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June 17, 1998

FATHER'S DAY, 1998

                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                             June 17, 1998

                            FATHER'S DAY, 1998

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             BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

                              A PROCLAMATION

     Fathers hold us close and lift us up in so many ways throughout our
lives. Devoted fathers work day in and day out, not only to help provide
their families with food, clothing, education, and a good home, but also to
give their children the values, guidance, encouragement, and self-esteem to
make the most of their lives. With careful planning and many quiet
sacrifices, fathers seek to give their children the freedom to dream and
the opportunity to make those dreams a reality. Across our Nation, at
piano recitals and basketball games, at science fairs and high school
graduations, proud fathers rejoice at the achievements of their sons and
daughters.

     In today's complex and changing society, fathers have taken on new
roles and additional responsibilities within their homes, balancing the
varied demands of work and family. They are nurturers as well as
providers, confidants and best friends as well as heroes and role models.
They teach their children how to read, how to drive, and how to live. And,
like generations of fathers who came before them, they build a strong
foundation of love that enables their sons and daughters to stand taller,
see farther, and reach higher. On Father's Day, let us thank the
biological fathers, stepfathers, foster fathers, and adoptive fathers
across America whose love graces their children's lives and whose character
strengthens our Nation.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States
of America, in accordance with a joint resolution of the Congress approved
April 24, 1972 (36 U.S.C. 142a), do hereby proclaim Sunday, June 21, 1998,
as Father's Day. I invite the States, communities across the country, and
all the citizens of the United States to observe this day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities that demonstrate our deep appreciation and
abiding love for our fathers.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day
of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-second.

                              WILLIAM J. CLINTON