Paul Coverdell: “I am honored to rise this morning to pay tribute to a distinguished American and a great Georgia visionary. 50 years…”

“I am honored to rise this morning to pay tribute to a distinguished American and a great Georgia visionary. 50 years ago, Benjamin H. Hardy, Jr., was one of the primary architects of a new foreign policy initiative that became known as President Truman's ``Point Four,'' a program of technical assistance to help the people of developing nations. This bold and revolutionary program became an important tenant of American foreign policy, helping people around the world improve their lives. Mr. Hardy was a distinguished student at the University of Georgia, graduating with a BA in journalism in 1928. After graduation, he worked as a journalist and later as a public affairs officer for the Departments of Defense and State. His service at the Department of State required him to draft the foreign policy portion of President Truman's 1949 inaugural address. The address cited four basic points of American foreign policy: (1) Support for the United Nations; (2) continuation of the Marshall Plan; (3) military cooperation with Western allies; and (4) a ``bold new program'' of technical assistance to people in developing nations.”