Good morning.

I'm Bob O'Neil, Director of the Thomas Jeffrson Center, delighted to welcome you all to this very festive event.

This is obvioulsy a proud day for the Center, and also a proud day for the City of Charlottesville. Indeed I have the feeling that our three eminent founding fathers, who always look down upon this site, must be looking this morning with a special sense of pride about the monument that is soon to be dedicated at the heart of their community. [Statues of the three Presidents with local connections, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, are visible on the front of Charlottesville's City Hall, immediately adjacent to the monument].

We have a very busy schedule this morning, and should get to it at once. In a moment it will be my special pleasure to turn the podium over to the Chairman of our Board of Trustees, Mr. Bruce Sanford of the Washington firm of Baker and Hostetler. He has served, remarkably, in this very capacity since the very day the Center opened its doors nearly 16 years ago. He has guided every program, project or initiative that the Center has ever undertaken.

Not only have he and Mrs Sanford, who happily is also with us today, contributed personally and generously to Center activities, including the chalkboard also recruited a number of our trustees over the years, but most importantly, I think, he has wisely, sensitively and patiently guided us through every step--first in the formative period and then in the nurturing stages of the Center's evolution.

We do recognize that chairing our board of trustees is not Mr Sanford's day job. That happily is serving as the universally acclaimed dean of the media and publishing bar in the District of Columbia.

He has also shared his thoughts widely, most recently througha book that has the wonderful title, "Don't Shoot the Messenger."

Before turning the podium over to Mr Sanford, let me add a personal acknowledgement that none of what we are observing and enjoying today could have happened without the tireless creative and energetic dedication of the associate Josh Wheeler, who conceived the vision for such a monument, and through a long and challenging process brought it to completion.

Nor could it have happened without the consistenet wise and steady devotion to our colleague at the Center Amy Lafont. So in turning the podium over to MrSanford, let me ask you that you join us in thanking Josh and Amy for their special roles in this day.

(April 20, 2006)