Condoleezza Rice Marks New Great Seal Exhibit

Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
February 12, 2008

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Marks New Great Seal Exhibit

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Archivist Allen Weinstein commemorated the 225th anniversary of the Great Seal of the United States today.

Housed in the Exhibition Hall of the Department of State's Harry S Truman building, the Great Seal of the United States is a unique symbol of our country's sovereignty. It embodies the ideals of independence, unity and strength as our national identity. Sometimes called the Eagle and the Shield, our Seal links to a tradition that dates back thousands of years to guarantee and authenticate laws, treaties, ownership and rights.

To celebrate the Great Seal's 225th anniversary, the United States Diplomacy Center, Bureau of Public Affairs, has created the exhibition, Celebrating the 225th Anniversary of the Great Seal: Past, Present and Future. This exhibit looks back to the ancestors of the modern seal, traces the origins and meanings of the Great Seal and celebrates its significance in the United States today. Included in the exhibit is artwork from Washington area students reinterpreting the Great Seal with an eye toward the future.

Following its stay in the Exhibition Hall, the Great Seal exhibit will travel to schools and other educational and cultural venues. The exhibition is dedicated to the late Department of State historian, Dr. Paul Claussen, whose work and insights contributed so much to our appreciation of diplomacy's place in the world.

For more information on the exhibit, please contact William Armbruster, (202) 736-9042.

2008/093
Released on February 12, 2008

ENDS

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