the bridge, his iconic and beloved. like the bridge, she is a national treasure. like the bridge, she has taken her place in history. and like the bridge, she connects us to one another and keeps our aspirations high. and like the bridge, she celebrates an anniversary this year. in 2012, we are all celebrating congresswoman nancy pelosi's 25th year representing her district and championing the needs of the american people as

democratic leader. in her congressional leadership, mirrors the very quality of this bridge. the innovation, hope, both this, the sturdy resolve, and the claim and admiration of our community, our country, and indeed, our world. just like the leaders to envision this bridge, leader pelosi has broken barriers and she has prison for skeptics wrong. she made history as the first woman speaker of the house. she brings innovation to the challenge facing our country. she fosters' hope, and like this brick during the great depression providing employment, she believes in jobs and opportunities for every american. she brings an openness and welcome to all people, just like the icon expand stretching across the golden gate. and believe me, she has this 30 result of the 746-foot tall towers.

beyond all that, leader pelosi appreciates the beauty that surrounds this bridge. she has ensure the national park lands that touched this bridge retain their splendor. time and again she has been a force for preserving these treasured lands. time and again she has been a champion for their ongoing improvement and community benefit. and here on the lands of the presidio in san francisco, she envisioned and legislated the unique model of the presidio trust, an innovative federal agency that has transformed an army post to a national park with the partnership of the national park service and park conservancy. [applause] leader pelosi is deeply committed to the beauty of the american dream. she is deeply committed to the beauty of the golden gate and our magnificent city. she is deeply committed to the

beauty of america. to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the bridge and the 25th anniversary of congresswoman and democratic leader nancy pelosi, the national park service has probably made available its staff member martin stopped to sing one of her favorite songs. this song celebrates the beauty of america bridging us all, from sea to shining sea. [applause] ♪

4 purple mountains majesty above the the rooted plain america america god grant his grace on thee and ccrown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea o, beautiful for patriot streams

that sees beyond the years thine alabaster city sleeve undimmed by human america america god grant his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea

♪ [applause] >> martin, my goodness, that was absolutely beautiful. and now, on behalf of the golden gate bridge and all that it stands for, please join me in welcoming democratic leader nancy pelosi. thank you so much, nancy. [applause] >> this has come as a great surprise to me, so i am a little bit embarrassed, but i think i am getting over it.

i love that song, especially the second verse that martin sang. o beautiful for patriot streams that sees beyond the years. that is exactly what the people who envisioned this bridge did. they saw beyond the years, in many ways. certainly as a physical infrastructure, but all that it stands for. the nine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears. that is san francisco. that reminds me of san francisco every time i hear it's song. never more beautifully then by martin scott. he is a member of the park service but we hear him down at a memorial sunday mornings. thank you so much for lifting us up with your beautiful voice and that wonderful song. i am rather overwhelmed.

i want to thank janet for her leadership of the golden gate bridge highway and transportation district. didn't she managed to show appreciation to so many people so graciously? it just seems like your corporate thing to do. thank you for yoand for expressl want to do, which is to thank everyone who was a part of all this. governor brown, oh, wow. [laughter] in the spirit of his remarks -- cynthia was carried over the bridge with her father. she was a baby at the time. in that spirit, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary, it is pretty exciting for us in the theme of, from sea to shining sea,

national park service, national conservancy, golden gate, recreation area -- i would like to knowledge the role that president obama had in passing the recovery act, which provided some of the funds for us to be able to do the presidio parkway. the beat goes on in terms of enhancing what this means to us and what it does for us. in that spirit, i also want to acknowledge some one -- when the superintendent was speaking, he referenced this golden gate recreation area is celebrating its 40th anniversary. none of that would have been possible without the leadership in congress -- of congressman phillip burton, my predecessor there. [applause] and dr. it occur we burn, amy meyer, who were inspired. anyways, it took a lot of people with their thinking, their

ideas, the termination, to get the job done. today, i am honored to join our great mayor, taking this to the next that. yes, it is about innovation, mr. mayor, but it is about who we are as san franciscans in the greater san francisco bay area. they told us to wear orange. thanks to you, larry, winning the world series, we all have a lot of orange that we celebrated with before, and we continue to route on our giants. thank you for the role you are playing here today. nancye hellman, nothing great happens in our community without your family's involvement. thank you for your leadership as chair of the presidio trust and so many other things. [applause] you probably think i'm going to repeat all the names that janet did not, but she did it so well, so to all of you who were

acknowledged, honors granted, with special mention of mark buehl. he is a bridge for all of us and all of the entities that we mentioned. thank you, mark, for your of leadership. [applause] i want to a knowledge gus, who worked on the bridge. i also want to pick knowledge of the steelworkers, iron workers, the other workers who helped bridge -- build this bridge. can you imagine that? actually working on the bridge. our very special guest. today, we come together on the 75th anniversary of the golden gate bridge to cut the ribbon, a member of gives to the bridge, designed to showcase this landmark, tell its story, and tell its history. others have already said what they are. we will go on with the ribbon

cutting momentarily. we want to also celebrate what this bridge has given us, what it has meant to our city, state, and nation, from sea to shining sea. we are possesses of this bridge in this area but it is a national treasure. and it is recognized throughout the world as such. before there was a golden gate bridge, there was a golden gate, a golden gate way to america. the place where our troops came home from battle. when they came through the golden gate, they knew that they were home, safely home. it is a symbol of hope for immigrants who have come to our shore, and when they came through at golden gate, decades and decades ago and continued to do so,