AMERICANPATRIOT VIEW IN

FULLSCREENCLICK ABOVE

MARCH 17, 2010

THE LIVES OF

THE COWBOYS

SPRINGTIME MEANS

MARCH MADNESS

JOHN F. KENNEDY’S

PROFILESIN COURAGE

AMERICANPATRIOT

JFK’SPROFILES IN COURAGE

46

THE LIVES OF THETHE COWBOYS

8SPRINGTIME MEANSMARCH MADNESS

14

Contents

PRESERVATIONTRUST PICKSDISTINCTIVEDESTINATIONS

1012

THIS WEEK INAMERICAN HISTORY

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

15

THE SPAMYOU WANT

(SORT OF)

4 AMERICAN PATRIOT

JOHN F. KENNEDY’SPROFILES IN COURAGE

AMERICAN PATRIOT 5

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,for breaking fromthe Federalist Party.

DANIEL WEBSTER,for supporting the Compromiseof 1850 which helped keepthe Union together.

THOMAS HART BENTON,for staying in the DemocraticParty despite his oppositionto slavery.

SAM HOUSTON,for opposing Texas secessionfrom the Union.

EDMUND G. ROSS,for voting to acquit thepainfully unpopular PresidentAndrew Johnson.

LUCIUS LAMAR,for seeking to mend tiesbetween between the Northand South.

GEORGE NORRIS,for trying to keep the U.S.neutral during World War 1.

ROBERT A. TAFT,for criticizing the NurembergTrials of Nazi war criminals.

Rarely does a historical study of arcane issues and legislators influence a Presidentialcampaign, become a best-seller and get turned into a popular television series. But JohnF. Kennedy’s Profiles In Courage accomplished this. It helped to establish then-SenatorKennedy’s gravitas as a serious thinker and potential Presidential candidate, as well asgetting the public to focus on the grandeur of the Senate, and seeing life as a mid-1960stelevision series in which the “profiles” of courageous political leaders were dramatized.

THE JFK LIBRARY SPONSORS AN ANNUAL PROFILES IN COURAGE ESSAY CONTEST

The book itself, a Pulitzer Prize winner, had a simple premise: it described acts of bravery and integrityby eight United States Senators. In most of the stories, these men crossed party lines or defied popularopinion to make hard decisions that cost them dearly. Kennedy wrote the book at his bedside whileon leave from the Senate recovering from back surgery.

THE EIGHT SENATORS INCLUDED BY THE AUTHOR WERE:

The book was widely applauded as an effort to raise the level of public discourse by a handsome youngSenator with national ambitions. A few critics expressed doubt about whether Kennedy wrote it himself,since his family’s great wealth allowed him to be surrounded by many professional speechwriters andthinkers such as Ted Sorenson. Late in life, Sorenson acknowledged having worked on a draft. It remains,still, a definitive book on the history of the Senate.

6 AMERICAN PATRIOT

THE LIVES OFTHE COWBOYS

TheNational Cowboy &Western HeritageMuseum is America’s premierinstitution of Western history, art and culture. Founded in 1955, themuseum in Oklahoma City collects, preserves and exhibits a renownedcollection of Western art and artifacts while sponsoring educationalprograms and scholarly research on the legacy of our American West.More than 10 million visitors have come to the 220,000 square foot siteto gain better understanding of the West, a region that continues topermeate our national identity and culture.

The Museum honors pioneers of the American

West with three separate halls of fame. These

include real cowboys and other regional heroes in

the Hall of Great Westerners; “reel” cowboys in

the Hall of Great Western Performers; and the

great riders and ropers in the Rodeo Hall of Fame.

A popular destination for both kids and adults

alike, there are many permanent— and frequent

traveling — exhibitions to see. Among the per-

manent collections are the William S. and Ann

Atherton Art of the American West Gallery, which

contains over 2,000 pieces of art and artifacts

including the 18-foot tall Canyon Princess marble

statue; the American Cowboy Gallery which show-

cases work representing the working cowboy

in the U.S.; the Weitzen Gallery of Fine American

Firearms which covers weapons used during the

frontier period; and the moving Native American

Gallery that contains artifacts representing eons

of indigenous people.

There are also sections in the institution dedi-cated to rodeos, life on the frontier, prospecting,and Prosperity Junction, a reproduction turn ofthe century cattle town. The Western Performersgallery is extremely popular. At four thousandsquare feet, it explores the depiction of cowboylife in literature and film, and includes artifactsand biographical information about such starssuch as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, John Wayne,Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood and Tom Selleck.An interactive Children’s Cowboy Corral featureskid-oriented activities.

The 49th annual Western Heritage Awards, which

features new inductees and honorees, is set for

April 17. In addition, the Museum sponsors an

ambitious program of youth and adult lectures

and classes, and an award winning journal,

Persimmon Hill, which has profiled the likes of

John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea,

Walter Brennan, and Randolph Scott, and has

been home to noted writers such as John Stein-

beck, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Willa Cather, and

Louis L’Amour.

AMERICAN PATRIOT 7

LEARN MORN ABOUT WESTERN HISTORY AND PLAN YOUR NEXT VISIT HERE

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8 AMERICAN PATRIOT

SPRINGTIME MEANSMARCH MADNESS

TheNCAA’sMarchMadness basketball tournament is capturingthe interest of the country, once again. 65 teams, wall-to-walltelevision coverage, betting pools, sold out arenas, and more.

HERE IS THE HISTORY OFTHE TOURNAMENT FORMAT:

1939–1950 8 TEAMS

1951–1952 16 TEAMS

1953–1974 22 TO 25 TEAMS

1975–1978 32 TEAMS

1979 40 TEAMS

1980–1982 48 TEAMS

1983 52 TEAMS

1984 53 TEAMS

1985–2000 64 TEAMS

2001 – PRESENT 65 TEAMS

2011 RUMOR IS 96 TEAMS

By the way, UCLA has won the most NCAA

Mens Division 1 titles, with eleven. The Uni-

versities of Kentucky, Indiana and North

Carolina are also frequent winners.

AMERICAN PATRIOT 9

But here is a surprising fact: the term “March

Madness” was surprisingly coined from a

high school boys basketball tournament in

Illinois. The Illinois High School Association

has sponsored a high school boys basketball

tournament since 1908. By the 1930s, the

tournament grew to a statewide event with

nearly 1,000 schools competing. Henry V.

Porter, an executive at the Association came

up with the popular term and memorialized

it in an essay.

Meanwhile, in the 1930s, college basketball

became popular and a clamor arose for a tour-

nament to determine the best team in the

country. One such effort, the National Invita-

tional Tournament (NIT) commenced in 1938,

organized by leading newspaper sportswriters.

A year later, NCAA followed suit, led by leg-

endary Phog Allen of the University of Kansas.

For several decades, the NIT held sway, but

by the early 1960s, the NCAA tournament—

spread across the country rather than holed

up in New York City — emerged from the

shadows. In 1954, the championship game

between LaSalle and Bradley was televised

for the first time. In 1975, the tournament

was expanded to 32 teams. By the early 80s,

the NCAA tournament was domninant.

It wasn’t until the early 1980s, however,

when it was expanded to 64 teams, which

enabled more colleges across the nation to

be involved, created nationwide excitement

surrounding the tournament, and gave tele-

vision the content it needed to raise the event

to a major level, on par with the Superbowl

and the World Series. The term “March Mad-

ness” was popularized by the CBS network

at around this time.

SEE A VIDEO OF THE GREATESTFINISH EVER TO AN NCAA'MARCH MADNESS’ GAME

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2010SCHEDULE OF NCAA BASKET-BALL TOURNAMENT GAMES

PRESERVATION TRUST PICKSDISTINCTIVE DESTINATIONS

The city of Marquette is not a vacation destination that jumps righttomind formost Americans. But theMichigan town has been votednumber one in a public online poll sponsored by the National Trustfor Historic Preservation.

10 AMERICAN PATRIOT

The destinations are noted for taking action toretain their character, history and buildings. ForMarquette, it is the well-preserved streets of itsdowntown, its Lake Superior waterfront, and thestamp left on it by immigrants from 40 countries.

OTHER CITIES NOTED BY THE NATIONAL TRUST:

CEDAR FALLS IAWith recreational activities along the CedarRiver to shopping on its acclaimed Main Street,a dynamic downtown connects with its naturalsurroundings.

ST. LOUIS MOHighlights are nestled among the historic brickbuildings that line cobblestone streets, provingthe city lives up to its iconic status as the“Gateway to the West.”

FORT COLLINS COThe Rocky Mountains overlook the thriving busi-nesses of Old Town Square, the model for “MainStreet, USA” at Disneyland.

PROVINCETOWN MAThis New England seaport town, site of the 1620signing of the Mayflower Compact, positionsgalleries and restaurants next to NationalSeashore beaches.

SIMSBURY CTThis quintessential small town appeals to theheritage traveler with its top-rated restaurants,historic sites and parks and real working farms.

ROCKLAND MEWith great pride in its maritime past and present,there is a blend of tradition with an innovativespirit as well as historic lighthouses andmuseums.

CHESTNUT HILL PAEnjoying a unique combination of colonial andmodern history, the town features historic homesfrom Federal to Modernist and a boutiqueshopping district.

HUNTSVILLE ALStill preserving the largest collection of ante-bellum homes in Alabama, it has grown fromits deep southern roots to become “America'sSpace Capital.”

THE CROOKED ROADVirginia's Heritage Music Trail, VAThe Crooked Road celebrates the region's richAppalachian heritage, weaving quaint historicdistricts and music culture.

BASTROP TXBastrop takes visitors back in time with tradi-tional Texas charm and historic buildings alongthe Colorado River.

SITKA AKSitka prides itself on its diverse cultural her-itage and offers a glimpse of a unique chapterof American history.

WATCH A VIDEO OF THE 2010DOZEN DISTINCTIVE DESTINATIONS

AMERICAN PATRIOT 11

For a decade, the National Trust has selected 12 communities across America thatoffer cultural and recreational experiences different from those of the typical vacationdestination.“Each of this year's ‘Dozen Distinctive Destinations’ offer travelers a wayto get off the beaten path and enjoy an authentic, dynamic and entertaining travelexperience,” say RichardMoe, president of theNational Trust for Historic Preservation.

12 AMERICAN PATRIOT

THE SPAM YOU WANT(SORT OF)

In the U.S., Spam is a strong seller but is

often associated with economic hardship,

due to its relatively low cost. Interestingly,

Hawaiians and residents of Guam consume

the most Spam per capita. There is a reason

for that. Spam was introduced there, and

elsewhere in the Pacific, during World War

II and its immediate aftermath. Since fresh

meat was difficult to get to the soldiers on

the front, GIs were sent Spam for breakfast,

lunch, and dinner. Because the product

comes in a rectangular metal can, it stays

fresh for a long time even if not refrigerated.

Surpluses of Spam from the soldiers’ supplies

made their way into native diets. The sol-

diers often took their taste for it back to their

hometowns after the war as well, but often

with a bit of wry humor, calling it “Something

Posing As Meat”, “Specially Processed Ar-

tificial Meat”, “Spare Parts Animal Meat”

and the like.

Spam is celebrated in a small local festival in

Austin MN where Hormel corporate head-

quarters are located. The event, known as

Spam Jam feaures parades, and fireworks.

Austin is also home to the Spam Museum.

In addition to the annual celebration, there

is a national recipe competition where sub-

missions are accepted at the top forty state

fairs in the nation.

The Spam Jam, by the way, is not to be con-

fused with Spamarama, a gentle parody

held in Austin TX. It features music, acts

and a cookoff.

CLICK HERE FOR AN ONLINESPAM RECIPE EXCHANGE

Spam, the meat product, not the unwanted email messages, is acanned precooked productmade by Hormel Foods Corporation. Themain ingredients are chopped pork shoulder meat with hammeatadded, salt, water, modified potato starch as a binder, and sodiumnitrite. A gelatinous glaze forms from the cooling of the meat aftercooking. The product, though simple, has become part of Americanpop culture, the butt of many jokes and subject of urban legends.

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

“You are either with us, or against us.”— PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

THROWS DOWN THE GAUNTLET TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITYAFTER THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS.

14 AMERICAN PATRIOT

THIS WEEK INAMERICAN HISTORY

AMERICAN PATRIOT 15

1987.The one millionth Macintosh computer (a Mac Plus, by the way)comes off the assembly line, stamping Apple as one of the greatentrepreneurial stories in the history of American business.

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