White House Photo Gallery

President George H. W. Bush speaks to 1989 STS finalists at the National Academy of Sciences. President Bush told the students: “I think no one proves better than all of you just how much our students are capable of.”

President George H. W. Bush addresses STS finalists in 1989. “What you’ve done is important for America,” he remarked. “Scientific and technological advancement have always been at the very heart of our nation’s pioneer spirit.”

Vice President Dan Quayle (seated) visits the STS finalists’ research project displays in 1990. Finalist Raymond Meng, far right, discussed his research on the sympathetic nervous system with the vice president.

President George H. W. Bush speaks at the STS Awards Gala in 1991. “We meet tonight on the 50th anniversary of the [Science Talent Search],” he stated, “a program which has helped to make the past half-century a time of extraordinary exploration.”

1991 STS finalists hear remarks from President George H. W. Bush at the Awards Gala. The president said of the students, “All have created research projects which show how the trailblazers of today can indeed be the heroes of tomorrow.”

1991 STS finalist Susan Criss explains her research to President George H. W. Bush. For her project, Criss researched how the presence of beta-carotene—a pigment found in fruits and vegetables—in the bloodstream may reduce the risk of cancer.

1991 STS finalist Judson Berkey discusses his research project with President George H. W. Bush. Berkey’s project was titled, “Effect of Spin Reduction on the Launch Angle that Maximizes Range of a Baseball.”

1991 STS finalist Tessa Walters explains her research project to President George H. W. Bush. Walters synthesized enzyme inhibitors found in snake venom and verified that these inhibitors lower blood pressure in animals.

1991 STS finalist Yves Jeanty discusses his research with President George H. W. Bush. Jeanty studied cell-to-cell contacts, identifying changes in cytoskeletal proteins that indicated the ability of cells to move away after they collide.

1991 STS finalist Tara Bahna-James shows her research project to President George H. W. Bush. For her project, Bahna-James explored the relationship between musical talent and math aptitude.

STS 1991 first place winner Ashley Reiter explains her research to President George H. W. Bush and Glenn Seaborg, Nobel Prize winner and chairman of Science Service’s Board. Reiter calculated the dimensions of fractals generated by Pascal’s triangle.

This contact sheet from the Bill Clinton Presidential Library’s collection shows images of 1993 STS finalists meeting the president at the White House. Two full-size images from the Library’s contact sheets are included in this gallery.