Statement: Death of Walter Annenberg

Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg was one of the most remarkable men of the 20th century, and his passing today reminds us of how much he contributed to the lives of people throughout this country and around the world.

He served America honorably and well as our Ambassador to Great Britain from 1969 to 1974, but his public service represents just the tip of a mountain of good works. In large ways and small, Ambassador Annenberg contributed to good causes for decades, from health care to education to the arts, and so much more.

It was my privilege to stand with Walter Annenberg in the White House in 1993, when he made the largest private gift to public education in American history – a $500 million donation that was designed to spur innovation and change in our schools, and leverage improvements in the quality of education to pay dividends for generations to come.

America is a better place today because of the life and good works of Ambassador Walter Annenberg. Hillary and I extend our condolences and our prayers to his wife, Lenore, and his family and many friends.

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