Nearly 90 Percent of Americans Fail to Name Presidents on Mount Rushmore National Memorial, According to a Jeep(R)/Goodmind Stud
07 Novembre 2005 - 12:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
* Almost one-third of those surveyed did not know that four
presidents are featured on Mount Rushmore National Memorial * The
Jeep Commander in History contest reinforces teaching U.S. history
to America's youth with essay questions about the commanders in
chief featured on Mount Rushmore National Memorial * Grand prize
winner awarded family trip for seven to visit Mount Rushmore
National Memorial during the 65th anniversary year of both the
national monument and the Jeep brand AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 7
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Research released today reveals 87
percent of Americans are unable to accurately name all four U.S.
presidents featured on Mount Rushmore National Memorial, according
to a study conducted by Goodmind, a New York based research firm,
on behalf of the Jeep(R) brand. In celebration of the launch of the
all-new 2006 Jeep Commander and the 65th anniversary of the Mount
Rushmore National Memorial, an icon of American history and the
commanders in chief, the Jeep brand developed the "Jeep Commander
in History" contest, an educational program to encourage America's
youth to take an earnest interest in our nation's deep history and
the legacy of our founding fathers. "With this Jeep and Goodmind
study, we identified the need to promote civics and national
history education," said Jeff Bell, Vice President - Jeep. "With
the launch of the all-new Jeep Commander, we thought it was a good
opportunity to reach the younger generation and instill an interest
in our nation's past." The Jeep Commander in History contest is
open to 7th graders, an age when American History is a central part
of the curriculum, who will be asked to submit an essay with their
thoughts on the following: * Choose one of the Mount Rushmore
National Memorial presidents and explain what you feel was his most
important contribution to the history of the United States. * What
advice would you give the current president and future commanders
in history that would support America's ideals of freedom? The
contest begins on Nov. 7, 2005, one week after the completion of
Mount Rushmore National Memorial 64 years ago. Jeep will distribute
the Jeep Commander in History educational materials to 11,000
teachers as an additional resource in educating students about
American presidential history. Contest Details Student essays can
be submitted by parents, guardians or teachers online at
http://www.jeepcommanderinhistory.com/ or via U.S. mail. Gift
certificates to an office supply superstore worth $150 will be
given to the first 100 teachers who submit their student's essays.
Entries will be judged on creativity, clear content, logical
thought and proper use of language. Essays must either be
postmarked or submitted on-line by Friday, February 3, 2006, and
the grand prize winner will be announced on Monday, March 6, 2006,
one day after the bill was signed in 1925 granting permission for
Mount Rushmore to be carved. The author of the grand prize winning
entry will be awarded a family vacation for up to seven members
total to Mount Rushmore National Memorial during 2006, the
monument's and the Jeep brand's 65th anniversary year. In addition,
100 first prize and 100 second prize winners will receive Jeep
gear. Survey Says Goodmind conducted the OmniVox survey of nine
questions, on behalf of Jeep, via telephone methodology to access
consumer knowledge of Mount Rushmore and general presidential
trivia. A total of 1,042 respondents completed the survey. Other
findings include: * Almost one in ten 18-24 year-olds incorrectly
named Abraham Lincoln as the first president of the U.S. * Three
percent of college graduates could not name the current president
of the United States. * More than half (52%) of respondents did not
know that Franklin D. Roosevelt was president for most of World War
II. * If given the option, 22 percent of people surveyed chose JFK
as the president they would most want to see on Mount Rushmore
followed by Ronald Reagan (21%) and Franklin Roosevelt (15%).
(Disclaimer: Mount Rushmore National Memorial will never be able to
add another president to the monument per an agreement with the
family of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor responsible for the
carvings.) * More than half the respondents (51%) were unable to
name Andrew Jackson as the president on the U.S. $20 bill. * More
than half (51%) of those surveyed couldn't place the quote "Speak
softly, but carry a big stick" with Theodore Roosevelt. * Fifty-six
percent didn't recognize Harry Truman's quote "The buck stops
here." Jeep Commander Unlike other SUVs on the road today, the
all-new 2006 Jeep Commander is the first seven-passenger 4x4 that
is Jeep Trail Rated, and it is the only SUV in its class to offer a
choice of two V-8 engines. The introduction of the Jeep Commander
signals the Jeep brand's commitment to remaining the leader in the
SUV market, a market that Jeep invented nearly 65 years ago. The
Jeep Commander expands and strengthens the Jeep lineup, which
consists of Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Liberty and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
DATASOURCE: Chrysler Group CONTACT: Carrie McElwee,
+1-248-512-2664, , Jodi Tinson, +1-248-512-2944, , both of Chrysler
Group; or Lauren Vidovich of Clear!Blue, +1-312-464-1984 ext. 250,
Web site: http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/
http://www.jeepcommanderinhistory.com/
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