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CHARLES M. SCHULZ HONORED WITH CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
- Schulz family members accept award on behalf of famed PEANUTS
cartoonist -
Washington, DC -On June 7, 2001, family members of Charles M. Schulz accepted a Congressional Gold Medal presented by Senators Strom Thurmond and Robert Byrd for Schulz's lasting artistic contributions. Since the year 1776, just over 300 notable individuals have been accorded this distinction for accomplishments in a variety of fields, including George Washington, Pope John Paul II, Rosa Parks and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Last year, Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sponsored legislation in the House and Senate to honor the creator of the PEANUTS comic strip.
"Charles Schulz gave more to society than just his comic strip. He was a leader in his field and in his community and will always be remembered for his contributions to our nation and to the world." Thompson said.
"Our country owes Charles Schulz a great deal. His comic art has changed American culture and brightened the lives of millions of Americans," Senator Feinstein said. "This ceremony today offers one tangible way for our country to express thanks to a truly great American."
For 50 years, Schulz inspired the world with his PEANUTS comic strip, boasting an indelible cast of characters and celebrating universal themes and expressions that have become the fabric of
American culture. Appearing in over 2,600 newspapers around the world and reaching 335 million readers in 20 different languages, the PEANUTS characters have been featured in over 63 award winning television specials, 1400 books, four feature films, and a Broadway musical.
During his career, Schulz proved himself to be a leader more than in just the field of comic illustration. In 1997, he became the chairman of a fundraising effort to build a ten-acre D-Day Memorial, which was opened yesterday in Bedford, Virginia. President Bush attended the ceremony and gave the dedicatory address. A World War II veteran himself, Schulz personally donated a sizable contribution to the effort, believing D-Day was the most significant day for mankind in modern history.
"I am so very honored and grateful to the members of Congress who have awarded Sparky with such an esteemed tribute," said Schulz's wife, Jean. "He would have felt an amazingly strong sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that he had been recognized for his important impact on American society."
"My father would have been proud to receive such a unique recognition," said Monte Schulz, the eldest son and namesake of the famed comic strip writer. "It would have been extraordinarily gratifying to receive an award for something that you do everyday and that you loved so much."
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1922, Charles M. Schulz began his
fascination with comic strips early, reading the Sunday comics from four different newspapers
with his father each week. With encouragement from his parents,
Schulz enrolled in a correspondence course in cartooning. PEANUTS
debuted in syndication on October 2, 1950. Charles M. Schulz died in
Santa Rosa, California on February 12, 2000 due to complications from
colon cancer, only hours before his last original PEANUTS strip
appeared in Sunday papers. The PEANUTS comic strip still appears in more than 2400 newspapers worldwide.
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