imagination. The 805 yards gained, and the eight touchdowns scored,
by Hal Spooner is fact, not fiction. The same can be said of the 306
yards chalked up by Jim Luper in pass receiving. And certainly the 110
points scored by Bellino, plus the yardage he gained in rushing, in punt
returns and kickoff returns—to say nothing of his passing, pass receiving
and punting—are not thin materials out of which legends are spun.

Speaking of this fellow Bellino, I have rebuked myself many times for
not having gotten into the "Awards-to-Bellino" movement. And so, before
I came to this meeting I decided to get into the act, along with everybody
else. In fact, I decided to regain lost ground by going way ahead of some
very important people. We must assume that within the next few months
the United States Naval Academy will confer upon Mr. Bellino a
baccalaureate degree, and that shortly thereafter the United States
government will commission him an ensign. Well, this evening—right
now—the Governor of Maryland is going to commission you an admi-
ral—an admiral of the Chesapeake Bay. So Joe, if you will come forward
somewhat in violation of the printed program, I'd like to make the
presentation.... And incidentally, this makes you the youngest person
to hold this honorary title.

REMARKS, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
HONORING LAUREL RACE COURSE OFFICIALS

WASHINGTON. D. C.
April 6, 1961

May I express my appreciation, first of all, to the National Press Club
for its invitation to come here and take part in this event in which we
pay tribute to the Laurel Race Course on the occasion of its fiftieth
anniversary.

Horse racing in Maryland has its roots in our early colonial society, and
no state in the union has a finer tradition, a more glorious history in
this sport of kings than does our own State of Maryland. For a half
century now, this race course at Laurel has enhanced the tradition and
added lustre to the history of horse racing in Maryland.

In the position I occupy, I hear much about the revenues state
and local governments derive from the race tracks. In times like
these, it would be silly of us to look askance at any source of revenue,
but from my point of view it is not good for racing—it is not good
for the State—to regard the race tracks merely as a source of income.

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