American Quotations

First Sentence:
The Wartime Journals of Charles A Lindbergh,
Published 1970

Second sentence:
The Spirit of St. Louis,
Published 1953

Aviator, Inventor, Conservationist
February 4, 1902 — August 26, 1974

Best known for completing the first solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight from New York City to Paris, on May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh also helped develop the “perfusion pump” that eventually lead to the creation of the first artificial heart. In later life, he was heavily involved in conservation movements campaigning to protect endangered species.

Published 1943

Author & Philosopher
February 2, 1905 — March 6, 1982

Most famous for writing “Atlas Shrugged” often referred to as the second most influential book next to the Bible on American culture. Russian-born, Ayn (originally Alissa Rosenbaum) witnessed first-hand the horrors of the Russian Revolution and Communism which shaped her world view eventually becoming the predominant promoter of individualism and laissez-faire capitalism. Ayn eventually created Objectivism — a still controversial life philosophy based on “Rational Self-Interest” as a means of fulfillment.

Poem Published, July 4, 1894

Librarian & Poet
June 19, 1858 — February 26, 1911

Begining in 1898, he served as a librarian at the Somerville Public Library in Massachusetts. Foss used to write a poem a day for the newspapers, and his five volumes of collected poetry are of the frank and homely “common man” variety. For many years the opening lines from Foss's The Coming American were inscribed on a granite wall at the United States Air Force Academy to inspire cadets and officers.

A debate in the New York Times, May 30, 1980

Playwright, Librarian of Congress, & Lawyer
May 7, 1892 — April 20, 1982

During World War II, MacLeish assisted with the development of a new branch of the OSS that eventually became the CIA. At the urging of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he became the ninth Librarian of Congress from 1939-1944 eventually being recognized as one of the most influential figures in librarianship during the 20th century. MacLeish worked to promote the arts, culture, and libraries and was the first Librarian of Congress to begin the process of naming what would become the United States Poet Laureate.

TIME Magazine, Aug. 26, 1957

Athlete
August 25, 1927 — September 28, 2003

One of the first Black athletes to cross the color line of international tennis. In all, she won 11 Grand Slam tournaments and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame. In the early 1960s, she also became the first Black player to compete on the Women's Professional Golf Tour. Gibson was often compared to Jackie Robinson leading coach Bob Ryland, to exclaim "Martina [Navratilova] couldn't touch her. I think she'd beat the Williams sisters."

Saturday Evening Post, June 27th, 1942

Lawyer & Corporate Executive
February 18, 1892 — October 8, 1944

Rising to prominence as an attorney, Willkie fought against the Ku Klux Klan influence on the Democratic Party in the 1920s. Later he became a corporate executive for the gas and electric company C&S. Due to multiple events Willkie switched to the Republican party eventually becoming its nominee for President in 1940. After losing to FDR for his 3rd term Willkie continued to be the leader of the Republican Party advocating for US entry into WWII as well as being a champion for civil rights urging the integration of the armed forces.

Anthology, April 6th, 1914

Activist, Social Worker & Sociologist
September 6, 1860 — May 21, 1935

An important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage, she co-founded Chicago's Hull House, one of America's most famous settlement houses. She helped America address and focus on issues that were of concern to mothers, such as the needs of children, local public health, and world peace. She was a co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

Wisdom Magazine, December 1959

Film Producer, Communicator, Innovator & Futurist
December 5th, 1901 — December 15th, 1966

Among his many accomplishments in perfecting the art of animation, family entertainment, and creating the medium of Theme Park design, Disney was extraordinarily patriotic. His Studio contributed more to the war effort in WWII than any other in Hollywood. Disney personally financed the production of Victory through Air Power that lead to allied victory, helped to deter Nazi sympathies in Latin America, and was directly responsible for the creation of NASA and its success in the Space Race to the moon thus contributing to the fall of Soviet communism.

Washington D.C., 1879

Leader of the Wallowa band of Nez Perce Tribe
March 3, 1840 — September 21, 1904

Chief Joseph led his band of Nez Perce during the most tumultuous period in their history when they were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands onto a significantly reduced reservation. In 1879, Chief Joseph went to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Rutherford B. Hayes and plead his people's case. In his last years, Joseph spoke eloquently against the injustice of United States policy toward his people and held out the hope that America's promise of freedom and equality might one day be fulfilled for Native Americans as well.

Citation Unknown

Labor Leader & Civil Rights Activist
March 31, 1927 — April 23, 1993

Beginning his working life as a manual laborer before spending two years in the United States Navy, in 1959, he became the national director of the CSO. Leaving in 1962, he co-founded the NFWA which he launched an insurance scheme, credit union, and the El Malcriado newspaper. Later that decade he began organizing strikes among farmworkers, most notably the successful Delano Grape Strike for higher wages. Chavez saw his fight for farmworkers' rights as a symbol for the broader cultural and ethnic struggle for Mexican Americans in the United States.

Published 1849

Novelist, Sailor, & Lecturer
August 1, 1819 — October 28, 1891

As a novelist, his best-known works are Moby-Dick & Typee, a romanticized account of his experiences in Polynesia. His later books Redburn and White-Jacket were given respectable reviews but did not sell well enough to support his family. This coupled with other financial failures resulted in him taking a position as a New York City customs inspector in 1863. From that point, Melville focused his creative powers on poetry. Although struggling to provide for himself and his family Melville was eventually recognized as one of America’s greatest writers in the 19th Century.

Published 1956

Restaurateur, Author and Philanthropist
November 7, 1903 – October 23, 1977

An Armenian immigrant, Mardikian vowed to one day open a restaurant of his own. After arriving in California, he found a job working as a dishwasher and was later appointed restaurant manager. In 1942, Mardikian was appointed as a food consultant to the US Army where he would receive presidential commendations for the drastic changes that he made to the US military.
In 1951, Mardikian was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Truman for his efforts and eventually opened Omar Khayyam's, a very popular Middle Eastern restaurant in San Francisco.

Published 1940

Novelist
October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938

Known for mixing highly original, poetic, rhapsodic, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical writing, Wolfe vividly reflects on American culture filtered through his sensitive, sophisticated, and hyper-analytical perspective. With works like Look Homeward, Angel of Time, and You Can't Go Home Again Wolfe's influence extends to the writings of Jack Kerouac, and Ray Bradbury. Contemporary author William Faulkner said that Wolfe may have been the greatest talent of their generation for aiming higher than any other writer.