Joe Biden Honors Norman Lear: ‘A Transforming Force in American Culture’

President Joe Biden paid tribute to Norman Lear, the groundbreaking writer, producer and director who died Tuesday at age 101.

Biden called Lear a “transformative force in American culture” whose shows “redefine television with courage, conscience and humor, opening our nation’s eyes and often our hearts.”

In 1999, Lear received the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton. Clinton said at the time that Lear “held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we see it.”

Biden also pointed to Lear’s decades of political activism, saying he “fought directly for free speech, a woman’s right to choose, the environment, the right to vote and more.”

Below is Biden’s full statement:

Norman Lear was a transformative force in American culture whose groundbreaking shows redefined television with courage, conscience and humor, opening our nation’s eyes and often our hearts.

The characters he created painted a fuller picture of America, capturing our hopes and needs, as well as everyday moments of fear and resilience. From Archie Bunker and George Jefferson to the cast of “Good Times” and “One Day at a Time,” his characters have become integral parts of the lives of tens of millions of Americans, often reminding us of family or neighbors. We have loved them, disagreed with them, grown with them, felt strongly for them and along the way changed the way we see ourselves.

During World War II, Norman dropped out of college to join the Army and served 52 tours of duty in Europe. He never forgot the lessons he learned there to defend democracy and freedom. Arriving in Hollywood at the dawn of television, he shaped the genesis of a medium that defined American culture and used it to advance our nationwide communications. During his more than 75-year career – which spanned more than 100 different shows and films, as well as six Emmys, two Peabodys, a National Medal of Arts and a Kennedy Center Award – he never shied away from difficult subjects and issues of racism not addressed. , class, divorce and abortion anchoring grace and dignity in people’s lives. And through decades of political activism, he fought directly for freedom of speech, women’s suffrage, the environment, the right to vote and more.

Norman loved America and told us stories from his heart, with the good, the bad and the truth about who we are as a nation striving for a more perfect union. He made sure that generations of Americans cared about him, and for that we are grateful.

Our love goes out to Norman’s wife, Lyn Davis Lear; his six children, Ellen, Kate, Maggie, Ben, Madeline and Brianna Lear; and his four grandchildren.