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HOWARD M. PACKARD [President of Johnson's
Wax]: Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Moses, you know that the company's
decision to come to this Fair was strictly a business decision.
But I think you also know that we are counting on having quite
a little fun here at this Fair, with our business and our personal
friends. In fact, you know, in the Johnson Company we have an
official policy - that conducting our business is to be a pleasure
- in fact, it's to be a little fun.
We understand that Mr. Moses has described
the Fair as an opportunity to emphasize the democratic process
that we practice in our country, and to try to find a common
ground of international understanding and good will; to demonstrate
our own progress as a nation, and to emphasize our gains in science
and education. Now at Johnson's Wax we try to be good
businessmen - sound businessmen - and as such we can visualize
the application of the Fair objectives to our own company and
to the entire system of private enterprise.
Participation in the Fair represents a very
major expenditure. So, naturally, we studied this matter to determine
whether the Fair would represent a sound expenditure. We set
up a series of criteria that had to be answered in the affirmative
in order to justify coming into the Fair. Obviously, we have
reached an affirmative decision on each one of these criteria,
and have decided to participate.
The selection of this very site where we are
standing, the building to be erected on it, the educational and
entertaining program that we intend to present here - and especially
the merchandising opportunity presented by the Fair - all of
these played a significant role in this decision.
Certainly one of the major factors influencing
our decision to come to the Fair is its international aspect,
which has a particular interest to us. The Johnson's Wax
company established its first overseas company 50 years ago in
England. We now have an associated group of 21 companies around
the world. We think that each one of them will benefit from the
World's Fair program that we are embarking upon today. Indeed,
in June 1964, we are gong to hold an international conference
of our 21 companies and it will be closely integrated with the
Worlds' Fair program.
The Fair will also be a world-wide showcase
for architecture, and we like that. Adventure in the field of
architecture is not new to our company. In the mid 30's, Mr.
H.F. Johnson commissioned the late Frank Lloyd Wright to design
our administration and research center in Racine, Wisconsin.
Those buildings - as proven over the last 25 years - were a decided
advance in architectural concept..
We are very pleased with the design achievements
of the Lippincott & Margulies firm who is our architect and
design consultant for this Fair building. You will see the model
over there, and we hope very much that the actual building on
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site will turn out to be, as the Fair officials
have called it, a jewel of a building. We expect it will turn
out that way.
Within our building, we are going to present
entertainment in an educational manner. We are not prepared to
discuss the details now, but we do say that we have picked out
a highly dramatic theme and we believe it will be entertaining
and rewarding to all the people who come to the Fair and visit
our exhibit.
Now in conclusion, I just want to say that
we are happy to join the many other exhibitors who will come
here and compete in this healthy, friendly rivalry among companies,
states and nations. We sincerely hope that our participation
in what is being called the Olympics of Progress in 1964 and
1965, will make a worthwhile contribution to the goal of world
peace through understanding. Thank you very much.
ROBERT MOSES: Mr. Johnson, Mr. Packard, ladies
and gentlemen - I am always glad to see one of these big industrial
exhibits get under way. We have lots of difficulties here with
the other exhibitors - the United States government is slow in
getting under way, the states are necessarily slow because, even
after they've signed up and appointed commissions, they have
to wait for legislatures to meet and provide funds.
Now without flattering the Johnson company
or any other big company, it is a fact - something we learned
from our daily contact with foreign countries - that it is American
industry that impresses them more than anything else. Perhaps
I ought to say frankly that it impresses foreigners more than
American government does. They are interested in what industry
has been able to do under our so-called private enterprise system.
They admire it. They can see what people are driving at. They
imitate it. They way to equal it. They want to surpass it.
Now as for your architecture, I think that
this building Mr. Marguiles and his associates are working on
is going to be a worthy successor to what Frank Lloyd Wright
has done for Johnson's Wax. Cousin Frank was a great friend of
mine. He was a sort of distant relative of my wife's - I inherited
him when he came to New York. I used to see him, try to bail
him out of some of his difficulties with the various city officials
that had to administer the building code. Frank adamantly took
the position that a building code should yield to genius and
that he represented genius. And there were some various people
around New York in the city administration who didn't altogether
like that description. So they used to throw the book at him.
I think he had rather more troubles than he should have.
But he was a remarkable fellow and I wish
he were around today to work on various buildings here. There
is a shortage of people of that kind of talent and genius. That's
all I have to say, except to welcome you here, and to hope that
we'll all get together here when the Johnson's Wax exhibit opens.
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