Welsh Affairs Office, Cardiff

March 1, 2006 Presidential Message For St. David's Day 2006

The White House
Washington
March 1, 2006

On this St. David's Day, I send our warmest greetings to the people of Wales from the United States of America. Today, we honor the friendship between our two people.

Welsh immigrants and Welsh-Americans have made great contributions to American governance. Many signers of the Declaration of Independence had Welsh ancestry, as did 11 U.S. Presidents, including Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. J.P. Morgan was one of the many Welsh who were prominent in the economic development of America, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic and upper-Midwest.

Welsh Americans have added to the richness of America's cultural fabric, whether through Jack London's literature or D.W. Griffith's pioneering the development of film.

Today, the people of the United States and Wales stand together to promote the advancement of liberty and equality around the world. Because of our shared history, we are stronger and better. On behalf of the American people, and from my family to yours, I wish the people in Wales and Welsh everywhere a wonderful St. David's Day.

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