Archived: Secretary's Statement on Religious Expression

The title link is to the United States of America's Department of Education's website. More specifically it is to a page devoted to archived information on religious activity and expression in public schools.

Near the top of this webpage is an open letter to American educators from Richard W. Riley, the U.S. Secretary of Education at the time. Below that are guidelines, and below that is a list of organizations, including religious ones, that "can answer questions on religious expression in public schools."

But at the very top of this official federal government webpage is the following quote (ellipsis in original). For fun, try to guess who said this before checking for the answer in the comments section below.

"...Schools do more than train children's minds. They also help to nurture their souls by reinforcing the values they learn at home and in their communities. I believe that one of the best ways we can help out schools to do this is by supporting students' rights to voluntarily practice their religious beliefs, including prayer in schools.... For more than 200 years, the First Amendment has protected our religious freedom and allowed many faiths to flourish in our homes, in our work place and in our schools. Clearly understood and sensibly applied, it works."