John William Gardner, was Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Lyndon Johnson. During World War II he served in the United States Marine Corps as a captain.
Born: October 8, 1912,United States
Died: February 16, 2002
Awards: Presidential Medal of Freedom, Public Welfare Medal
Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.
True happiness involves the full use of one’s power and talents.
Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.
One of the reasons people stop learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure.
Some people strengthen the society just by being the kind of people they are.
The world loves talent but pays off on character.
If you don’t give your kid freedom to make choices with money, including stupid choices, he’ll make plenty when he gets to college.
Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.
Whoever I am, or whatever I am doing, some kind of excellence is within my reach.
Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the nonpharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.
Our problem is not to find better values but to be faithful to those we profess.
Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Very few have excellence thrust upon them.
The cynic says, ‘One man can’t do anything.’ I say, ‘Only one man can do anything.’excellence thrust upon them.
