Bush Praises Annenberg Education Donation

With President Bush presiding at a brief ceremony, publishing magnate and former ambassador Walter H. Annenberg kicked off a $250-million fund-raising campaign for the United Negro College Fund by officially unveiling a $50-million personal donation.

“It’s an important effort. It’s a noble effort,” Bush said. “And our mission must be to strengthen our historically black colleges and universities to meet the challenges of the 21st Century,” he added, observing that the colleges make up about 3% of America’s colleges but enroll about 20% of all black college and university students.

Annenberg’s gift, which became known on Friday, is the largest single donation ever to black higher education in the United States.

David F. Demarest, White House communications director, said Bush’s weekend visit to Annenberg’s estate in nearby Rancho Mirage was planned before the donation announcement was scheduled. Nevertheless, it lent the prestige of the White House to the effort and tied Bush to a major black cause at a time when the Republican Party is trying to attract black support.

Annenberg, 82, former owner of TV Guide and other publications and President Richard M. Nixon’s ambassador to Britain, said during the program that “it is the obligation, the responsibility of those who have been fortunate in life to support those who are less fortunate. And if you don’t understand that, you’re not very much of the citizen.”

Later, Annenberg told reporters: “It is psychologically important that blacks indicate to the rest of the population in the country that they have the capacity to teach and serve. If one segment of the people is behind other segments of the population, you obviously have a very unwholesome citizenry in the country.”

Asked to explain his remark, he said: “The record would explain that. The record of excellence that blacks have achieved on an individual basis--George Washington Carver, there are any number of blacks with tremendous records.”

At this point, Christopher Edley, president of the fund, positioned himself in front of television cameras and steered Annenberg away, telling reporters: “We’ve limited the questions. I’m sorry, sir.”

Edley described the Annenberg gift, which will be phased in over five to 10 years, as “a launching pad” to “capture the imagination of the nation (and) the foundations, the corporations, other wealthy individuals who can make a difference.”