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 Proclamations Proc. 7622 respect and quality of life for all. We also reaffirm our commitment as a Nation to honoring the dignity of every person and to promoting compas- sion and concern for our fellow citizens. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2002 as National Hospice Month. I encourage Americans to increase their awareness of the importance and availability of hospice service and to observe this month with appropriate activities and programs. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of No- vember, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the Independ- ence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh. GEORGE W. BUSH Proclamation 7622 of November 5, 2002 In Celebration of the Centennial of the West Wing of the White House, 2002 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation For 100 years, the West Wing of the White House has served as the work- place of the President of the United States and his staff. Now housing the Oval Office, the Roosevelt Room, Cabinet Room, offices of the President's senior staff, and the ]ames C. Brady Press Briefing Room, the West Wing has become the center of executive branch operation. Prior to 1902, the President and his staff worked out of offices housed in the White House Residence, causing crowded staff conditions and a lack of privacy for the President's family. This overcrowding prompted planning for the construction of a new wing to serve as offices for the President and his staff. While plans were reviewed during several Administrations, con- struction did not begin until Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. The wing was completed in 1902, and the Presidential Offices were then moved from the Residence to the new addition. The wing underwent a major expansion in 1909, doubling its size, and further renovations were done in 1929, 1934, and 1969. Following a Christmas Eve fire in 1929, renovations and restoration dis- placed Herbert Hoover for several months while new and improved facili- ties were built. In 1934 the Oval Office was moved to its current location on the southeast corner, over looking the Rose Garden. In the 1940's, the building became known as the "West Wing." For a century, the West Wing has served as the headquarters of White House staff members who work to address national and international con- cerns, advance democracy, and secure a future of opportunity for all. Gov- ernment and military leaders, Olympic athletes, college champions, artists, entertainers, and citizens from around the world have been welcomed to the West Wing to attend briefings, meetings, bill signing ceremonies, and 173

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