A look into the AMA historical archives turned up something relevant considering recent news headlines. The following letter was sent to AMA Executive Director John Worth by former President Jimmy Carter following the 1977 Nats:
“I send warmest greetings to the participants in the fifty-first Annual Meeting and National Model Airplane Championship of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.
“You provide important support to our nation’s civil and military aviation and add to the leisure and enjoyment of countless individuals and families.
“As you begin a second half-century of watching the results of painstaking research and tireless building effort, I salute you and send my very best wishes for a memorable event.”
—Jimmy Carter
Note: AMA will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2036.