In late 2016 I contacted local civic leaders with an idea. Oak Ridge photographer Ed Westcott must be nominated for The Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is our country’s highest civilian honor. The last photographer to win the award was Ansel Adams in 1980, over 37 years ago.
Westcott has earned the award. From 1943 to the end of World War II, he took over 15,000 photographs in Oak Ridge. He created, with determination and discipline, the most important photographic archive of 20th. century American history. When the war ended in August of 1945, Westcott was just 23 years old.
Local experts agreed. A group of East Tennessee civic leaders and politicians would organize and forward the nomination to the White House. Westcott has lived in Congressman Fleischmann’s district for many years.. His support was essential.
As soon as the Big Dogs got involved, everything went dark. I would email folks asking about progress. On the very rare occasion someone replied, I was assured that things were moving along. The tone was always slightly paternal. These important matters needed to be left to the titans of government, business and industry. I agreed. This was a job for Big Dogs.
The task was top secret. Letters of endorsement were solicited from various VIP’s. The nomination itself was written by communication experts.
Finally, in the fall of 2017, I was assured by email that the nomination was submitted to The White House. Again, no chatter on the Internet, no comments in the media. Hush hush. Experts said it was now out of their hands. All that could be done, had been done. We needed to sit back and let the nomination Gods do their magic.
The news blackout about the Westcott nomination submission to the president is understandable and lamentable at the same time.
Understandable because of politician’s aversion to even a sniff of failure. Politicians hate failure whether actual, or even worse, perceived. An Italian politician once wrote victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan.
It would be better to let the Westcott file collect dust on someone’s desk in the West Wing, than be a fierce vocal advocate for a losing cause. Publicity was too risky for civic leaders if the outcome was in question. Westcott might be an orphan.
I scoured the Internet searching for any reference to the Westcott nomination. Nothing was found. Looked over Fleischmann’s press releases. Nothing found there either. Politicians issue press releases and have press conferences about the smallest of grant money going to a worthy cause or to announce Awareness Day or Week or Month for dozens of different illnesses or for social issues of the day.
Westcott’s nomination didn’t get a press release. Fleischmann’s Oak Ridge office was emailed requesting comment. None was received.
The decision to have a news blackout was lamentable because public support for the nomination would make the president’s decision easier. Most politicians like popular decisions.
Coverage on Fox News about the amazing Westcott story and his nomination would be a good thing. The president might see the story. It is rumored he watches quite a bit of cable news. The experts decided it was best to fly under the radar.
Part of the mystery and silence around the Westcott nomination is the selection process for the Medal of Freedom inside the White House. Established by President Kennedy, the award started out under a rigid bureaucratic process. Committees met. Nominations were considered. Nominees were discarded. Recommendations were forwarded to the Oval Office.
Over the years, presidents expanded their powers and streamlined the system. By Reagan it had become a type of patronage system where cultural or political influence held more sway than true merit.
Along the way, the selection process became shrouded in secrecy. Committees disappeared to be replaced by staff members fighting about nominations over beers on a late Friday afternoon. Or so it appears. Nobody really knows for sure.
The president can convey the award to anyone at anytime. Living or dead, American citizen or not. There are no limits on the number of medals he can award.
At times, only a few hours separated the announcement of the award and the award ceremony. Sometimes there was no announcement at all. Yes, occasionally it appeared to be an impulsive act.
I hope the president is very impulsive about the Westcott nomination. He has earned this award, but the clock ticks. All the while civic leaders keep their lips sealed.
It will be difficult to predict which gets buried faster: Ed Westcott’s nomination for the Medal of Freedom or Ed himself.