So, (procrastinator alert!) according to Speech Wars, the word "literature" has been used 15 times in State of the Union addresses since 1790. (It only made it into inaugural addresses twice: Hoover, 1929, and Reagan, 1985.) Most of the references, oddly enough, are related to 1) the need to teach literature in military schools, in order to keep students on par with other educated individuals; and 2) the need to teach literature in schools on reservations.
The humor award goes to Grover Cleveland's 6th State of the Union in 1894, when he says in reference to abuses of the postal system, "Paper-covered literature, consisting mainly of trashy novels, to the extent of many thousands of tons is sent through the mails at 1 cent per pound, while the publishers of standard works are required to pay eight times that amount in sending their publications." Tsk, tsk. Precursors to Twilight, no doubt. He mentions it again in 1896.
Most serious goes to Calvin Coolidge, who, in 1925, cites the "appreciation of the arts of music and literature" is part of "attempting to strengthen the spiritual life of the Nation."
Finally, the most poetic award goes to Ronald Reagan in 1986, when he says, "The American Dream is a song of hope that rings through night winter air. Vivid, tender music that warms our hearts when the least among us aspire to the greatest things--to venture a daring enterprises; to unearth new beauty in music, literature, and art; to discover a new universe inside a tiny silicon chip or a single human cell."
Notably, Reagan is also the only president to use the word "poetry" in an inaugural address; the word has never been mentioned in a State of the Union address.
As for what it all means, that's a subject for another post entirely, and my procrastination limit has reached its daily maximum...
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