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“The true purpose of education is not merely to prepare individuals for employment but to prepare citizens for responsible participation in society. A successful education system cultivates reason, character, empathy, and civic consciousness alongside professional competence. Nations that invest in thoughtful and informed citizens strengthen democracy more effectively than those that rely solely on economic growth.”

Last update Sept. 26, 2026. History

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“The true purpose of education is to prepare young men and women for effective citizenship in a free form of government.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American general and politician, 34th president of the United States (in office from 1953 to 1961)

Speech at Williamsburg College http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/education/bsa/citizenship_merit_badge/eisenhower_citizenship_quotations.pdf (15 May 1953) <br class="br">1950s

“Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.”

John Dewey (1859–1952) American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer

“The remedy for what ails our democracy is not simply better education (as important as that is) or civic education (as important as that can be), but the re-establishment of a genuine democratic discourse in which individuals can participate in a meaningful way — a conversation of democracy in which meritorious ideas and opinions from individuals do, in fact, evoke a meaningful response.”

Al Gore (1948) 45th Vice President of the United States

Quotes, The Assault on Reason (2007)

“Bernard Shaw remains the only model we have of what the citizen of a democracy should be: an informed participant in all things we deem important to the society and the individual.”

Jacques Barzun (1907–2012) Historian

"Bernard Shaw," in A Jacques Barzun Reader : Selections from his works (2002), p. 231

“One of the great strengths of America is our active public square. Issues are influenced by the will of the people. That is why an educated citizenry is so important to the success of our country. As SMU graduates, you are well-equipped to participate in these vital debates. My hope is that you speak out on the issues that matter to you. Participate in your Nation’s civic life as citizens, not spectators. You’ll come to learn that who you are is more important than what you have—and that you have responsibilities to your fellow citizens, your country, and your family. By taking part in American democracy, you will make our country stronger.”

George W. Bush (1946) 43rd President of the United States

2010s, 2015, Remarks at the SMU 100th Spring Commencement (May 2015)

“Today we need a nation of minute men; citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.”

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) 35th president of the United States of America

“Message to Those Participating in Roosevelt Day Commemoration (29 January 1961) http://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/life-of-john-f-kennedy/john-f-kennedy-quotations/commemorative-message-on-roosevelt-day." Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers, "New Minute Men Urged by Kennedy," The New York Times(30 January 1961) pg. 13 <br class="br">1961

“The success of any nation is impossible without the political participation, the economic empowerment, the education, and health, of women.”

George W. Bush (1946) 43rd President of the United States

2010s, 2014, U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Spousal Program (August 2014)

“Education, in general, should not be limited to the acquisition of knowledge and preparation for a career or in common parlance, "to make a better living." We must think in terms of a "better life," not only for the individual, but also for society as a whole. The educational system must, therefore, pay more attention, indeed the main attention, to the building of character, with emphasis on moral and ethical values.”

Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994) Hasidic rabbi

Endorsement of President Jimmy Carter's Education Program - Feb. 7, 1979.

“Education spending will be most effective if it relies on parental choice & private initiative -- the building blocks of success throughout our society.”

Milton Friedman (1912–2006) American economist, statistician, and writer

“John Dewey… said “Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not preparation for life, but is life itself.” I understand and completely agree with this philosophy.”

Virgil John Tangborn (1920–1944)

October 1, 1938

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