Lyndon B. Johnson on "The Great Society" (1964): List 1

On May 22, 1964, the graduating students of the University of Michigan were personally asked by President Lyndon B. Johnson to join him in a battle to make America great. Here are some of the words used by the president to inspire a commitment to end poverty and injustice. Read the full text of his remarks here.

This list covers vocabulary in paragraphs 1-13 of the speech.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. coeducational
    attended by members of both sexes
    This university has been coeducational since 1870, but I do not believe it was on the basis of your accomplishments that a Detroit high school girl said, “In choosing a college, you first have to decide whether you want a coeducational school or an educational school.”
  2. tranquility
    an untroubled state that is free from disturbances
    I have come today from the turmoil of your Capital to the tranquility of your campus to speak about the future of your country.
  3. subdue
    hold within limits and control
    For a century we labored to settle and to subdue a continent.
  4. industry
    persevering determination to perform a task
    For half a century we called upon unbounded invention and untiring industry to create an order of plenty for all of our people.
  5. initiative
    readiness to embark on bold new ventures
    Your imagination and your initiative and your indignation will determine whether we build a society where progress is the servant of our needs, or a society where old values and new visions are buried under unbridled growth.
  6. indignation
    a feeling of righteous anger
    Your imagination and your initiative and your indignation will determine whether we build a society where progress is the servant of our needs, or a society where old values and new visions are buried under unbridled growth.
  7. unbridled
    not restrained or controlled
    Your imagination, your initiative, and your indignation will determine whether we build a society where progress is the servant of our needs, or a society where old values and new visions are buried under unbridled growth.
  8. abundance
    the property of a more than adequate quantity or supply
    The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all.
  9. injustice
    the practice of being unfair
    It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice, to which we are totally committed in our time.
  10. enrich
    make better or improve in quality
    The Great Society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents.
  11. destiny
    a course of events that will inevitably happen in the future
    It is a challenge constantly renewed, beckoning us toward a destiny where the meaning of our lives matches the marvelous products of our labor.
Created on Tue Jun 03 16:56:51 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Jun 03 17:51:48 EDT 2025)

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